The Chanler at Cliff Walk

The Chanler succeeds because it feels inhabited. Newport is full of houses that ask you to admire them from behind velvet ropes. This one invites you to stay awhile. The rooms are handsome without feeling staged. Ours overlooked Easton’s Beach, where the weather seemed to change every half hour and the light with it. Breakfast on the terrace became the part of the day we looked forward to most. Good coffee, thoughtful food, and enough sea beyond the table to make conversation slow down. The design deserves special mention. The bathrooms alone are remarkable. Victorian fixtures sit comfortably beside botanical wallpaper, black millwork and polished brass. Nothing feels as though it was ordered from the same catalog. It feels collected. That curiosity stayed with us throughout the hotel. The stair runners, the ironwork, the lighting, the artwork and textiles all suggested careful hands behind them. More than once my wife asked, “Who made this?” I found myself wishing for a small cabinet near reception introducing the artists, designers and craftspeople who gave the building its character. Beautiful work deserves its authors. Most of all, the staff understood that good hospitality is quiet. They never seemed to perform service. They simply practiced it

There was very little to fault, and most of it felt more like opportunity than criticism. One of the hotel’s two restaurants serves only a tasting menu with no substitutions or dietary accommodations. My wife is vegetarian, so we happily dined at the second restaurant, which was excellent. I admire a chef willing to stand behind a complete vision. Still, in a world where allergies, vegetarian diets and other restrictions have become ordinary, it felt like an unusually firm line to hold. The open kitchen beside the bar is one of the hotel’s pleasures. We heard the chef pressing the line more than once. Good kitchens are rarely quiet, and there is something reassuring about a cook who cares enough to raise his voice. But the bar is close enough that, for a few moments, the kitchen belonged more to itself than to its guests. On a warm afternoon the air conditioning worked hard, and we both wandered over to the windows to let in the sea air before discovering they were sealed. I suspect every summer guest repeats this same little ritual. A simple note explaining the decision would turn a moment of confusion into one of understanding. Finally, the Wi-Fi was inconsistent enough that even the in-room television occasionally struggled. It was the only part of the property that felt less carefully maintained than everything around it.

Attention to detail. Amazing staff. Great food.

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המלון מיוחד מאוד ונמצא במקום מדהים ביופיו.

האוכל במסעדה בינוני ולא שווה את הכסף. החדר לא ממש נקי. בעיקר השטיח בחדר, נראה שלא שאבו אותו מזה זמן רב…

This is a beautiful hotel, and very special to my husband and me. It's definitely been one of our favorites for weekend getaways. We have been going there for many years. The location, views are incredible.

Our most recent visit was disappointing compared to our earlier visits. Unfortunately, it seems the service quality has gone down. Very minimal amenities in the room compared to other hotels of the same level/price. Our dinner experience was particularly disappointing - a 60 min wait for our mains! They did not have the wines listed on the menu and had inferior substitutions (although they charged the same as the better wine!). These wouldn't have been big issues if it were a lower-priced, less exclusive property. But these are not what I expected from an exclusive property like the Chanler, especially because I know they used to have far better service than this.