The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection

Here authenticity means something quite different from museum-grade preservation. The former Vanderbilt Hall, semi-miraculously tucked in to a quiet street in central Newport, has evolved with the times — not in an anxious, trend-chasing way, but tastefully, confidently, so that the character of the place shines through. The building is still as it ever was, and the public spaces retain their historical aspect as well, while the rooms range from classic to contemporary in style — all, though, have been modernized where it counts, bringing them up to today’s luxury-boutique standards.

Often historic hotels suffer from smallish rooms, but this is a problem the Vanderbilt does not have. They start out big and only get bigger; some suites come with kitchens, others span two floors. And somehow there’s still room left over for a spa, a pair of pools, a fitness center and a number of social spaces — a billiards room, a bar, a garden terrace and Muse by Jonathan Cartwright, a restaurant helmed by one of New England’s most decorated chefs. Sounds rather as you’d expect from a 21st-century Vanderbilt Hall — which is, in our book, what authenticity means.

Please note: the Vanderbilt requires a four-night minimum over weekends July–October and a three-night minimum over weekends November–June.