The Atlantic Inn

The Atlantic Inn is an 1879 grand hotel set on six hilltop acres on Block Island, with twenty-one rooms in a single substantial Victorian structure. The property is one of the few hilltop hotels on the island — most of Block Island's lodging is at harbor level or along the New Shoreham strip — and the elevation gives the front porch one of the better sweeping views on the Atlantic side of New England.

Block Island sits twelve miles off the Rhode Island coast, reached only by ferry or a small commuter flight. The island's character is the destination — bluffs, ponds, the long sand beaches at Mansion and Crescent. The Atlantic Inn fits the island's quieter pace.

The setting

On High Street on Block Island, set on six acres at the top of a hill above Old Harbor. The walk down to the harbor and the ferry terminal is fifteen minutes. The Mansion Beach access is twenty minutes by foot or a short bicycle ride. Crescent Beach (running north toward the bluffs) is similar.

The ferry from Galilee, Rhode Island, runs about an hour. From New London, Connecticut, slightly longer. The seasonal ferries from Long Island and Newport handle additional traffic in summer. New England Airlines flies a small commuter from Westerly.

The building

A three-story Victorian — white-clapboard, gabled roofs, full-width porches on the lower floors, painted in muted historic-coastal colors. The interior is Neo-Victoriana of the proper Block Island grand-hotel variety: period millwork, antique furniture, parlor with a working fireplace, dining room with the better sweeping views.

The renovation work has been gradual. The 1879 character is intact and the upkeep reflects long-running family-style operation.

The rooms

Twenty-one rooms across the three floors. Categories climb from compact rooms (around $425 in season) up through suites with the better hilltop exposures and slightly larger floor plans. Beds are queens and kings, linens are heavy, bathrooms are functional and updated. Several rooms have private balconies; the front-facing rooms get the sweeping view.

There's no elevator. Stairs to the upper floors are part of the experience.

Food & drink

The on-site Atlantic Inn dining room runs a prix-fixe contemporary American menu most evenings — regional fish, regional vegetables, a wine list that's one of the better ones on the island. Open to non-guests by reservation. The dining room shares the view with the porch and is a destination restaurant for non-resident island visitors as well.

On the property

A small Victorian grand hotel.

• Atlantic Inn dining room (open to non-guests)
• Wraparound porch with sweeping island views
• Two clay tennis courts
• Walking and bicycle access to the beaches and Old Harbor
• Open seasonally (typically May through October)

Who it's for

• Travelers doing a Block Island long weekend
• Couples on anniversaries
• Diners — the dining room is the property's other major draw
• Repeat Block Island visitors who've cycled through the smaller harbor inns

Who it's not for

• Year-round travelers — the inn is seasonal
• Travelers seeking a contemporary boutique aesthetic
• Anyone who wants direct beachfront (Mansion Beach is a twenty-minute walk)

Nearby

Walk fifteen minutes downhill to Old Harbor — the ferry terminal, the central village restaurants, the bicycle rental shops. Mansion Beach is twenty minutes' walk; Crescent Beach is similar. Mohegan Bluffs (the 200-foot clay cliffs at the southern tip of the island, with the Southeast Light at the top) is twenty minutes by bicycle. Drive or bike the eight-mile loop around the island for the National Wildlife Refuge at the north end and Settlers' Rock. Take the ferry back to the mainland for Newport (an hour-plus drive) or Mystic (similar).