Unusual, relaxing and one of my favorite places on the coast. I adore this place and have been coming here for many years. A weathered former boarding house, perched 45 feet above historic Nye Beach, two Oregon women bought and lovingly re-furnished this place with a literary focus. No phones to ring, no tvs to stare at and peace. My favorite room in the place is the library: a fireplace, comfy chairs, stacked to the gills with books and the best view of the waves (great spot to whale watch too). i go to the attic during a storm and wrap up and read on the small chaise in the window. When the weather is nasty, the wind just howls and I LOVE that. mmmmm... that and a cup of hot tea is all i need. The longer you stay, the slower your respiration rate, and the bigger your smile. An Excellent breakfast comes with the stay and I have made wonderful friends here. I have come here alone, most often, and always feel comfortable and safe. The rooms are charming, and a bit pricey, but I always stay in the bunk room, its inexpensive. Take ear plugs, always. Shared bathroom/shower down the hall (very clean), just like an old boarding house (which it was). A morning in the life at Sylvia Beach: wake up to the sound of sea gulls and ocean waves, turn over and read a little, wander down to breakfast, walk on beach to recover from breakfast, go to library, find comfy chair next to window, open window, read, look up from book to stare at waves, read, look up at waves, read, sip tea, read, repeat... Heaven. Negs: the elder male staffer is not a people person - he always seems to be in a brooding mood or perhaps is just naturally taciturn, maybe its the coast weather, but the women at the desk seem to make up for it, they are very nice, as are the breakfast staffers. Stairs - I would like to bring my elderly parents here, but they can't do stairs and there are lots of stairs and there's certainly no one to help you with dragging your suitcases up the stairs to your room, so travel light. Sooo, Minus 1 star for the endless times I've dragged and bumped my damn suitcase up those charming stairs, with no offer of help, and for trying to get a ghost of a smile out of Ken, without success. sheesh, I'd settle for eye contact... otherwise, a remarkable place. Don't forget to go to the Oregon Aquarium while in Newport, and i always go to the tea shoppe that is walking distance from the hotel (strawberry tea and scones...mmm). And Toujour, my favorite boutique is in Nye, Chowderbowl is right there for marionberry cobbler and Whale's Tale down on the waterfront, or Georgie's Beachside grill for eats. read more

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The Sylvia Beach Hotel is in my opinion the best kept secret on the Oregon coast. Situated in Newport it has an excellent view of the ocean. It's an old rickety building with charm, class, and two cats who own the place. They don't use a computer, which gives you an idea of what kind of place it is. No phones in the rooms and cells phones need to stay off, especially in the public areas. Here's why I give it a 5 out of 5: * Everybody that goes there (that I've met so far) is intelligent, thoughtful, respectful, honest, and easy to get along with. * Dinners are excellent and are designed to allow attendees, total strangers, to get to know each other and have meaningful conversations. * This is the kind of place for nerds and brainiacs. The shared areas are replete with comfortable furniture and views of the ocean as well as books galore. And don't forget the fireplace! * Free tea and coffee to enjoy while reading, writing, or what not. * The rooms are all themed after famous authors, playwrights, and the like. * If you can't afford a room they have shared room (hostile) where you can sleep in a bunk bed for about $20-$30 a night. I've now been there three times and plan to at least once a year. It is one of the best two hotels in Oregon (the other being the old historic hotel on Wallawa lake outside Joseph, Oregon), relaxing, and I could easily spend two weeks there relaxing, finding myself, and recharging--if only I could afford it! I suggest this place for all couples, book lovers, and brainiacs. Also a perfect place to celebrate your birthday or anniversaries! I really can't say enough good about them (though I will if they'd give me a free night there :-) P.S. If you do take kids there are places to play, games, puzzles, and such, but they're expected to behave and keep their volume levels down. If you can't control your kids please leave them at home as not to disturb others, but if they're well behaved consider putting them up in the Dr. Seuss room which is a lot of fun! read more

What is the one thing a hotel must get right? The bed. The mattress on this bed was horrendously uncomfortable. Not uncomfortable like it was too firm or too soft. Uncomfortable like it was saggy and old. Uncomfortable like my wife and I kept rolling toward the middle and got an awful two nights of intermittent sleep. It was even too awful to use for the other thing that beds are good for. I like a creaky old quaint hotel as much as the next person, but *come on*, at these prices there is no excuse for not changing out the mattresses often. This is not the atmosphere I'm interested in paying extra. Maybe this was an attempt at authenticity for theming the room, but I'm pretty sure that Hemingway would've broken a whiskey bottle over the head of the bozo that sold him that mattress. There's a lot to love about this place. It is a beautiful building. The reading room at the top is amazing. The breakfast in the morning wasn't amazing, but it was a convenient way to start the day. The hotel is right on the beach and a good place to watch kites being flown. It's very nearby a bunch of excellent shops and restaurants. But, christ on a pogo stick, that *awful* bed. read more

Pros: - the cats, particularly Dickens, the giant orange cat who asked to be let in our room so he could suck and knead a blanket (an experience that surely would have freaked me out if I didn't have a lot of experience with cats, particularly ones who were abandoned when they were little, as he was) - mingling with guests at the breakfast table - the beautiful view from the library and the perfect, perfect location on the beach Cons: - pricey! - got shuffled from one room to another in our two-night stay. Not the owners' fault, but frustrating nonetheless. - The crazy canopy/mosquito netting thing around the bed in the Tennessee Williams room. All in all, my concerns feel pretty petty -- this was a one of a kind experience that I'm glad I had. I'd heartily recommend that anyone who loves books (and cats!), and is feeling flush, visit this quiet, beautiful gem of a hotel. read more

Adorable and an amazing location on the Oregon Coast! Each quaint room has an author theme, you can choose from classics, best sellers and novel categories: For example there is a delightful Harry Potter room from JK Rowling and an Oscar Wilde style boutique room, too cute!! I stopped in earlier in the year and got to check it out a bit, they have a cozy home like lobby with pictures of everything too if you can't tour the actual rooms. The hotel it pretty striking out on a jetty along the coast-the perfect place for moody musings in general! Super reasonably priced, you can get a room in the off season for 115$-170$ a night and there's a hotel on the property called Tables of Content (right?!! love) with a fixed menu and community style dining. Corkage is only 10 bucks so grab that OR Pinot and bring it with to get a little sideways! read more

Do not come to this hotel if you are looking for tv or internet. That being said this hotel is a solid 5 stars as it is advertised. Each room is decorated to an author. Stayed in the jk Rowling room, felt like I was in a griffendor common room. The moaning myrtle in the bathroom might give you stage fright. The common library is very cozy for a relaxing day of reading and has a great view of the ocean. The only drawback of the library is the books it has are not the best, so bring your own book. They also have a lot of games and puzzles in the library. The hotel is right on the beach too. read more

I can't express how much I adore the Sylvia. I will admit, it is NOT for everyone. If you are looking for a 4 star posh hotel experience, this is not the place. If you want something fun and unique, love reading and meeting strangers...THIS is the Holy Grail. Each of the rooms are inspired by a particular author. The attention to detail in some rooms is quite good and hilarious...the Poe room especially. Having dinner at the Table of Contents can be quite a treat if you are seated with guests that are open to strangers and enjoy playing Two Truths and a Lie. I don't recommend it for those looking for a more private experience. Definitely read through the journals that are in all the rooms and common areas. I even found some secret notes scattered in books. The attic library has an amazing little nook perfect for curling up with a hot cup of tea (complimentary assortment available) and a book. *sigh* I get wistful just writing about it. Time to plan a trip! read more

I just got done with a two day getaway to the Sylvia Beach Hotel and it was awesome. I stayed in the JK Rowling room which is decorated in a Harry Potter theme. It was amazing! The attention to detail was superb. There was even a picture of James and Lily by the bed. Not only was the room great but the library was also amazing. Overlooking the ocean this room was full of couches, chairs and books galore. They even serve hot spiced wine every night in the library. It was so good I had three cups. The breakfast was also very good, with a good assortment of fruit, baked goods, juice, milk and cereal they also offer a hot breakfast. My favorite while I was there was the Dutch Baby and Link Sausage. YUMMY! Overall I loved my stay here. The view from the room was great and the peace and quiet was sublime. I will definitely be coming back. read more

Spent two nights here in February with my girlfriend, as an anniversary getaway. Let me start off by saying that this hotel is definitely NOT for everyone. People who come to expect certain amenities and modern conveniences from a hotel will be disappointed here: no TVs, no Wi-Fi, and no onsite gym. The Sylvia Beach Hotel's philosophy is centered around "getting away" from all that, and it's a philosophy that won't appeal to a lot of travelers. That said, the Sylvia Beach Hotel was definitely for me and my girlfriend. It's a beautiful, early 20th-century home transformed into the coziest hotel that I've ever stayed in. The hotel is three stories tall, and built on a cliff above Nye beach. We arrived in the midst of rain, hail, and wind, and against the gray sky the hotel looked like something out of a gothic romance novel. We could hear the soft crashing of waves every night, and it was some of the best sleep I've ever had. The surrounding neighborhood is a quiet, quaint beach-side town, with a few really fantastic restaurants and bars all withing walking distance. The rooms are all themed after famous authors. We stayed in the J.K. Rowling room, and it became immediately clear just how much thought and devotion went into lending the room an air of authenticity: The room featured a four poster bed, a quidditch broom suspended from the ceiling, and an antique study desk filled with Harry Potter memorabilia and books. We spent some time touring around other, empty rooms, and each one had a similar touch of authenticity that will impress book readers of all stripes. They serve a delicious dinner, which changes each day. When we went, they served an amazing butternut squash-filled curry crepe, and shrimp cakes. Breakfast was likewise unique, with different hot entrees each day, in addition to an assortment of standard Continental options like fruits, cereals, juices, and different granola bars. The third floor of the hotel has a library section with a variety of chairs, sofas, and blankets. Every night they would serve hot spiced wine, and people would sit on these sofas and read, paint, do puzzles, and simply converse with each other. It put me in mind of an old-time salon, and gave me something to look forward to every night. By the time we were on our way home, we were already thinking of our next trip back - we're thinking of staying in the Shakespeare room next. Oh, the hotel also has a cat. This cat loves being pet, but is professional enough to keep its distance unless beckoned to. read more

A Haiku Review of Sylvia Beach Hotel: The perfect retreat. Cozier than a snuggie made of bunny fur. read more

The Sylvia Beach Hotel is a quaint spot if you're looking for a calm and quiet getaway. The ocean views can't be beat - really, just incredible, especially from the top-floor library (which is insanely cozy). Loved the literary-themed rooms. We had the Emily Dickinson, which was a corner room, and had views of both the ocean and the town street. Very nice. I deducted one star for two reasons. 1) Though the Table of Content restaurant was top-notch, I did not like the community table idea. For some people, I'm sure that works, but for others who are here for a quiet getaway by themselves or with their spouse, some privacy would be nice. When we asked for a private table, we were awkwardly sat right next to the community table - we could hear their whole conversations and they could hear ours, I'm sure! Not really private. The dining room is large enough that there could be several small private tables, so I'm not sure why it was set up this way. 2) The second reason I deducted one star is because this place is definitely HAUNTED! The house was built in 1913 as a boarding house and later turned into a hotel in the 20's. We had a really freaky thing happen - on our second night there, I was abruptly woken up at 3am to ALL OF OUR LIGHTS TURNED ON. I didn't turn anything on. My husband didn't either. We were dead asleep. Needless to say, we were pretty freaked out. All in all, an adorable hotel, but if you're freaked out about paranormal stuff, I wouldn't reccomend it. It definitely has a spooky vibe. But if you don't believe in that stuff, or like me just don't care, then I'm sure you'll love it! read more

This is an unbelievable gem of a hotel. Located right on historic Nye Beach...in the heart of an adorable shopping/eating area. The bedrooms are each themed after an author...every one from Dr. Seuss to Jane Austen. The premises are eclectic, unique and not what I would call "posh" or pretentious. You are welcomed warmly and treated like family for the entirety of your stay. It's a quiet, peaceful place with a large library that looks out to the ocean and houses a number of books, board games and puzzles. Plus, the breakfast that comes with your stay is excellent and the chance to meet other hotel guests is delightful. Come here to be restored and rejuvenated. read more

This place is, in a word, blissful. What is a vacation with CNN blaring and hours to surf the internet in a generic room? Yuck. How about curling up in the attic with a novel and a mug of tea, overlooking the calm grey waves rolling up on the beach? How about several sweet mellow cats, very friendly proprietors, adorable rooms, and a delicious homemade breakfast? Spiced wine is served each evening at 10pm (amazing!), it's a great location to walk to nearby shops and restaurants, and of course there's the beach. Rarely have I stayed in lodging that felt so welcoming and cozy. They get extra points for offering us breakfast at 6 am as we had to leave early to catch a flight out of Eugene. So considerate. Can't wait to return and rejuvenate. read more

This place has been amazing! Stayed in the Shakespeare room, and it was very clean and comfortable. The breakfast was great- served family style with zucchini pancakes and sausage as the entree. The view from the top floor library of the pacific is beautiful! Hot spiced wine in the evenings was a nice extra touch! read more

Hotel Sylvia - Shakespeare Room - Hotels Near Me - Newport, Oregon

My favorite place to stay! Great deals during the winter months and such a great place to spend time. So relaxing and enchanting and the Nye Beach area is a great place to be... lots of fun within walking distance. You can also order wine at the front desk to enjoy in your room or the library which is a nice little perk! Not a great place for kids. Go there if you're into literature and quiet and relaxation! You won't regret it! read more

This is one of my favorite hotels ever for the following reasons: 1) Cozy atmosphere overlooking the beach in wide, cushy chairs in the top floor library. 2) Mulled wine + book + throw blanket + hearing crashing waves + cat = best times 3) Did I mention there was a cat? On my 2nd day there, she jumped up onto my lap and started kneading me for 5 minutes. It was like a scene from a quirky movie come true. 4) Cute walkable area 5) BOOKS!! The Jules Verne room was fantastically decorated and has a huge bathroom. read more

First, a bit of background. We've stayed at the Sylvia Beach quite a few times over the past 6 or so years. It used to be a quaint, comfortable hotel with a unique atmosphere, great dinners, and good lodging. We just got back from a stay at the hotel and have decided that it will be our last visit. Here are the major issues we had in our last stay: 1. We stayed in the Hemingway room. We enjoyed the neat books, articles, and wall art, but were absolutely horrified at the quality of the mattress and pillows. The mattress was lumpy, sagging, and downright uncomfortable. It was hard as a rock and it sloped toward the middle. The pillows were the equivalent of a sack of rocks, and made for an unpleasant night on said mattress. We woke up in the middle of the night cursing and wishing that the morning would come so that we could get the heck out of there. We ended up canceling our 2nd night because we couldn't face another night on that mattress. 2. The quality of the dinner experience has also gone downhill in recent years, or even months. It used to be a high-class affair with excellent food and ambiance. The dinner game is still very fun...perhaps the only positive of the dining experience. The last 2 times we have dined there, the food was luke-warm, over-cooked, and wasn't anything special. The hotel overall is a wonderful idea. The ambiance and decor is interesting and fun, and it is great to have no phones or tv's in the hotel. You really feel like you can get away and meet great new people. There's even a charming cat to make the place feel more like a home away from home. But if you are looking for a good night's sleep on a decent mattress, this is not your hotel. To us, it is just not worth it to pay good money for a crappy mattress and pillow. We hope things will change in the future so that we can return to our once favorite place on the Oregon coast read more

The Sylvia Beach Hotel is such a treat! We stayed for 3 nights and 4 days with their "Buy a dinner, get a night free" deal, and it was definitely worth it! The staff are all very friendly and chatty, and full of information. The food was great, and we loved being able to sit down to dinner with people we'd never met before and have an opportunity to talk and joke and enjoy a delicious meal. We stayed in the Shakespeare room this time, but next time we'd like to stay for a week and try the Mark Twain Room, or perhaps the F. Scott Fitzgerald room. Any would really be great! The details say the hotel is $$$$, but really it's not so bad in the off season (if you are using dollar signs relative to actual hotel prices in the same quality range). We stayed for that time, including two dinners, for just under $300. While the weather is definitely on the stormier side in the winter, it's much quieter in Newport, and the coastal attractions are actually much better. I'd recommend driving down to Yachats for a day trip to Cape Perpetua and Devil's Churn, and perhaps a hike up the bluff (we didn't have a chance to fit that in this time). read more

This hotel would get 5 stars if the kitchen and reception staff were nice, but they make you feel as if everything you do is a big annoyance. I tried to pretend that they were all just playing the part of cranky librarian to get through our nights here. The only male reception worker was kind, the women we hid from. If you can overlook their personalities, the hotel is amazing for the literary lover. Best rooms-- Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, Colette. Lots of stairs and great breakfasts. I would love to give this hotel 5 stars, maybe when the cranky librarians retire... read more

This place was pretty cute and very quirky. The staff was very friendly and I enjoyed our stay. We stayed one night in the J.K. Rowling room. It was smaller than we anticipated but still fun. The room was filled with so many little details of Harry Potter. I was impressed. I also enjoyed that many of the decorations were removable and you could dress up and take pictures etc. They left the doors open of the rooms that were not occupied so you could see the other authors' themes. The spiced wine they had in the evening was also delicious. I took off one star because it was pretty expensive for just one night in a tiny room. read more

Historic building. Small rooms. Great decor. Book theme. Amazing views. Lots of yummy looking pastry options for breakfast (which we couldn't eat being gluten free). On one of the prettiest coasts in the universe. Dinning options in town are mostly pretty weak, but Local Ocean was fantastic, and it's near the Oregon Coast Aquarium, which was tons of fun for us adults. read more

Absolutely a wonderful experience from driving up, walking in the door, to the room and breakfast! We are techie geeks and to just have a weekend away from it all was wonderful. The hotel has an inherent charm and great personality to it. It's a great location with the beach within eyesight! All in all will be back for sure, this time for longer so we can try the Table of Contents! read more

How anyone could ever rate this place fewer than 5 stars is mindblowing to me. It is probably the coolest hotel I've ever stayed in. I stayed in the Jules Verne room, which does not have an ocean view, but has the coolest decor of the whole place. The staff was incredibly friendly and I loved how they encouraged me to explore without giving me all of the details. I love that they leave rooms open when they are not occupied, so I was able to explore many of the other rooms. Yes, I did have to call to make a reservation, but that really wasn't hard. I probably had the best sleep of my life in a room free of phones. (I turned mine off.) I missed dinner, but a delicious, well-served breakfast in a sweet little dining room was included in an already very reasonable price. Evenings included hot, spiced wine and conversation in the library. I loved all of the journals lying around the library and rooms. It was really wondrous to read through other book lovers' thoughts through the years. The beach was cold and windy, as it can be at this time of year, but it was a lovely location for quiet reflection and thoughtful conversation. read more

I don't usually give a hotel five stars (at least until I stay at The Ritz in Paris, which will never happen,) because it's so hard to rate them. But according to my own personal rating system, the Sylvia Beach is worthy of all five. We had a family reunion here. (I have a very small family - 14 people in all.) My husband and I splurged on the Mark Twain and my sister and her beau were in the Colette. The rest of the family was in Steinbeck, Stein, Dickinson, etc. There are 20 rooms in all. This is an older building, very atmospheric, and looks exactly like your expectations of a beach hotel. The lobby contains the registration desk, staffed by very helpful and friendly people, and a small gift shop with books, scarves, coffee mugs, jewelry, etc., relevant to the literary theme of the hotel. There is NO WIFI. There are NO PHONES. There are NO TVs. When you book, the records are kept on paper, and you get a paper receipt when you leave. No problem with any of that. But there is also NO ELEVATOR, and the hotel covers four levels, so be aware that you'll be lugging your gear up and down the stairs. Most of the rooms are standard sized. All have ensuite baths, except the Kesey room, which has four twin beds and a private bathroom down the hall. Some of the standard rooms have the sink in the room and the loo and tub-shower separate. Some have a queen, some have twins, and at least one (Oscar Wilde) has a double. All have a good view of the beach and ocean. Three rooms, Twain, Colette, and Christie, are significantly larger. They occupy the west, oceanfront, end of the building. Twain has a private terrace on the south side that also fronts the ocean. It also has a wood-burning fireplace, all laid for us, but we didn't use it. Our bathroom was self-contained, with a clawfoot tub. What we hadn't realized when we booked was that it has a hand-held shower and no tile or shower curtains. There was a heady-duty wooden shelf across the tub for sitting purposes, but it was hard not to spray the room. Each room is done up in the style of the writer it's named after - Rowling has a sorting hat and an owl. We had the complete works of Mark Twain in our room, lots of Twain memorabilia, and a knotted rope on the outside of the door that told you it was the Twain room. (The other rooms have name-plates on or next to the door.) The bed was so tall that we needed the provided step-stool to get in and out of it, but it was a handy height for gift-wrapping. One flight up is the lounge. It spans the west side of the building and is full of comfy sofas and chairs, all with good reading lamps. Also a wood-burning fireplace. And right off it is the game room, with a big table and at least five dozen jigsaw puzzles. Our gang, after recovering from the initial shock of no Wifi, was in there until 1:30 AM working on an impossible puzzle. This is where the coffee service is, too. The library is above that. The books are shelved higgledy-piggledy, to force you to browse. There are a couple of chairs up there, but I never saw anyone there. Everyone read in the lounge. The restaurant, Tables of Content, is one floor below the lobby. The tables seat eight people, so strangers sit together. Breakfast consists of a buffet table of mostly sweet things - bakery goodies, fruit, cereals, sweet breads, juices, etc. (I suggested to the reception clerks that they offer non-sweet choices as well.) There is also a hot cooked breakfast - one day it was huevos rancheros, and the next day it was pancakes. If you aren't a sweets-eater, you may have a problem. We had our big family dinner in the restaurant. Service was leisurely - a single older server for the entire room - but the food was delicious. Every evening, there are three offerings - meat, seafood, vegetarian - and set sides, which are served family-style. Special requests are accommodated if made early enough. It's open to the public, with reservations. $32 prix fixe. There is an elderly house cat, Shelley, who has the run of the hotel. He has a climbing tower at the top of the stairs and you can find him snoozing all over the hotel. If you leave your room door open, he will come in and make himself comfortable. If you are cat-phobic or have allergies, keep this in mind. The rooms are clean enough that allergies are kept at bay, and he doesn't go into the dining-room. You can walk all over Nye Beach from here. There are restaurants, bars, and some shops two blocks away, and it's a wonderful beach for walking. We saw people walking their dogs on the sand at 6:30 AM. All in all, this is a comfortable, relaxing place to stay. If you're looking for uniformity, Wifi, TV, in-room coffee, and the rest of the Hilton amenities, you probably won't be happy. But if you want a clean, comfortable, unique room, with an ocean view, rattly doors, a friendly cat, and relief from modernity, this is the place for you. Bring a book. read more

LOVE this place. Very friendly staff, great location, and the rooms are so much fun. In addition, there is a fabulous reading room that is open all day to curl up and read your favorite book. And, if you've run out of reading material, just take the stairs up to the top floor and find another book. Jigsaw puzzles are waiting too, if that's your desire. Need a cat to snuggle? Shelley will graciously allow you to pet her and perhaps tell you about her woes (which seem to center on not being able to get into a room that she wants to visit.) Breakfast was delicious and filling, several wines are available to order for your evening viewing of the sunset, and dinner is served on premises most evenings. The gift shop is full of fun, unique and author related gifts (not to mention some great chocolate). Check this hotel out if you are a book lover or travel with someone who is! read more

Very quaint and quirky. The rooms are small but very fun, as each one has an author theme. The reading room upstairs is one of the most relaxing places EVER. The Rowling room is great fun, as is the Shakespeare room. The Melville room is the most comfortable of the ones we've stayed in, with a nice big bed and a lovely ocean view. Looking forward to staying in the Twain room some cozy winter evening....it has a fireplace, old-fashioned tub, and private deck. April's is right across the street for a great dinner, Nana's Irish Pub is great for a quick bite. read more

Hotel Sylvia - The reading room....just one cozy corner. - Hotels Near Me - Newport, Oregon

I love this hotel so much. I've been here 4 times and have my 5th stay already in the books. Call ahead and they'll tell you what rooms are available for any date of the year but book your favorite room early because this place can fill up! I've visited during all the seasons and I have to say that fall/winter have been my favorite. PERFECT atmosphere sitting by the fire and reading while storms hit the ocean. The restaurant is very delicious. Don't make reservations elsewhere without eating at Table of Contents but reserve a seat ahead. I was a little hesitant about the group dining but was pleasantly surprised. I met so many fascinating people at dinner from journalists to professors. This hotel attracts intellectuals and conversation did not disappoint. They also serve breakfast (included in your reservation). They have a full buffet filled with fruits and pastries and so many juices. I am a huge fan of tomato juice and they had it! YAY! They also have a hot breakfast of the day that you can ask for when you go downstairs to the dining room. I love love love this hotel. I wish I could live here. read more

A must do for your bucket list. We've been there multiple times and have stayed in almost every room. NO WIFI, but that's okay. Third floor library/ reading room is quiet and I've written several novel/stories sitting there watching the ocean. Always clean and welcoming. Breakfast included is excellent, freshly made and abundant. Table of Contents restaraunt is also excellent, served family style at each table. Great food and opportunity to interact with the other guests. New gourmet menu every day. Last trip was a little disappointing, though. We stayed in the Collette room one night. Roomy with extra day bed and balcony. Fireplace was nice addition, but it smoked up the room even though the damper was open. Tiny bathroom is very dated and need freshening and plumbing repairs. Sink didn't drain. Hot water was on/off for two days, but to their credit they did get an early morning repair finished before we checked out. We'll be back, but not to stay in a premium room. The additional cost for what you get doesn't seem worth it to us. read more

While we did not stay there because it did not meet our needs, we want to give this our top rating. Even though we cancelled our stay the late afternoon the day of our arrival, they re-sold our room and waived our cancellation charge. We applaud their honesty. read more

Disclaimer. We didn't stay here. We stayed at the elizabeth street inn a few blocks away (3 star review for them elsewhere). While looking for an alternative to the Elizabeth street Inn, we saw this place online and decided to stop by before leaving town. They generously allowed us to view any rooms that were vacant and clean. Which is why they get one of their two stars. The second is because this place really is quaint. But man, the place is not really big enough to hold all the attitude and pretense they serve up here. I won't detail it all, but I'll just relate the last, brief, conversation with the woman at the desk. She told me that if we wanted to make reservations we would need to call them, because they don't use that whole "online thing". While holding up her pencil and lecturing me that "this" (pointing to the eraser) is her delete key, I really wanted to point to the laptop on the counter behind her and tell her that I was pretty sure that computer behind her did the "whole online thing" and also had a delete key. Give me a break and get over yourself. You're not that important, and even if I do choose to get away for a weekend I don't want to be afraid I'm going to break one of your Luddite rules. I want to relax. This place seemed like it was more about "shushing" and eschewing technology than it was about being a fun place to stay. I'm sure people like it. But really I prefer a nice room with a closet (something none of their rooms have) over a clever room with a side order of pretense. (Oh, one final note, why are landlines okay but cell phones and computers not. Wouldn't it be more authentic to require people to send their reservation requests via the post?) read more

Although the themed rooms and library seemed like the perfect stay for a birthday, it really was not worth the price. We stayed two nights. We stayed in what was one of their best rooms, the Mark Twain room. I understand and love nostalgia and charm, but the room and the hotel had a dirty feel to it. Our room was ocean view with a balcony. The carpet was very dingy and so were other things in the room. The fire place did not work when we were there. The bathroom had only a bathtub, no shower.. and that's ok but ... Well this was suppose to be one of the largest rooms and it felt cramped. No closet. Here is what really ruined our trip!. .... I was there last February (2012) for my birthday and we though it would be fun to do the shared dinning experience downstairs one evening. They do not let you pick your seats and so we got assigned to a table with one of the "out of town" owners of the establishment, her husband, and then another couple ..(who were nice). Every table was suppose to play a fun question game, but this woman, the owner said she was bored of the game and we did not play. Never asked just told us! This woman spent the ENTIRE time drinking her white wine and bragging about herself and her life. I wanted to hear from the other couple who looked as bored as we did, but she kept interrupting! If she did ask one of us question, she would listen for a bit.. and turn the conversation back to herself. No social skills what so ever and so self absorbed!! It got so bad... that I had to walk off before the desert. The staff thought I was shy about getting a birthday cake, but what I really wanted to say was, "take this woman away so we can all have a fun normal conversation because she is dragging everyone here down."...but I did not. This is a long, 4-5 course meal. Everyone was being polite to her but was getting really annoyed. What a bore! I would have rather eaten at Taco Bell for my birthday, and laugh n chat, rather than endure that experience ever again! We stayed for two nights and will never go back. The breakfast was pretty blah too. read more

Amazing place. We stayed in the JK Rowling room. It was magical. Amazing staff. Fantastic food. Beautiful scenery. My wife and I loved it. Definitely will be returning. read more

UPDATE: I got a personal call from the manager of the hotel last week, apologizing for what happened (see below) and offering to buy us dinner next time we are in newport. I feel much, much better about this whole situation, which started out as a customer service nightmare. I'm updating my rating to what I would've given them originally, namely 5 stars, because it is a truly fabulous weekend getaway. See below for the original review: I really, really want to give these people a good review. My fiance and I have been coming here every summer for the past four years, and have always had a fabulous time. The rooms are fantastically decorated, and the food at the restaurant is delicious. However, I am incredibly put off by how inflexible the staff are. We were scheduled to spend next weekend there, but my grandfather recently passed away and the memorial service is being held on Friday down in California. As such, we wouldn't be able to arrive in Newport until Saturday afternoon, but when I made a courtesy call to let them know, they would not let me keep the reservation because of a "two night stay" policy. I even offered to pay for both nights, but they claimed it would be too much of a headache for us to show up saturday instead of friday, and that the hotel is more than just a place to sleep. I completely agree that the experience they are cultivating is worth it (that's why we keep coming back!), but their inflexibility to extenuating circumstances is unfortunate. After a second call to their assistant manager they were able to accomodate us in a different room for saturday night, but this wasn't the experience we were hoping for. So if someone wants our original room, please take it. You will have an incredible time, but I can't help the bitter taste in my mouth. read more

The Sylvia Beach Hotel is beautiful. The rooms are charming, beautiful, and decorated with loving care. It was very fun to peek into the unoccupied rooms to enjoy the decor. The room we stayed in was clean, warm, and quiet. The hotel has stunning ocean views and is on the beach, with a very short walk down to the surf. It is in a walkable neighborhood with multiple restaurants, shops, and cafes minutes away. The restaurant serves very good, very rich food. The breakfast is convenient, fast, and very filling. The house-made biscotti is divine! Dinner is served in 4 courses with the option to buy wine. Dinner is served family-style and guests are seated together. This may be uncomfortable for some introverts but the food makes up for social awkwardness. The library on the third and fourth floors is one of the highlights of the hotel, the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of tea by the fire, reading a book and watching the sun set. No internet, no phones, no TVs. The staff were friendly but mistakes were made in our reservation that ultimately detracted for the quality of our experience. The staff who scheduled me by phone scheduled our visit for the wrong month. The hotel called me the day they were expecting us to check in, asking why we hadn't arrived yet and what we wanted for dinner. I explained a mistake had been made, we planned to visit in February, not January. The room we had initially reserved was not available so a different one was offered. There was no disclosure of a difference in price between the two rooms. We took the offered room and when it came time to pay the bill was $100 more than anticipated. When I explained the mistake, the front desk staff implied it was my fault and I would be charged for the room I had rented. The manager then stepped in and offered to take $45 off our bill in recognition of the mistake. I'm grateful that the manager attempted to make the situation right and our experience was overall so positive that we plan to return, but it was not the stress free experience we desired for our beach holiday. read more

A piece of heaven for people who read. We love this place and go there fairly often but not nearly often enough. They lose a star only because of that stupid game you feel pressured to play at dinner, they got rid of the dorms and because I personally think Shakespeare and Melville should get the other two rooms that have fire places and sea windows, not Twain and Collette but I'm totally nitpicking. read more

This place is magical. We've stayed at many, many B&B's over the years. Sylvia is our hands-down favorite. The theme is literary. To enhance the book-lover's atmosphere, there are no TV's or other electronic distractions. Books line shelves everywhere and old photos grace the walls with area history. It lacks the frilly Victorian fussiness of so many B&B's, which we find appealing. The views of the ocean and the seabreeze have a calming, head-clearing effect. And the food is great! If you're a writer needing a haven to finish that manuscript, this is the place come. Prices are very reasonable. read more

A very pleasant hotel located in the middle of the Nye Beach area of Newport. From looking at the web site, I thought the hotel was somewhat isolated, but this is not at all true. There are many restaurants within walking distance. The staff was friendly and attentive. Great view from the Melville room where we stayed. Comfortable bed and bathroom facilities. Overall, a great experience in a historic hotel. read more

What a magical place to stay. Very conducive to writing, reading, beach walks and relaxing. I was there with a group on a short retreat. We had dinners served to us. Several of us had food issues including gluten intolerance. They were the nicest about creating specialty dishes and replacements of any restaurant or food service group I've ever encountered. The breakfasts are buffet and offer plenty of options. I stayed in the newer Amy Tan room (highly recommend it). My only complaint about the rooms is there is so much decor in them and on surfaces that they make it difficult to arrange your own things. There are no closets with hangers, only pegs on the wall, but I got used to that pretty quickly. Some aspects of it are funky, which is to be expected of an older hotel. The personnel are very nice and I never felt intruded upon by the people who make up the rooms. The library is a great place to relax on a blustery day. Big overstuffed chairs and ocean view. The gift shop is sweet. It already feels like an old friend to me and I know I'll be back. read more

You want the full comforts of home? Stay somewhere else. You want to truly be comfortable and fully experience your surroundings and yourself and others? Stay at the Sylvia Beach and dine at the Tables of Content. None of the distractions of home, yet with all the necessities of a good, true, and properly-lived life - such as scrumptious meals and nightly spiced wine in the library, as well as meeting people worth having in your life. I honestly have never felt so relaxed, welcome, and at ease, yet engaged, inspired, and interested at the same moment. The writers' rooms are what brought us, as well as the oceanfront views, and as delighting as they are, after three nights they are almost an afterthought on the list of why this amazing property is so worthwhile for a guests' heart, mind, soul, and spirit . Flavour, character, inspiration, passion, ethics, uniqueness, and re-freshingness, all mark the setting, the vibe, the fare, the modus operandi, the location, and most importantly, the People (and their stories) that are drawn here and that you will meet. Businesses thrive on revenue and profit; the Sylvia Beach thrives on spice, character, whimsy, art, creation, and doing the right thing. And a beachfront location. A readers' respite: Really & Truly. A writers' sanctuary: Completely. Lay On. Thinking territory: Terrific. Simply. Culinary options: an Epicurean Eden. A beautiful bastion for the budget conscious: You Betcha'. A place for the prioritized: Without a Doubt. Introductions to interesting people: Incessant. The Sylvia Beach is a heartfelt place you only want to introduce to the select few who will enliven, engage, and contribute to the ambiance and evolution. If you are the type to appreciate such, you will find a new center to your universe, people circles, and calendar year. Promise. read more

Been coming here for 20 years and will continue to go for another 20 as it offers the most unique beach experience ever. Great views, perfect setting for readers and book lovers! I always feel cared for surrounded by like minded individuals and leave having formed friendships! Definitely enjoy a dinner at the Table of Contents! I wish I could bring my dog as I would stay here tons more but understand why they cannot. read more