Admiral Farragut Inn

We had the chance for a last-minute getaway in Newport. Proprietor/owner?, Rick, certainly "sold me a bill of goods" with the availability of a "great" room at the Admiral Farragut Inn. The exterior picture to the left on this review site is not this "Inn" but rather an entirely different property across the adjoining street. This property is not like any Inn we have ever stayed in. The entrance has deep, uneven, cracked cement stairs (hard to navigate) and the house has paint peeling on the exterior and interior. We stayed on the second floor with wall cement filled holes, and on the second day just outside our room was a ladder. Scraps of the filling paste were all over the carpets and on the stairs. There were swaths of cracking paint on the ceiling over the bed in the room. Before we even checked in at the adjoining property, as instructed, we were immediately greeted in the graveled parking area by a staff member who literally scolded us for not parking within a space created by not-at-all visible wooden studs in the ground. With absolutely no warmth or words of welcome, after re-positioning the car, she hastily brought us in the office of the check-in property (dark, dusty, filled to the brim with all sorts of storage for the other properties), and said that there would be no housekeeping service unless we consented. We did, but they only did this one of three days that we stayed. She firmly told us that breakfast must be ordered in advance with the time and meal choices, but at the end of long sightseeing days we did not know whom to give our orders. So, we had to hope we could eat at the time we appeared. The breakfast was cooked to order and ok- but only quite basic. We got coffee out at a cafe as the solution to clean the coffee carafes made the coffee taste like bleach. You are told at check-in you can only stay at a table for 30 mins. Getting in the locked door at night with minimal lighting is tricky, with no instruction on the exterior about whom to call if you get stuck. Our bathroom was tiny, although the shower was roomy, and everything was clean. The high king sized bed was not particularly comfortable. We almost left after the first night, but things in the area were pretty booked up. There is no help with anything, bags, sights, who to talk with about breakfast or about anything. There is a paper with a phone number in the room to call if there is an emergency. But, no visible person is around. Rick (I think it was him) showed up for 2 out of 3 breakfast services - throwing bread on tables for guests to toast their own bread (which is fine for guests to do, but slung food does not yield a pleasant way to start the day). He never introduced himself, only offered sardonic commentary about bread-self-service, and "maybe we will serve you today." The only thing that is great about this property is its location to everything in Newport, and the room was clean, which is why I would give it a 1 and a 1/2 star rating, but it comes as a 2. We didn't have any idea when to check out, nothing in the reservation email or on the wall, so we just left the key in the room after breakfast. The stay we had is not in keeping with any style or service we have ever had at an Inn at all; rather, Admiral Farragut is a run-down vintage boarding house style home with some rigid/angry and inhospitable staff (2 were nice).

The Admiral Farragut Inn is one of four properties run by the Inns of Newport. We think the experience will vary depending on which building you're in, what floor your on, and which type of room you've booked. We stayed on the third floor of the Admiral Farragut Inn, so we can only speak to that. We stayed three nights, the third one was free because of confusion in booking. As this is a very old house, this attic room was small, with a tiny bathroom. There is nowhere to set items in the bathroom, and limited space in the bedroom. The room had no chairs, and there's no place to sit in the building except for in the dining room. Perhaps one of the other buildings has a lounge area. The temperature was comfortable, but it was April. It might be toasty in the summer. Fans or air conditioning would be called for. Breakfast is served in this building for the other properties too. Breakfast was made to order, and the French toast was particularly good. Breakfast requests are made at check in for the next morning. For some reason, the innkeeper assumed we wanted the same breakfast every day. We made different requests directly with the cook the day before. The location near downtown Newport is superb, with an Irish Pub a block away and the waterfront and all it has to offer in easy walking distance. This is a good choice if you're looking for basic accommodations, but if you want to hang around in the room or building, it may not be for you. Rooms on the lower floors are more spacious.

My husband and I booked a king room in the Admiral Farragut. We ended up in the building across the street. When checking in I mentioned that we didn't know where to find the office to check in (it was in the building next to the Farragut) and the manager gave me a song and dance about booking the room through a third party. Our room had the most vile odor. The window couldn't be opened because the old fashioned rope and weights were broken. And right outside the window if we were able to open the window) we all of the garbage pails. The window treatment was full of dust. The corners of the room were dusty. We left first thing in the morning because we couldn't stand the odor in the room for one more second. The worst value for the money of anyplace I have ever stayed.