My husband and I arrived in Newport on Christmas Day. Even though the Anchor Pier Lodge desk and gift shop were closed, they met us and let us in for our stay. We were shown around to the rooms and invited to pick one--they were all nice--I chose the Bayfront History because I liked the decor.

The room was recently remodeled and was large with an extra bench for sitting and a small table with two chairs. The bathroom was comfortable and clean. The bed was also very comfortable to sleep in.

One thing I also appreciated was that they had a washer and dryer available to the guests. After travelling for almost a week, it was nice to be able to do a quick load of laundry. They even provided the laundry soap.

Our stay was almost perfect. The only drawbacks (which really are not major) were car noise and the temperature of the room. The Bayfront History room faces Bay Rd. and there was quite a lot of car noise when that road was busy. They did provide earplugs if the guests needed them. About the temperature, the room had a fireplace but we never needed to turn it on. Since heat rises, the heating downstairs kept the room almost uncomfortably warm. The thermostat was set for 50 degrees but the room was more like 76 degrees.

If I get the good fortune to visit Newport again, I will make sure and stay at the Anchor Pier Lodge, but I'll make a reservation for one of the ocean-side rooms; I'd rather listen to sea lions than cars. =)