Troy our trolley driver and expert commentator made the trip so worthwhile, with his humor,…read morepersonal stories and getting to know and tease many of us by name. Truly an expert tour provider!

My husband and I took this tour with our four teenagers, and we had a fantastic time! We were lucky…read moreto have a beautiful, clear day, which made the experience even better. Our trolley driver, Rob, was absolutely amazing. He was very knowledgeable about the mansions and shared so much interesting history along the way. He also gave us excellent recommendations for restaurants, nightlife, and parking. If you take this tour, definitely ask for Rob, he made the experience unforgettable!

It was a great tour however we started off late and by the time I left the parking spot I was…read moredrenched and hot. Jim was great however, the sound system from the microphone was so muffled. We couldn't hear anything he was saying, and that comes from all of us in the back of the trolley. It was unfortunate because he was great. Nothing bad about Jim but just bad sound system. Now I have to make a comment, I watched everyone get off the trolley after a wonderful day and I only saw two people give him a tip. Of course I gave him a tip. I can't believe people actually don't tip for a wonderful afternoon.

We grabbed the last two seats on the Viking Newport Trolley tour and lucked out with Ray as our…read moreguide -- what a gem! Ray's storytelling made the city come alive, weaving in personal memories, local legends, and insider tidbits you'd never get from a guidebook. He clearly loves Newport and knows every corner of it, from Gilded Age mansions to hidden seaside gems. It felt like a friend showing us around his hometown rather than a scripted tour. Highly recommend -- just hope you're lucky enough to get Ray too!

The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization based in Newport, Rhode…read moreIsland and its top priority is the preservation and conservation of its historic houses and their collections. This work includes restoration of roofs and windows, conservation of fragile textiles, cleaning and restoration of valuable paintings and much more. At any given time, dozens of projects are underway. A visit to the Newport Mansions is a donation to The Preservation Society of Newport County. During the holiday season, The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms welcome visitors with spectacular holiday displays so it was a great opportunity to visit. In addition to the house holiday display, there is an outdoor holiday display called Sparkling Lights at The Breakers from November 22 to December 29, 2024 on select evenings. Admission is only at 4 pm, 4:30 pm, 5 pm, 5:30 pm and 6 pm. Gates close at 6:30 pm and the house and grounds close at 8 pm. Timed admissions tickets can be purchased online at https://www.newportmansions.org/. Tickets include access to the lavishly decorated rooms inside the house during the same visit. About a week prior, I bought 2 tickets for December 20, 2024 at 6:00PM ($40.00 each) and I was really looking forward to it. However, there was a winter advisory and it was snowing on the day of. Driving conditions were unsafe. I was worried I was going to lose my money since the website indicated tickets may not be resold, non-transferrable, non-refundable, and cannot be used for a different date. I tried calling the Preservation Society of Newport County, but there were just prompts and I couldn't talk to a live person. I sent a direct message to @newport.mansions through Instagram and they responded promptly that I could receive a refund by emailing info@newportmansions.org. Gary Ruff, Associate Communications Manager, responded and instructed me with what information he needed to provide the refund. I was so appreciative. Thankfully, the snow cleared and temperature warmed up a bit so I bought 2 tickets for December 29, 2024 at 4:00PM ($40.00 each). All the decorated Christmas trees, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree, poinsettias, garlands, wreaths and fresh floral in the interior of The Breakers were beautiful and then walking through the lights and illuminated displays of the outdoor 13-acre landscape was just a cherry on the top. The Preservation Society of Newport County also partnered with Stoneacre Brasserie to offer holiday treats and adult beverages. Thank you to The Preservation Society of Newport County for everything you are doing to protect, preserve, and present an exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes.

The family (wife, 10 y/o son, 2 y/o daughter) were visiting Newport and looking fo some activities…read moreto do. I noticed that the Newport mansions were on every to-do list, with the Breakers being the top choice of many. I looked at their website as well as other reviews and saw that this may not be the best place for younger ones. I saw that no strollers were allowed and I didn't think a tour of an old mansion is something my 10 y/o would be interested in. So I decided to take a solo trip on a nice Friday morning while the rest of the family slept in late at the hotel. The Breakers opens at 10 AM. The visitors parking lot is on the corner of Ochre Point Avenue and Victoria Avenue. There are other lots nearby but read the signs as they are for other buildings...The parking lot had adequate space when I arrived at 10:15 or so, but by the time I was leaving at about 11:45 is was pretty packed with visitors having to park in the rear overflow lot. Once you reach the front gate of the Breakers mansion, there are COVID restriction and general rule signs. As you proceed you can go to the left to buy tickets, use the bathroom or enter their cafe. Tickets are about $26 for adults and $8 for children 6-17 years old. The cafe has a bunch of premade food items, drinks, snacks, premade sandwiches... and few seats with tables. There are some more seats and table just outside of the cafe. Before you enter the mansion, there are signs showing you how to use their self tour audio app. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS...AND BRING HEADPHONES. You download the Newport Mansions app from the App Store onto your Apple or Google device, select the mansion you are visiting and begin the tour. The audio tour was excellent and follows you through the tour route of the mansion. I enjoyed listening to all the interesting facts about each room via bluetooth earbuds while my hands were free to take photos with my camera. You only thing you will need to do is to advance (click the play button) the tour to the next room before entering. There are some interesting facts about the mansion as a whole and each individual room. You can also stay around longer in each area for additional facts, essentially lengthening the tour. Without the audio tour, you will have to fread the printed information sheet. You go through the main floor, upper floor and back down into the service area where the kitchen is. You then exit through the gift shop. The gift shop has lots of interesting items, which includes typical magnets, mugs and prints, but they also have some luxury items like platters and wine stoppers as well as a small jewelry section. You finally exit out onto the side of the mansion and are able to walk back around outside to the front where you entered. Before sure to walk through the opened gate to the right of the mansion which takes you through a small garden to the back. Here you can see the Cliff Walk path and the ocean. Overall, I had a great time...It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. The entire tour took just over an hour without listening to the extra information about each room. (During the tour, there are a few instances where you have to ascend/descend steps - I did NOT see any elevators - so you may want to call ahead to check if you cannot climb steps) Again, I highly recommend downloading the app and listening to the audio tour via headphones. It allows your eyes to focus on the beauty of the mansion instead of reading. Lastly, the mansion is right off of the Cliff Walk path...so be sure to make the short ride (or walk) north to Narragansett Avenue and visit the Forty Steps.

The tour guide, Tom was almost non-intelligible. If I heard every fifth word he said that was being…read moregenerous. On more than one occassion he rudely told everyone on the trolly/bus to be silent so he could do his work. Was the tour interesting, sure if you want to see the lives of the robber barons of the 19th and 20th century. More than a bit of a tourist trap.

I highly recommend a trolley tour through Newport. There is so much history here that you might…read moremiss if you don't take a formal tour to get the details. Our tour guide and driver was quite funny and very informative. Getting tickets online was easy and meeting at the pick up spot was also very easy. Our ticket included The Breakers-also recommend.

I purchased the membership last November and this was the second time I've visited the Breakers the…read morelast 6 months. I love having it because you don't need a timed ticket then and can visit at any time with a guest, so as an historian, I love it. The Breakers is probably my favorite of the mansions to visit, it's so big and expansive and beautiful. Every room you walk into, your jaw just drops a little more. I think my favorite season to visit is around. Christmas, but visiting now in spring and summer it's still really magical and beautiful to see. The library is probably my favorite room here, the light green is just gorgeous. Make sure to give yourself a good 20 minutes in the gift shop too, it's very expansive.

If you're in Newport, this is worth seeing at least once. I had a lot of fun walking through the…read moremansion and reading about the history of the Vanderbilt family and the property. The mansion itself is beautiful. The artwork is stunning, the interior is incredibly well preserved, and the ocean views are amazing. But still, my walk in closet and bathroom is bigger than their bathroom/closets, so take that, Vanderbilts! The admission price was very high. And really, don't these guys have have enough money already? And after all that, but I was a little disappointed that visitors are only allowed on the first two floors and the basement. It would've been nice to see the upper levels as well. Thankfully parking is free but the lot is relatively small considering how many people visit. Overall, I'm glad I visited. The history, architecture, artwork, and views made it a worthwhile experience and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Newport.

First,let me say that I've never been a fan of bed/breakfasts. My mind has been changed by Jackie…read moreand her sons Wes and Alex! One of the most beautiful places I've ever stayed. Alex is a 5 star chef and made amazing breakfasts! All the stay were super friendly and professional. The grounds, like the facility, were immaculate! I will stay there every time I'm in Newport moving forward. Thank you for being part of my wonderful experience!

I loved the very spacious and private wrap around porch. It was such a peaceful place to relax…read more The landscaping if beautiful and the high hedges give good privacy. There are also lots of public spaces in the lodge itself. The homemade breakfast was delicious each day and very unique. Our room was very clean and bright. Ivy Lodge is very close to the historic mansions and a few were within walking distance. It is also close to some amazing dining.

Exceptional customer service, an excellent location in the middle of Newport's historic waterfront,…read moreand many special touches enhanced our stay. The Mill Street Inn is now our go‑to lodging in Newport. From booking by phone to checking out, the staff was friendly and always available to help with questions. The goodie bag we received upon arrival was a nice touch, and everything inside was Rhode Island-made and delicious. While the bathroom was small, we preferred having the spacious sitting area, which was wonderful for relaxing and enjoying breakfast. We also appreciated the customizable breakfasts (beverage options, fresh bakery items, fruit, and protein choices) delivered to your room at your requested time. The rooms included unexpected but thoughtful touches such as coffee, tea, filtered water, quality toiletries, a magnified mirror, and cotton balls in the bathroom. Yes, the parking is tight and first-come, first-served, but they do offer complimentary parking--a treasured commodity in this part of Newport.

Despite a few mishaps, I had to give this place 4 stars because I would stay here again and again…read moreand again. Here are the things I didn't love. The parking can be rough. If you are not one of the lucky three that gets a spot in the side lot you have to park in the garage and the garage is tight. Tight tight, tighter than tight, as tight as you can get. Put it this way, it took me about 15 minutes to safely pull into a space in absolute fear I was going to hit a pole or the car parked next to me. When it was time to pull out, torture, luckily someone who worked here saw me struggling and he offered to get in and do it for me. Even for him, it took multiple attempts to steer clear of any objects. It's a real pain in the ass I can't sugar coat it. Next negative, the toilet in my room wouldn't flush. That was frustrating and when I told the front desk attendant she wasn't' surprised so this must be a thing. Also, whenever I walked into my bedroom I got a wet sock, there was a leak of some sort I think it may have been coming from the air conditioner unit up above but I can't be too sure. Next negative, the outlets are crappy, anything I plugged in was super loose I really had to jam it in there and that was the case with every outlet, some were unusable because of how loose they were. Lastly, the shower was scalding hot, scalding. I adjusted the temperature but no matter which way I turned it was different levels of scalding. I had to let the shower run for five minutes before I could get in there and I like a hot shower. This temperature was hospital burn status. Okay the real last thing, no elevator. I had to lug up two flights of stairs with my big ass suitcase but is it Mill Street Inn's fault that I packed a weeks worth of stuff for one night or is that a me problem? As I'm mentioning all these negatives I'm wondering if 4 stars is appropriate but I'm sticking with it and I'll tell you why. The room was beautiful and enormous. I stayed in a suite with a dining room table and chairs, a couch, coffee table, multiple arm chairs, huge bed with the most comfortable pillows I have ever experienced in my entire life. Dreamy I tell you, like melting in but not too much, just perfect. The bathroom vanity counter was enormous. I had so much room to put out all of my things, much appreciated. The location could not have been better. One block away from the main street, the easiest walk to everywhere. Also tucked away in a beautiful neighborhood so it was safe, cozy and quiet. I walked back from a night out by myself and felt extremely safe doing so. The lobby is beautiful, they had complimentary sangria and complimentary water with lemons and limes. They had every board game you could imagine, I loved that. There was a fitness center with canned electrolyte infused waters, they had a beautiful roof top which I had entirely to myself both times I went up there. Gorgeous views of the neighborhood and the water. I loved my time up there it was serene and relaxing with tons of tables and chairs for lounging. They had complimentary breakfast served to your door in the morning. The night before you pick and choose what you want from each category and there was plenty to choose from. I ordered an organic cold brew, two hard boiled eggs, granola, and something else, anyways everything came to the door at the exact minute I asked for it to be delivered and it was delicious. Also, they give you a welcome bag with snacks when you arrive! There were pretzels, a massive bag of popcorn and sea salt caramels. I thought that was such a special touch. Anyways, looking back there were a lot of annoyances that could have aggravated me but there were so many good things about my stay that the good overshadowed the bad and I would 100% stay here again.

The Hidden Gem That's Basically a Time Machine with Wi-Fi…read moreNewport, RI Listen, I'm a city girl who thinks "off the beaten path" means taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I half-expected to meet a ghost with a clipboard. Instead I met Mark, the owner, who greeted me like I was the prodigal daughter returning with craft beer money. Mark and his sidekick Jackson (a 20-something who knows more Newport gossip than Page Six) run this 1850s B&B like it's a speakeasy for history nerds. Three nights. Zero regrets.Husband is 6'6 and usually sleep diagonally in hotel beds like a starfish having an identity crisis. Here? He I'm so well he didn't move. It's the kind of comfortable that makes you suspicious--like, "Did they drug the pillows?" The room was super large. And somehow, in a house older than most countries, the Wi-Fi still worked perfectly. "Light continental" is code for "We're not doing eggs Benedict, but you'll fight a seagull for the last warm croissant." The coffee? I'd propose to it. Picture a parlor where Teddy Roosevelt probably arm-wrestled a Vanderbilt. Now add a TV, board games, and enough wingspan for my Gator football meltdown. Location was perfect!! Walking distance to everything. = I burned off the warm croissants and the guilt from the brewery/winery crawl Mark and Jackson mapped out. Pro tip: Follow his recs. Parking was Free. In NEWPORT. I cried. My car cried. We hugged. If you want a cookie-cutter hotel with a lobby that smells like broken dreams, keep scrolling. But if you want to sleep like a 19th-century tycoon, wake up to coffee that slaps, and get insider scoops from two guys who could host a podcast called "Newport After Dark," book this place.

The gem of this Inn is the location. We walked to all the shops and restaurants and never had to…read moremove the car. We were assigned the "cottage" which was a refurbished garage. My partner was thrilled by this because we had 100% privacy but I missed the charm of being inside the inn. The continental breakfast is limited. Small pastries, Dannon yogurt of one flavor and mini kind bars. The coffee was just "ok". This is more of an Air B&B experience. We checked ourselves in. No servicing of the room unless asked, no large sitting area outside of the breakfast dining area to have wine or sit by the fire. The linens were top notch and as all previous reviews stated it is extremely clean. I think with a few additional touches like water for the guest rooms and a bit more personal luxury (updated music player) this place would be a 4.