Newport’s Hotel Viking Combines History And Charm With Ideal Location

With its breathtaking mansions, gorgeous coastline and delicious lobster rolls, Newport, Rhode Island is a great place to spend a weekend – or have a wedding. There are dozens of hotels in the city but, when my nephew got married a few weeks ago, we were happy that he and his bride booked a block of rooms for guests at Hotel Viking .

Hotel Viking is a popular choice for wedding guests and it was fun to see all the different groups gathered in the lobby in their finery. We made a game out of guessing who was part of which wedding as we waited for the shuttle to take us to Fort Adams , the venue for our happy couple's ceremony and reception. This impressive site, which is also home to the annual Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, is a must-visit and the Fort Adams Bay Walk is often recommended for viewing the beautiful sunsets.

Storied history

A member of Historic Hotels of America, Hotel Viking will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2026. The hotel was originally built for guests of the nearby mansions, some of which are open to the public to visit.

Conveniently located near the Bellevue Avenue Historic District – a National Historic Landmark itself – it's an ideal home base for a stay in Newport. The Colonial Revival architecture brings you right back in time to the Gilded Age and makes you feel like you might run into a Vanderbilt, Astor or Morgan while dining out.

Hotel Viking has hosted many famous guests over the years, including President John F. Kennedy, Bob Dylan, Ella Fitzgerald and Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

Gilded Age accommodations

Hotel Viking offers 208 well-appointed rooms and suites in a variety of styles. We stayed in the Chateau-sur-Mer suite, named after one of the first Gilded Age mansions in Newport, and it was lovely, with its period furnishings and historic photographs. We loved having a separate parlor, which, if we hadn't been there for a wedding that we had to get dressed for, spreading our clothes all over the sofa, we would have happily used as a sitting room to relax with a good book. Maybe a little Edith Wharton.

Dining and spa

Although you'll definitely want to get outside and explore Newport, there's plenty to do inside the hotel, as well. One Bellevue Restaurant is known for its surf and turf and its afternoon tea and, during high season, the rooftop Top of Newport Bar + Lounge is where the locals gather for stuffies and other Rhody faves. Grab coffee, handmade pastries and sandwiches and salads to go at Hill Market , the café in the lobby. While you're in the lobby, check out the always-busy Lobby Bar.

Hotel Viking's Spa Fjör is the place for a pre-event facial or massage or a rainy day spa day. The extensive menu features indulgent treatments including an 80 minute Volcanic Earth Clay Ritual and a 50 minute Himalayan Salt Polish. If you have the time, opt for the 150 minute Day of Bliss.

The hotel also offers an indoor pool, fitness center, infrared sauna and Himalayan sea salt wall.

Nearby attractions

Because of Hotel Viking's central location, it's easy to walk to many Newport must-visits including the Redwood Library and Athenaeum (the country's oldest lending library), the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Newport Art Museum . It's also near The Black Dog , where I bought a t-shirt because I'm a Swiftie — even though I know it has nothing to do with the song by Taylor Swift (who just happens to have her own mansion in Newport).

Best of all, though, Hotel Viking is close to The Lobster Bar , a waterfront icon that's been serving up fresh seafood for more than a decade. The menu is a seafood lover's dream with lobster in its varied forms, from traditional and hot lobster rolls to lobster flights to lobster tacos and so much more.

Sitting on the patio, overlooking the water and savoring a fresh-as-can-be lobster roll, is a pretty heavenly experience. We were still talking about it when we got back to Hotel Viking after the wedding. As we imagined ourselves there as guests of the Vanderbilts during the Gilded Age, we fell asleep with smiles on our faces. One can dream.