My husband and I ended up staying at the Narragansett for four nights due to our teeny apartment rental getting a bit overloaded by our teenager's friends and then by our son and friend! It turned out great. We have been renting houses on Block Island for 20 years and have never stayed several days at an inn there. The NI is quite reasonable for BI in August: $140 for a room with a shared bath (you can have a private bath for $60 more). It's also a bit rustic: the decorations in your room are likely to be kind of cheesy, the walls are a little thin, and if kids are playing on the lovely lawn (which goes right down to the water), you'll hear every word. Nevertheless....the historic inn has its charms, beginning with a spectacular porch with a spectacular view of the Great Salt Pond and all the boating going on in it. You'll be on that porch every morning for breakfast; you'll sit on it when you come back from biking or the beach; you'll have drinks and watch the sunset...it's just fabulous. The breakfast buffet, which is happily included in your room rate, was great: the first time I've ever had perfectly cooked bacon on a breakfast buffet, and it was like that every single day. Lovely pancakes. Real eggs. Good coffee. Real OJ. (The buffet was so good I never had a reason to eat the Killer Donuts available on the dock across the street and I really love them in spite of the fat content.) And that view! I took endless pictures from our first room, #10, on the third floor. I kept taking them when we had to move to #18, a corner room directly under #10 (somebody else had requested #10 for the week). Corner rooms had good cross ventilation, we noted, and we only had to use the fan one night. Beds were comfy enough, no complaints. I was a little nervous about the shared bath idea; on the second floor, six rooms share a bath. But frankly, mid-week, we never saw anybody else in the bathroom. By Thursday night, we waited one time to use it (and there's another restroom on the first floor.) So no big deal, tho I can't vouch for Friday and Saturday nights. Many people ate dinner at the inn while we were there, tho we didn't end up being able to. There is also a nice bar in the inn. Deadeye Dick's restaurant is across the street, quite good as well. The Oar restaurant is a two-minute walk away, also on the pond, and the sushi was very nicely done. The inn is about a mile from the main town area, which is the perfect length, in my opinion, for an after-dinner walk. No free wi-fi. If you're lucky enough to be there on the every-other-Tuesday-night when there's bingo at the firehouse, that's only a block away and it seems like everybody on the island shows up to play There's a TV in one of several common areas, but I rarely saw anybody in there and the TV was never on. (Everyone was on the porch or out doing something!) Payne's Dock is also next door, which has a tiny bar with some popular local entertainment (Irish singer). All in all, I'd stay at the NI again in a heartbeat.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Narragansett Inn from July 17-19th, having searched for a place in a good location that could fit into our budget. The Narragansett is a very barebones establishment, so those looking for luxurious accommodations are coming to the wrong place. Having arrived via the Montauk ferry and landing in old harbor, we found the inn conveniently located just around the corner and situated on a small hilltop overlooking the harbor. The views were magnificent, and we spent many relaxing hours taking it on from the veranda’s rocking chairs, while ordering drinks from the bar.

I’m glad to report that the Inn seems to be much better kept these days than in past years. My boyfriend and I did not notice any cleanliness issues during our stay, and we are both neat freaks. The room itself was sparse, yet clean, and also with wonderful harbor views. The shared bathrooms, there are two per floor, were always clean, and having a sink in the bedroom (which sounds strange) actually turned out to be quite convenient, making it unnecessary to go down the hall to the bathroom just to brush your teeth for instance.

The free breakfast was a nice surprise. During our stay, an all you can eat buffet was offered each morning consisting of pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, yogurt, fruit, granola, cereals, pastries and coffee and juices. I warn against arriving too late to breakfast. My boyfriend and I found several of the food items nearly depleted (e.g., a fruit bowl eaten down to only 3-4 cubes of watermelon) with the staff seeming reticent to replenish them. The Oar restaurant, located just behind the inn, is an excellent place for dinner or lunch and is convenient for those who don’t want to walk or bike back in the dark if returning late. In addition, the doughnuts at Payne’s on the dock right next door are some of the best I’ve ever had.

As mentioned, the Narragansett Inn is not the right place for those seeking creature comforts. The building itself is approximately 100 years old, so while that adds to the charm, it is also obvious that it’s in need of a lot of TLC. The rooms do not have air conditioning (although it appears that few establishments on the island do and it was hardly needed during our stay), windows must be propped open with sticks and the furnishings are threadbare, if non-existent. Having stayed during the week when things were fairly quiet business-wise, I cannot speak to the noise levels coming from the restaurant and bar, however, the walls of the Inn are very thin, so disturbances from the neighboring rooms and hallways are more than likely. Light sleepers may want to bring their earplugs in either case. Overall, the inexpensive lodging prices, free breakfast and fabulous location make the Narragansett a good choice for those on a budget, but fussy individuals should look elsewhere.

What not to love your about 1 to 2 miles away from downtown we actually walked there twice. Our room was nice and clean nothing like those awful photos posted here. It was like a cottage not in the main Inn. I didn't miss the a/c because it gets kind of cool at night. The food was great the free breakfast buffet had eggs, bacon and pancake etc... Which is free of charge. Dinner and lunch is awesome price wise$$. I would go back in a heart beat. Dead I Dicks was right across the street they have a wonderful food lobster martini is yummy. There a bar at the end of the pier. Yellow Kitten is near the Inn I can't describe who much fun the live band was. We used Sam taxi she is a real peach and knows all the great places to go. I try to add photos later.

The Narragansett Inn is a very fine hotel and is undergoing updates and improvements. The hotel owners resumed control of the complex in 2010, and you can tell by the happy faces of the staff that things are coming around. The cheapest rooms are $95; huge bargain on Block Island and you should take advantage! The staff are friendly and restaurant is awesome. Eat inside in a very elegant dining room, or out on the deck with a commanding view of the big harbor. Remember, this is not the mainland and you may have to rough it a little, but so what? Enjoy. We know we did!

There is no doubt the location is grand and the ambiance spectacular. Highest recommendation.