The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection

We had a wonderful time staying at The Vanderbilt! It is such a beautiful hotel, with the most welcoming and friendly staff. I had a few special requests due to traveling with my 9 month old daughter, and they were happy to accommodate them all. We will definitely be returning!

The first night we stayed in 313. I woke up at 3am covered in spider bites all over my feet. When looking around the room we saw numerous spider webs and nets. It was disgusting. We also saw clumps of dirt on the floor also disgusting. We asked for the sheets to be changed. When I went to take a nap because I was exhausted, I pulled back the sheets and saw a MASSIVE stain on the sheets. It was nasty and horrifying. I was incredibly upset and physically and mentally uncomfortable. I have stayed at many different Auberge properties across the country and have NEVER experienced something like this! It was disturbing. After a lot of back and fourth with hotel staff, we finally were able to change rooms which was much better. The only positive was the manager of housekeeping Cliff was GREAT throughout the whole process.

The hotel staff were extraordinary. The room -3. We booked a suite. It turned out to be an attic walk-up. Walked in. Found one desk, two chairs, couch and tv. Two small windows. Where’s the bedroom!? Oh. You have to walk up about 12 wooden stairs to a cramped low attic room- no windows-with a king sized bed and a bathroom. Did I mention NO WINDOWS!!!! It was like sleeping in the Gilded Age as an indentured servant. Or in bunker. Either way. Horrible. If you go make sure they don’t give you an attic suite— or if they do they should warn you.

This was a massively disappointing experience - especially given the price of this hotel. Overall, I found the room to be extremely disappointing for the amount we paid for it. Our room, including taxes and the many additional fees charged, was approximately $1,500 per night, and there was a three night minimum. This is NOT a cheap price for any hotel room, and I would expect a superb room, with plentiful amenities for this amount. Instead, I found the room to be dark, pokey, and quite frankly depressing, with a few simple amenities missing. Key issues for the room: 1/ Room size (though this can't be changed) is very small for the amount charged, and with a low (and dreary grey) ceiling to boot. We were on the 4th floor in what was obviously the old servant's quarters. I'm sure rooms on lower floors feel nicer. 2/Inadequate lighting. The only well-lit portion of the room was the bathroom. It was impossible to even see what was in my suitcase, even with all the lights on. Perhaps a floor lamp could be added to help dispel the dreariness. 3/ The middle window blind was faulty and only opened 1/3 of the way. 4/ Noisy! There is virtually no sound-proofing in this room. The room was close to the elevator, and this turned out to also be the service elevator. There was frequently noise from staff clearing plates (from the rooftop restaurant), and from room service staff coming and going. We could also clearly hear the music playing from the pool deck, though this always ended by about 10pm in the evenings. 5/ Basic amenities lacking. For example: I am accustomed to there being at least a small moisturizer in even a basic hotel room. The one pump bottle in the bathroom labelled "Lotion" actually had some watery soap in it. The water bottles that were in the room on the first day were never refilled, unless we happened to find a staffmember to ask about this. On the plus side: The hotel is very centrally located, and common areas (lounge, dining room etc.) are beautiful. The service from the concierge (which took place via email) was lovely. Overall, I wouldn't recommend staying here.

Sadly, the most memorably disappointing hotel experience. We stayed 4 expensive nights for mediocre everything. The property is woefully understaffed. Pool service was non existent. Food quality was inconsistent. The potato chips in our room - the ones you’d be charged for if you ate them - expired 4 months ago. We felt this was symbolic of our entire stay. The hotel is very dark inside. Room was a very average. No central air conditioning and the units in the room cannot handle this summer heat. We were always uncomfortable. Spend your money elsewhere.

We loved every bit of our recent stay at Hotel Vanderbilt!!! We have traveled to Newport at least 10 times and have stayed at many hotels in town. This was our first visit to this hotel. It has a beautiful boutique hotel feel, but it is in an amazing location featuring a rooftop bar, spa and pool. These are things that are not easy to find in a Newport Hotel. Our trip got off to an amazing start when we were contacted in advance by the hotel concierge, Morgan, who offered help in planning our trip. She gave us many suggestions of things to do that we had not experienced before. She went above and beyond to make this trip celebrating our anniversary very special. We felt that all the staff at the hotel were extremely friendly and helpful. I am very picky about cleaning. I felt that the hotel and rooms were very clean. We enjoyed eating breakfast in the Conservatory every morning and had a wonderful dinner in the Dining Room. After our stay, we have decided that this is the only hotel we will be staying at when we do our yearly visit to Newport!!