written by Kerry Newberry | photography by Shelsi Lindquist
Perched on a cliffside at the edge of the sea in Newport, Hotel Sylvia’s historic building dates back to 1910. For more than forty years, the storied property has lured book lovers to the coast for contemplative literary retreats. The beloved hotel recently relaunched following a thoughtful glow up—reviving all the spaces while retaining the bookish spirit of this special place.
The name still pays homage to Sylvia Beach, the legendary American expat book-seller who owned the Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company—a literary hub in the 1920s for renowned writers including Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
You’ll find the revered literary ethos remains throughout the property. All twenty-two guest rooms are named for either authors (Maya Angelou, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, C.S. Lewis, Alice Walker) or after popular genres (drama, fantasy, mystery). Each room added curated book collections and creative accents to further enhance the literary vibes.
There’s a new vibrancy and lightness to the shared spaces with contemporary design and details that include floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in the lobby library to nooks with eye-catching wallpaper. No matter where you settle to stick your nose in a book, you can relax to the steady hum of ocean waves. For any bibliophile, this is the ideal spot to get lost in a novel, or maybe even write one of your own.
LITERARY ROOMS
Choose from twenty-two delightfully thematic guest rooms styled with stunning wallpaper. Author rooms include Maya Angelou, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemingway, C.S. Lewis, William Shakespeare and Alice Walker. Genre-themed rooms range from drama and fantasy to mystery and romance. The majority of the rooms have full or partial ocean views, and some are pet-friendly.
BOOK NOOKS
Get ready to hit your Goodreads goal in one of many charming reading nooks and spaces. In addition to a stylish fireside lobby library, you can burrow into your book on an oceanfront patio. On the third level, the James Joyce Library offers a quiet space with cozy couches and stacks of vintage books—including all the guest journals dating back to the hotel’s early years.
AMENITIES
Start your morning with espresso from the Lobby Coffee bar. The lobby gift shop sells an inspired selection of snacks, beer, local wine and canned cocktails along with Wild Coast tea, cool tote bags, literary games and other sundries. Check the lobby calendar for information on local writing groups and author events. Borrow beach chairs, puzzles and even book lights.
DINING
In the beautiful Café Sylvia, expect more ocean views and personality-packed bookshelves. Standout breakfast items include the New Yorker (a bagel topped with cream cheese and lox) and Poet’s French Toast (custard-soaked brioche with seasonal berries). The café is open to the public from 8 to 11 a.m., and it’s a wonderful community hub for both local and visiting readers.
267 NW CLIFF ST.
NEWPORT
www.hotelsylvia.com
