Forty 1 North

Unless you can somehow transport yourself to Jay Gatsby’s world of grand estates and garden parties, Newport, Rhode Island is your best bet for evoking jazz-age elegance. The town is famous for its mansions, lovely to drive by and gawk at, but the urban waterfront is the heart of the Newport experience. Forty 1º North is an exceptional new boutique hotel infused with crisp nautical atmosphere and an artistic take on eco-hospitality.

The hotel’s twenty-eight guest rooms, some with expansive cottage-style accommodations (think fully equipped kitchens), take the dusky New England color palette from the hotel’s lobby and public spaces and bathe it in natural light from the working floor-to-ceiling windows. When opened, these windows usher in the waterfront breezes from Newport Harbor, naturally cooling the rooms and practically eliminating the need for air conditioning. Design that integrates the prevailing winds is no accident: at Forty 1º North, green initiatives abound, from the recycled glass-and-shell concrete walkways to the organic Malin+Goetz bath products. We’re especially fond of the innovative ways in which the hotel combines eco-friendly living with efficient service: check out the iPads in each room for daily newspaper delivery, directory assistance, maps, and menus.

Another pleasant surprise is the hotel’s two restaurants, impressively varied for a smallish boutique. The Grill is all dockside romance, where you can enjoy the raw bar in an atmospheric open-air lounge. Christie’s is a hip, quirky alternative to the high-end seafood joints that dominate the neighborhood, offering Asian tapas in a colorful, mod-inspired setting.