This 33-suite boutique property might not feel like your typical family retreat, but its retro style and feel is so intriguing that my 11-year-old daughter loved this property more than the typical family resorts we've been to. It has the feel of a house party circa 1920 -- guests might feel as if they've entered the set of "The Great Gatsby." Bear in mind that the Vanderbilt is best suited for older, more mature children. Younger kids (ages 10 and under) and their parents may feel out of place.

Needless to say, Vanderbilt Hall is steeped in history. Alfred Vanderbilt, third son of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, was already in the midst of a scandal when he broke ground on Newport's Vanderbilt Hall in late August, 1908. His wife Elsie filed for divorce that spring, claiming that Alfred had committed adultery with an actress, Mary Agnes O'Brien Ruiz. As reported in The New York Times, the two had met in 1906 in New York's Central Park, when Mary was having trouble with her saddle and Alfred came to her assistance. At the time, Mary was married. Her husband filed for divorce in the summer of 1908 and rumor had it that Alfred was building Vanderbilt Hall for his mistress. Then, abruptly, the affair came to an end. When the Beaux-Arts style home was finished in 1909, it was donated to the YMCA.

Fast forward a century later and the red-brick building is now owned by Peter de Savary, the British hotelier who first ventured to Newport in 1983 to race in the America's Cup. De Savary added his own distinct style when he purchased the property. That includes canvassing the walls images from "American Illustration," many of which feature glam girls from the 30s who once graced the covers of magazines. He also placed a gold-crested piano in the gastropub, and then added a teardrop pool in the outdoor garden and a rooftop deck from which guests can take in the glorious views of the waterfront.

Vanderbilt Hall's location is within easy walking distance of the restaurants and shops on Thames and Spring Streets and the nearby wharfs on the harbor. You'll need a car to travel to the local beaches and mansions, but it's a short drive.

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