The saying “they don’t build them like this anymore” is easily applied to the grand buttercup-yellow Ocean House hotel, perched on a hillock in Watch Hill, a relatively quiet village of Westerly on Rhode Island’s western coastline.
There has been a resort of renown here since 1868, when Ocean House first opened. But they didn’t build them quite like this back then. What we now see, though still in a grand Victorian style, is a rebuilt resort that included reassembling original fittings and features, such as the fieldstone fireplace in the lobby lounge.
When Ocean House reopened in 2010, it united the best of both worlds: a classic ambiance mixed with luxurious amenities and modern ease of use. Think of simpler, non-digital pleasures: Take a croquet lesson from a member of the United States Croquet Association; try your luck on the shuffleboard court; and romp on the private beach, which is part of the property’s 13-acre spread. The beachside cafe and cabanas provide immediate comestibles and comfort.
Walk into town, where the Flying Horses Merry-Go-Round is said to be the oldest continuously operating merry-go-round in the country. Borrow a bike or one of the resort’s complimentary Mercedes-Benz vehicles for longer coastal cruises.
But that’s only if you can bear to leave Ocean House’s wonderfully comfortable and spacious rooms, especially one of the 20 signature suites. The Presidential Suite is simply enormous and has a baby grand piano in the living room, as well as a hot tub and large cabana lounge on its view-hugging private deck. The treehouse-like Tower Suite has an open staircase up to a widow’s walk.
Even the 49 standard rooms don’t hold back on spectacle and space; the large entryway ends at a marble counter topping a fridge (loaded with complimentary soft drinks and local beers) and a cupboard with coffee fixings. A coat closet and wardrobe create a home away from home where everything may be stored easily.
Beside the large and luxuriously comfortable bed, a grey herringbone upholstered armchair with footstool blends into the room’s warm blue-and-white color scheme and provides a perfect lounging space. Still, the seats on the private balcony offer beach views.
Louvre shutters open up the roomy bathroom’s deep soaking tub (bath salts provided). Those who forget their phone charging cord will be delighted to find outlets in the discreetly lit clock/music player.
If you see a mouse in the elevator, don’t worry. And that five-dollar bill on the floor? Don’t try to pick it up. They are part of a delightful children’s painted picture scavenger hunt.
The hotel’s art collection is an adult delight and includes great illustrators like Ludwig Bemelmans. Along with his series “Goodbye to the Ritz,” the Madeleine illustrator’s panels from the Onassis yacht, Christina O, are on view.
Ocean house is four stories above ground and three below. One level down from the lobby, OH! Spa’s wellness options run from a signature massage to sauna session. Adjacent is the fitness center and a saltwater lap pool, which opens up to the spa terrace.
There are two squash courts, a games room with billiards and darts, and the Sand Castles kids’ program. There is also a movie theater screening mostly family classics, perfect for rainy and cold weather days, or relaxing in the evening.
Another subterranean gem is the Center for Wine and Culinary Arts, where a visiting forager might teach about local edibles, or the inn’s sommelier might lead a wine class, instructing from the adjacent 8,000-bottle wine cellar.
As a Relais & Châteaux member, along with top-notch accommodations and service, the resort offers exemplary dining. The dinner-only Coast restaurant lines a wraparound windowed conservatory overlooking the grounds. Settle into a really comfortable cushioned wicker seat to enjoy a five-course tasting menu, either meat- and fish-oriented or vegetarian.
Delectable little canapés and petit fours bookend a meal that might include a salad of pickled, sweet badger flame beets with pistachios and a blood orange gelée, or seaweed gnocchi smothered in spring blossoms and served with a spring garlic broth.
The adjacent Bistro offers a more casual menu of pastas, sandwiches and salads. The Secret Garden Crêperie is a pop-up that proved so popular it stayed in place. Just like Ocean House itself, some things are too good to let slip away.
