Renovations Complete At Hampton Inn & Suites Newport-Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, RI — The Hampton Inn & Suites Newport-Middletown closed to the public in December for major renovations and recently reopened with plenty of new features for guests to enjoy.

Designed in conjunction with ZDS Architecture in Providence, the Hampton Inn & Suites aimed renovations at offering guests a modern experience with a coastal theme. The renovation include a new lobby with a coastal theme, new furniture, flooring, and a refreshed layout; a modernized fitness center with new equipment, flooring, and space; and a renovation of every guest room and suite, including new bathrooms, fixtures, tiles, carpeting, furniture, bedding and artwork.

First Bristol Corporation owns and manages the hotel, partnering with Kempenaar Real Estates.

"With high occupancy rates that we maintained even throughout the past pandemic, we are pleased to provide our loyal guests with a completely new experience and offer an incredible, high-value brand for those new to the properties," First Bristol co-CEO Jeff Karam said.

"We are thrilled to unveil these beautiful hotels," Kempenaar Real Estates owner Rocky Kempenaar said. "The design brings coastal Newport to our guests’ doorstep, and improved amenities offer our guests a top-notch Newport experience without the substantial price tag."

First Bristol's other co-CEO Jamie Karam said the renovation is part of a $7.5 million investment in the Hampton Inn & Suites property, and its neighboring sister hotel, Homewood Suites by Hilton, which is receiving interior updates to common spaces, guest rooms and bathrooms. Both hotels are located on West Main Road and within two miles of Newport.

Jamie Karam said he is pleased with the Hampton's updates, especially the fitness center, which is double the size of its previous iteration.

"One of the biggest amenities was the swimming pool, but candidly the biggest amenity especially for business travelers has become the fitness center," Jamie Karam said. "We spent extra money to redesign the structure of the building because of limited space [for the fitness center]. We brought in more equipment. We think we have a first class fitness center."

Two other renovations Jamie Karam highlighted were the new beds and bathrooms.

"The beds are terrific," Jamie Karam said. "The Hilton has a very high standard. You can only have certain types of bedding in their hotels. It is one of the biggest factors you get ranked on, the comfort of your beds."

As for the bathrooms, Hilton hotels have been trending towards a white color scheme in recent years. Jamie Karam said the purpose of this is so guests can tell if the bathroom is clean or not.

"Cleanliness is a big safety factor, especially with COVID these last few years," Jamie Karam said.

Shuttle Van Expansion

Another part of the renovation was the increased capacity for shuttle vans to Newport's downtown. Parking in Newport, especially during summer months, can be difficult, so the hotel started the service to make sightseeing, dining, and beach days more convenient for its guests.

"It goes every half hour," Jamie Karam said. "People can leave their cars, and they don’t have to worry about where they park, how much it costs to park. People don’t have to worry about drinking and driving."

The 95-room Hampton Inn & Suites is located at 317 West Main Road in Middletown.

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