MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Hotels, Hotels & Resorts

Hammetts Hotel Opens in Newport, RI

July 5, 2020 MoralCompass

*Hammetts Hotel, Main Street Hospitality’s newest addition to its management portfolio, has opened in Newport, RI, on America’s Cup at Commercial Wharf.*

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.

For more travel features, visit:

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Historic Places, Uncategorized

Famed Newport Mansions, The Breakers, The Elms Reopen with Health Precautions

June 6, 2020 MoralCompass

*The Breakers, one of the most famous among the Newport mansions, has reopened with strict health protocols © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

NEWPORT, R.I. – The Preservation Society of Newport County today received final state approval to reopen the Newport Mansions to visitors under strict health precautions.

The Breakers is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day with the last tour admission at 5 p.m.

The Elms is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day with a final tour admission at 4 p.m. The Servant Life Tour will be available during that same time.

“By reopening The Breakers and The Elms, we will bring in revenue we need to survive, and our visitors will help to jump-start Newport’s economy and support local businesses,” said Trudy Coxe, executive director and CEO of the Preservation Society. “With so many events canceled this summer, the economic stimulus of the Newport Mansions on the city and the state will be greater than ever.”

The Preservation Society hopes to reopen Marble House and Rosecliff later in the season.

In response to the pandemic, all of the Preservation Society’s historic properties and house museums have been closed to the public since March 15. Because 70 percent of the nonprofit organization’s revenue is derived from tour and events admissions, its annual budget has been cut dramatically.

The Preservation Society has prepared the following measures to help protect the health and safety of visitors:

• Audio tour equipment will no longer be distributed. Audio tours of The Elms or The Breakers can be downloaded onto smartphones and visitors can use their own earbuds to listen. The download is free and available through the Newport Mansions app.

• Tickets will be sold only online at NewportMansions.org. Ticket buyers can download and print their ticket at home or show their ticket on their smartphone when they arrive on site. Tickets will be for a specific day and time. Visitors will get to choose when they prefer to visit, subject to availability.

• Preservation Society members will continue to enjoy free admission but must make reservations through NewportMansions.org using their email address and ZIP code.

• A limited number of visitors will be allowed in each house at one time, as determined by state COVID-19 regulations. Staff members will wear face masks and guests will be required to wear masks, too.

• As always, guests will not be allowed to touch any objects or surfaces inside the house except as necessary, such as stair handrails. Staff will wipe down the handrails and any other surfaces visitors might touch throughout the day.

• Restroom attendants will make sure the number of people in each bathroom does not exceed the limit and will clean throughout the day.

• Visitors will be required to maintain a safe distance from each other. Lines on the floors of some rooms will show visitors where to stand until the next spot is available. All tours will be one-directional.

• Because the elevators in The Breakers and The Elms, which require a staff operator, are too small to accommodate people while practicing social distancing, they will not be in operation during the initial phase of reopening.

• The Preservation Society is also working with state officials to devise a plan so guests can purchase sandwiches and snacks from the Welcome Center at The Breakers and enjoy seating on the lawn.

The Preservation Society, which owns and operates 11 historic properties, hosted more than 1 million tours for the fourth straight year in 2019. In July, it delivered the 40 millionth tour since the organization’s founding in 1945.

For more information, visit NewportMansions.org.

For more travel features, visit:

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Cultural Travel, Museums & Exhibits

Tiffany Glass Exhibition at Rosecliff, One of Newport R.I. Mansions

December 25, 2019 MoralCompass

Colorful glass artwork and objects by Louis C. Tiffany is on display at Rosecliff, one of the famed Newport, Rhode Island, Mansions, through March 1 (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

NEWPORT, R.I. – Colorful glass artwork and objects by the renowned Louis C. Tiffany is on display at Rosecliff, one of the famed, grand, historic Newport Mansions, through March 1.

“Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light” opens Sunday at 4 p.m. with a lecture and reception featuring Lindsy Parrott, executive director and curator of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in New York City, which organized the exhibition. Hosted by The Preservation Society of Newport County, the exhibition showcases a selection of objects from the Neustadt’s vast collection.

“Tiffany’s work is one of the defining examples of innovation in Gilded Age decorative arts,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO and executive director of the Preservation Society. “This is a great addition to our series of exhibitions on the second floor of Rosecliff, following upon our recent, successful Audubon presentation.”

As a painter, Tiffany (1848-1933) was captivated by the interplay of light and color, and this fascination found its most spectacular expression in his glass “paintings.” Through the medium of opalescent glass, Tiffany manipulated light and color to achieve impressionistic effects using innovative techniques and materials. His Tiffany Studios created leaded-glass windows and lampshades in vibrant colors and richly varied patterns, textures and opacities.

“Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light” is composed of five windows, 19 lamps and more than 100 pieces of opalescent flat glass and glass “jewels.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Preservation Society of Newport County to share some of Tiffany’s most iconic and celebrated works, especially since several Newport mansions featured decorations commissioned from Tiffany,” Parrott said. “The exhibit illustrates the rich expanse of color and light available to the artists at the Tiffany Studios, and captures Tiffany’s artistic innovations during the Gilded Age.”

Rosecliff is located at 548 Bellevue Ave. The exhibition is free to view with paid admission to Rosecliff. For tickets and information, visit newportmansions.org/learn/adult-programs or call 401-847-1000, ext. 178.

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties – seven of them National Historic Landmarks – span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.

For more information, visit NewportMansions.org.

For more travel features, visit:

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin