New England-based Ocean House Management (OHM) is delighted to announce that Ocean House and Weekapaug Inn have reopened their doors today, 16 June 2020, welcoming back guests just in time for the height of summer. Their ‘little sister’, the 21-all-suite beach house-style Watch Hill Inn on Little Narragansett Bay, reopened on 1 June.
In order to continue providing the five-star service and experience for which the hotels have become loved, OHM has been consulting with leading authorities in health and epidemiology, including Dr. David Lucas, Director of Research Administration in the Department of Immunology at Harvard Medical School. As a result, the group has developed a ‘Covid Clean Plan’ with new health and hygiene protocols implemented in each of its departments, as well as a comprehensive OH Well Property Programme. The programme includes added processes for all areas of the hotels including guest rooms, public areas, activities and dining, beyond the properties’ meticulius five-star standards.
Ocean House – A Glamorous New England Icon
From today, guests will discover extended dining and activity options peppered around the extensive resort grounds, to allow for natural social distancing. This will include the country’s first Ferrari red BarMobile craft cocktail cart, that will go from room to room during cocktail hour offering complimentary canapés; new family-style platter sharing menus that can be delivered anywhere on the Ocean House and Weekapaug Inn grounds, including the lawns, beaches and guest rooms; and a fast-casual light dining concept with scenic ocean views at Seaside Terrace. Ocean House will also unveil a new highly Instagrammable Taco Shack, a fun pop-up eatery right on the beach serving grab-and-go tacos cooked to order alongside the hotel’s new fleet of branded Blender Bikes, so visitors can ‘pedal their way’ to a delicious frozen cocktail. The hotel’s much-loved Veuve Clicquot Secret Garden al fresco Champagne bar has also been reimagined as a private dining and event space throughout June and July, fusing luxury, outdoor dining and a bit of whimsy. Showcasing an array of Veuve Clicquot Champagnes, the Secret Garden is a truly magical venue for intimate groups to enjoy delicious food and inventive Champagne cocktails amid lush boxwood hedges and unobstructed ocean vistas.
Weekapaug Inn – An All-American Nature-Filled Retreat
Just seven miles up the coast, the Weekapaug Inn sees the return of the PondHouse, a private, interactive waterfront dining concept, with the new addition of brunch as well as dinner. Inspired by Louis Roederer Champagne, the exclusive ‘pond-to-plate’ culinary experience will offer up to six diners a fresh twist on farm-to-table dining. Embracing the Inn’s low-key luxury ambiance and ties to its natural surroundings, the photogenic dining venue is rustic, yet refined. Just steps from the pond, the private open-air, covered wooden pavilion is reminiscent of a grounded treehouse. The PondHouse features an interactive savoury, locally sourced three-course menu that guests personally grill themselves on skewers on a specially designed table-top grill in the centre, with courses thoughtfully paired with iconic Louis Roederer Champagnes. The experience beings with an educational naturalist-inspired introduction about the waterfront’s landscape and environment, local seafood and natural habitat. Part of the proceeds from PondHouse diners benefit the Ocean House Fund for Charitable Giving, which helps children and families in need.
In appreciation for guests returning, Ocean House and Weekapaug Inn will offer a complimentary night, Sunday through Thursday in November or December 2020 following a three-night stay this June. Watch Hill Inn guests meanwhile will receive a Lilly Pulitzer gift card with a stay at the acclaimed Lilly Pulitzer suite. “Our goal is to provide outstanding guest experiences and luxury service combined with new health standards so guests can have an enjoyable visit,” said Daniel Hostettler, OHM President and Group Managing Director. “Our new, unrivalled experiences offer fun and flair so guests can have memorable and treasured getaways this summer.”
For over 150 years, the iconic Ocean House has drawn families to the bluffs of Watch Hill, Rhode Island generation after generation, for a chic seaside escape rich with New England summer traditions. With over 13 acres of beautiful oceanfront landscape, overlooking a 650-foot private white sand beach, the majestic flagship hotel is famous for its warm yellow façade and superb views of the Atlantic, paired with uncompromising service and world-class amenities that pay homage to the region’s golden age of hospitality with timeless elegance. Just a stone’s throw down the road, the Weekapaug Inn is perched on a peninsula between two salt ponds in a landscape ideal for exploration and nature walks. The property offers quintessentially New England accommodations that effortlessly combine casual comforts and luxurious furnishings, with locally sourced farm-to-table dining and endless outdoor resort activities. The beach has incredible views framed by Block Island, Montauk and the Rhode Island coastline.
