Newport, RI – Hammetts Hotel, Main Street Hospitality’s newest addition to its management portfolio, opened on Friday, June 26. Centrally located on America’s Cup at Commercial Wharf, the 84-room hotel places guests in the heart of downtown Newport and welcomes the local community to explore, gather, and dine.
The Sarah Langley Gallery at Hammetts Hotel, named for the owner of Hammetts Wharf from 1893 to 1906, also opens to the public on June 26. Purposefully established to engage both hotel guests and the Newport community in artistic conversations, visitors will have an opportunity to connect with artists, curators and gallerists. Inspired by work connected to Newport and the Northeast region, the gallery will also host partnerships with regional art and academic institutions. Exhibitions will be curated by a gallery committee and are scheduled to change seasonally throughout the year. Future plans for community events include gallery opening receptions, artist talks, and more.
The gallery’s opening exhibit features works by young artists at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County. Titled “This is Our Town,” the children use art to depict their hometown perspectives. The eclectic collection of artwork ranges from iconic landmarks like the Cliff Walk and Narragansett Bay, while other artists captured the diversity of the city’s North End, illustrated Newport’s “red tide” of seaweed, or caricatured middle school classmates. Together, the paintings represent the juxtaposition of grit and glamour in the “City by the Sea.”
“It is an honor to showcase artwork from young, local artists as the debut exhibition in the Sarah Langley Gallery, and a testament to the importance of the local community to Hammetts Hotel,” said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality. “All proceeds from sales of any of the pieces on exhibit will go directly to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County was established 1956. It is a place where countless young residents have learned to swim, received academic support, and gained leadership experience. For nearly 65 years the club remains true to its mission “to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need help most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”
The Sarah Langley Gallery is located in the central corridor of the hotel occupying the east wall for 50 feet of linear exhibition space. Nearby, the sun-drenched lobby features floor to ceiling windows welcoming visitors with abundant seating artfully arranged for individuals to linger and small groups to socialize. Guest rooms and public spaces have been carefully curated, featuring artists with strong ties to Newport. Eustis worked closely with Kristen Coates, a Newport gallerist, artist and art advisor, to engage the artists and curate the collections. Featured artists include William Heydt, Nicholas Lima, Onne van der Wal, Mark Sweeney, Rob Migliaccio, Christian Harder and Maaike Bernstrom.
Slated to open in August, the hotel’s restaurant Giusto will feature an outdoor bar and expansive patio overlooking the Newport Marina, a private dining room, and semi-open kitchen. Helmed by Chef Kevin O’Donnell, the cuisine will focus on regional Italian dishes with playful Rhode Island touches, including menu items from local farms and purveyors to support the community. The bar program will offer a mix of classic and freestyle cocktails, beer from local breweries, and a predominantly Italian wine list with featured natural selections.
Amenities of Hammetts Hotel include a private deck for guests to enjoy, a full-service waterfront restaurant, fitness center, flexible gathering spaces, and valet parking with seasonal rates. Summer rates starting at $300 per night.
For additional information and reservations, visit www.hammettshotel.com or call 401-216-8081. Hammetts Hotel is located at 4 Commercial Wharf, Newport, RI 02840.
Formed in 2014, Main Street Hospitality Group is a hotel management company founded originally at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, with a long tradition of excellence in preservation, innovation, sustainability and operations. As owners and operators of some of the most distinctive hotels in the Berkshires and, most recently in Newport, RI, the company’s mission is to “create places that enable people to connect in meaningful ways” through genuine hospitality, thoughtful operations and an empathy-driven culture. Main Street’s hotel management portfolio includes The Red Lion Inn, Maple Glen at the Red Lion Inn, The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA, Hotel on North, Pittsfield, MA, The Briarcliff Motel, Great Barrington, MA, and Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield, MA, an affiliated hotel. Main Street will manage the Hammetts Hotel in Newport and will grow its presence in Rhode Island with the addition of The Beatrice Hotel in Providence also in 2020. For more information, visit www.mainstreethospitalitygroup.com or call 413-298-1610.
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