Sarah Kendall House

Treasure of a spot. For a holiday getaway, phenomenal space at a phenomenal value. This spot will be part of our regular tradition to enjoy Newport with harbor views.
Comfortable space, period-​décor, wonderful hosts and breakfast. Favorite? Spacious room with amazing view and fireplaces throughout!

What a magnificent home and great couple that own and operate it. The furnishings are from around the world and all you have to do is ask Brian (owner, his wife is Fran) and he will tell you about some of the many beautiful pieces for around the world and those acquired locally. One of our favorites was the collection of chicken bowls often used for soup. Among some of the things we enjoyed — brandy always available, fresh cookies, cooler with water, soda & beer on the porch. We had a beer every day we came back from our exploring Newport. Breakfast was incredible. If you left the table hungry shame on you. From bagels to fruit to coffee & tea, fresh juices, donuts on Sunday, and then a main course that was different every day you may not need lunch.
Beautiful views from the 4^th floor and for most rooms you will love this place. Don’t miss the mansions. They ate worth every penny and very reasonable. Ask Brian for anything you need, anytime of day.
Don & Corinne Bates
Sarasota. FL

Our stay at the Sarah Kendall House came about as a weekend getaway for our 30^th anniversary this past August. We couldn’t have been more pleased!
This charming house is beautifully and lovingly kept by owners/​innkeepers Fran and Bryan, who have deep roots in the community and an extensive knowledge of Newport, past and present. They are engaging and lively conversationalists, they are truly «real people», and we enjoyed them immensely!
The home’s location is ideal, in a quaint historical residential neighborhood, across the street from the bay, within walking distance to downtown Newport. The history is everywhere. We stayed in lovely The Point Garden Room, which had a small balcony overlooking the garden. It was perfect … relaxing and comfortable.
Breakfast is served at a beautifully and bountifully set table with more items than you could possibly sample all in one sitting, including delicious hot dishes from the kitchen… waffles, eggs, bacon, etc. But, as delicious as the breakfast was, it was the bagels that caught my attention. I’m a native New Yorker, so I know bagels, and believe me, the bagels at Sarah Kendall House were the best I’ve ever tasted in… ever!
Being it was our anniversary, our hosts thoughtfully remembered us with a bottle of wine and a dish of home-​made chocolate covered strawberries. This special touch was very much appreciated, thank you Fran and Bryan.
There is plenty to see in do in Newport and we got to some of it. But honestly, I’d have been just as happy to sit on the front porch of the Sarah Kendall House the whole time, catching the breeze, looking out at the bay and waving to passersby. It is just that pleasant and relaxing.
We give the Sarah Kendall House our highest recommendation, and look forward to staying there again soon. Thanks again, Fran and Bryan.

We stayed here over the Jazz Festival Weekend in Newport. The location is great — owners are super nice — and they are extremely thoughtful. They give you beach bags with towels, sun screen, bottled water, drinks in the Afternoon with snacks on the house — really just nice people. The place was clean and gorgeous (besides a few creepy people portraits!) and really a positive experience.
The reason I am giving them 4 stars and not 5 may not affect everyone — so for many this is probably a 5 star place. I was unhappy with the options at Breakfast. First breakfast is only served from 8 – 930 which I think is an extremely tight timeline especially when you are away for a weekend. Also they had the traditional muffins, bagel, cereal on the table but for hot options they only gave one option — French Toast. There was no option to get eggs and meat either scrambled or any which way. As someone who really just liked to eat healthy protein in the morning I don’t think eggs is too much to ask for and this really bothered me. we would stay again but probably go out to breakfast instead of eat in which is what we did on morning 2!

I thought this place was great. The owners were very nice, the rooms clean and the breakfast awesome! It is a true B&B experience!

The host was super welcoming, he made us feel like at home. The place looks like a small mansion, with all that antique style furniture and silk wallpapers. Amazing time!

Last May and this was my first visit to lovely Newport, RI. The visitors’ center recommended this B&B to me and what a terrific experience it turned out to be. It is a lovely, late 19^th century home on the water. My room was lovely and the garden and the river dock were nice places to spend the evenings. The owner and staff were very pleasant and helpful.

We really enjoyed the Sarah Kendall House. It’s in terrific shape, very well kept. We stayed in the Isaac Kendall room; it’s huge and we loved the gas fireplace. It has an enjoyable view of the water.
The breakfasts are also huge and include plenty of choices.
Bryan and Fran offer complimentary Brandy, as well as beer and soft drinks. They were also very helpful for tips about getting around town, dining choices, etc. (including the local Rhumbline for dinner, which we thoroughly enjoyed – right around the corner on Bridge Street).
The owners are very gracious and the location is just outside «of town.» We walked around quite easily. There’s also plenty of street parking.

We really enjoyed our stay. The house is spectacular and the décor was very opulent. We enjoyed talking to the owner and the breakfast was delicious and abundant. The location was great, as well.

Made reservations by email and that went really well. Easy to find, friendly greeting with a history of the house and the city. Gave us guide maps and information about the city, walks and restaurants. Enjoyed a beer on the front porch (thanks Bryan!). Wonderful room, clean, pretty and the bed was very, very comfortable. Best part was the amazing breakfast. The table had so much food and china and crystal it looked like a meal from Harry Potter! Very much enjoyed our stay, we know you will too… oh and don’t forget to take a trip up to the tower. amazing views!

The hosts were friendly and welcoming and the room was amazing. The breakfast grand and fancy and the location is fantastic. The only reason why I gave it four stars only is because the room had a weird smell to it and the towels weren’t very clean. They had hair on them and stains.

Rude rude rude owner. She made us feel uncomfortable during our visit. I have stayed at a lot of inns and usually feel very welcomed — not here!

We stayed here for our first night in Newport — and almost extended our trip because we loved it so much (the only thing holding us back was a flight back to the west-​coast!) We just adored the décor, the breakfast was devine and the view of the harbor is spectacular!!! The owners are so charming and they have done a magificent job of renovating a beautiful historic landmark! This is a MUST SEE and STAY!

Our first B&B experience was at this little gem in Newport… immaculately kept, close to the water (we had a great view from the huge windows in our room), 5 minute walk to shops and restaurants, and lots of little perks made this a place worth staying. Our room (The Isaac Kendall) was spacious and ornate with a king-​sized bed, small sitting room, and a huge bathroom. The mini-​fridge was stocked with complimentary bottled water each day, peppermint patties rested on top of rocks glasses, and fluffy white robes were hung neatly in the closet. Breakfast was served each morning with hot coffee, OJ, bagels from the owner’s nearby bagel shoppe, coffee cake, and french toast and fruit one day… eggs, ham, and home fries the next. We really enjoyed the complimentary brandy, too… and we’re not even brandy drinkers. Just having it there felt special and unique. I very much appreciate the owner’s attention to detail and obvious love of their business. The only reason I can’t give the Sarah Kendall House 5 stars is because the creaky floors and ability to hear people in their rooms from time to time didn’t feel as private as we would have liked.

We stayed at this B&B for one night in Nov. The host and hostess were very nice. The breakfast was OK. They had boiled eggs, fruits, bagels, cream cheese, Coffee, OJ, Tea, and they made us Portuguese bread (kind of French toast).
The place was very old and very well kept. the rooms were big and taken care of. I enjoyed my stay.

My first time I visited Newport I stayed in this wonderful B&B. Couldn’t get a room at the Hyatt and found the Sarah Kendall House. Fran and Bryan Babcock are a wonderful couple and very welcoming. My room had a separate balcony. I loved the breakfast! There are snacks available during the day and you can come and go as you please throughout the day. They have a cat that might sneak in your room but he was great company so I didn’t mind but he’s not allowed in the house so beware. There WIFI and a nice flat panel TV. The bed is well appointed and I did not want to leave my room but there was ‘work’ to be done. I highly recommend this place.