Where to Stay in Newport Rhode Island | My Favorite Little Inn in Newport

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. While it is sponsored, I have spent 10 nights total in this Inn which I paid full price for. I then received a free night in exchange for reviewing the Inn.

If you’re unsure of where to stay in Newport Rhode Island let me help you along. In this post, I’ll be sharing my favorite Inn in the Newport Rhode Island area.

If you’re in the process of deciding where to stay in Newport Rhode Island, let us help you. You can find numerous Uber-fancy recommendations that can easily break the bank. Therefore, that’s not what my post is about. I’m interested in helping the average Joe plan a great and affordable trip to my favorite U.S. destination. Many people think Newport Rhode Island is so expensive they don’t even bother to look into a visit, but that’s not totally true.

In this post, I will share the little gem of an Inn my husband and I stumbled upon the first time we were looking for where to stay in Newport Rhode Island.

This post is all about where to stay in Newport Rhode Island.

My other Newport Rhode Island posts:

7 Amazing Things to Do in Newport Rhode Island You Absolutely Don’t Want to Miss

Delicious Newport Rhode Island Restaurants for Every Budget

Newport Rhode Island Mansions for Newbies | Don’t Miss The Gilded Age at its Finest

Blue Shutters Beach | Prepare for an Unforgettable Day at the Beach Not Far From Newport, RI

Where to Stay in Newport Rhode Island:

Rhea’s Inn by the Sea, their website is here.

Why is Rhea’s Inn the best place to stay you ask? In our humble opinion, there are 5 reasons:

1. Cleanliness

The whole reason we ever stumbled on Newport Rhode Island was because we were itching to travel during COVID but we were not comfortable flying yet. Walking into hotels and Inns that were not clean was really a pain in the neck. Especially in New England, we found places to be a bit older with high price tags. Not so at Rhea’s. Each time we have stayed here, we have not been able to dig up a speck of dust or piece of hair if we wanted to. There are no odors or smells either. We are highly impressed with how clean they keep it. The girl who cleans left a nice envelope and a note on the dresser. It’s nice to know who is cleaning the room and the fact that she is willing to give that information out shows she feels confident in her work.

2. Location

When you think of where to stay in Newport Rhode Island, many people think of Thames Street or staying right in the heart of downtown. But if you’re also wanting affordable and more for your money, I say venture out of the downtown area a bit. Rhea’s is just a 5-minute drive to downtown Newport and the harbor. However, it is ideally located just barely in Middletown Rhode Island, a stone’s throw from the “Newport” address. If you’re not opposed to walking, it takes 30-40 minutes to walk to various places in downtown Newport, depending on where you’re headed. You can pay to park in Newport, but we have always been able to find free parking on side streets.

Rhea’s is within walking distance of 2 “Must-Dos” and a beach

Cliff Walk: If you’re going to Newport, you’re likely looking to do the Cliff Walk, the walk along the ocean behind the Gilded Age Mansions. Rhea’s is literally a 10-minute walk to the start of the Cliff Walk. This is a HUGE plus because there is really not much parking for Cliff Walk and any parking nearby is not free.

Flo’s Clam Shack: Another plus is that Rhea’s is about a 3-minute walk to Flo’s Clam Shack, which is a Food Network-reviewed clam shack that is awesome! Go for the scallops and clam strips, they’re our favorite. You can read more about Flo’s in my post:

Delicious Newport Rhode Island Restaurants for Every Budget

tip: After dinner, head for a stroll on the Cliff Walk, and on your way back to the inn pop into clementines for great homemade ice cream. it is also just behind Rhea’s.

Beaches: Rhea’s is also a short 5-minute walk to Easton’s Beach, AKA First Beach. Mind you, you’ll save a $40 parking fee. Actually, parking may vary, but I have seen it as high as $40. We find this beach to be crowded and it may behoove you to check out Second and Third Beach in Middletown as well. Both are just a few minutes up the road. If you’re not opposed to a 50-minute drive, you can check this post out, it is our favorite beach in the area so far:

Blue Shutters Beach | Prepare for an Unforgettable Day at the Beach Not Far From Newport, RI

3. Affordable

As I mentioned before, being willing to stay just out of the Newport border will lower the prices of accommodations. Also, you’ll get more for your money. I also like that that there are 3 types of rooms to choose from. I will say, the bathroom in the King Jacuzzi rooms and the Queen Suite rooms are not yet updated, but both of those rooms on the third floor have a deck and an ocean view.

Updating these bathrooms to match the recent updates to the other bathrooms is on Tony’s “to-do” list. However, I’m okay with a bit older style of bathroom to have the jacuzzi tub. Plus it was all immaculately clean, which is more important to me. The carpeting was replaced since we last stayed at the Inn and we never thought it looked bad. Again, they really keep up with things. We were able to see each of the rooms and I’ll pop photos in below.

Standard Queen Room

Standard King Room

Queen Suite (living room and ocean view deck)

King Jacuzzi Deck (ocean view)

Our room of choice is the King jacuzzi room. I just always want a jacuzzi tub when I go away. Usually, it costs so much more that I feel like I cannot justify spending the extra money. But at Rhea’s, I have been able to secure it each time I come and I feel good about it!

4. Family Owned

I feel like ever since COVID, I have cared about supporting the little guys. My husband and I worked through the whole pandemic. Nurses in general and hospital staff, at least where I was working, tried to really support local places during these rough years because we hated to see people close their doors. We, nurses, would try and order food from small places for lunch or dinners once they reopened and I began to search for smaller places for places to stay.

Tony, the owner of Rhea’s, has been there at the desk and doing small projects around the Inn each time we have been guests. I feel like when the owner of places is often on-site, places are better maintained and much cleaner. He can tell us when things have been replaced and what he plans to do next.

5. Snacks and a simple breakfast included

In the check-in area, Tony keeps items for a simple quick breakfast in the morning including cereal, muffins, fruit, yogurt, pop-tarts, and bagels. He also has some grab-and-go snacks you could snag if you’re hungry later or for the long days out and about. It’s essentially a fully stocked kitchen that you can access 24 hours.

There were days we had a muffin in the morning and then there are days we prefer to go to breakfast. Having the option to save a few bucks is always a plus.

That’s a wrap on where to stay in Newport Rhode Island.

We hope this post has helped you decide where to stay in Newport Rhode Island. You will not be disappointed if you decide to stay at Rhea’s Inn by the Sea. The location, price, and quality will make your stay relaxing and stress-free so you can focus your time on planing the rest of your trip. Happy travels!