Rhode Island · 9 Hotels Listed · Twelve Miles to Shore
Block Island
A Victorian sea-cliff outpost twelve miles from the mainland. No chains. No traffic. Just bluffs, beaches, and inns that have stood since the lighthouses were lit.
A Victorian sea-cliff outpost twelve miles from the mainland. No chains. No traffic. Just bluffs, beaches, and inns that have stood since the lighthouses were lit.
Spring House Hotel is the best place to stay on Block Island for 2026, the 1852 grande dame with the island's longest verandah. The Atlantic Inn is the romantic-dinner pick, the 1661 Inn the most refined, and Sea Breeze Inn the quietest base. Plan on $275 to $525 in season, and note that most inns open May to October only.
A short season and finite rooms keep rates high for the island's size. Spring House sets the ceiling at $525; Sea Breeze anchors the floor at $275. The table leads with price, then the three scores that decide the rest.
| Hotel | Best for | From | Rooms / Service / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring House Hotel | Anniversaries, the iconic porch | $525 | 9.0 / 9.2 / 9.6 |
| The Atlantic Inn | The island's best dinner table | $445 | 8.9 / 9.4 / 9.3 |
| 1661 Inn | Refined harbour-view rooms | $395 | 8.8 / 9.0 / 9.4 |
| The National Hotel | Steps off the ferry, Old Harbor | $345 | 8.6 / 8.9 / 9.5 |
| Champlin's Resort | Families, marina, New Harbor | $295 | 8.3 / 8.5 / 8.7 |
| Sea Breeze Inn | Solo quiet, lowest in-season rate | $275 | 8.2 / 8.8 / 9.1 |
Scores are HotelsForKings editorial sub-scores out of 10. "From" rates are typical-season weekday entry prices; festival and holiday weeks run higher, and most properties impose multi-night minimums.
Ranked by overall occasion score. Every inn verified operating for the 2026 season; Block Island is summer-only, so confirm dates before a shoulder-season stay.
"The oldest and largest hotel on the island, built 1852. Thirty-two rooms, a wraparound verandah above the Atlantic, and a view no decorator could improve on."
"An 1879 hilltop Victorian on six acres above Old Harbor. Twenty-three rooms, and a tasting menu on the porch as the sun goes down, the most quietly civilised dinner on the island."
"Harbour views, breakfast on the lawn with peacocks wandering, and whirlpool tubs that face the sea. Runs with its sister property, Hotel Manisses, under one front desk."
"Sister property to the 1661, same owners, more interior. Restored mansard rooms, a Victorian dining room, and a small farm of animals grazing the garden behind."
"The grand front porch on Water Street, the social heart of Old Harbor since 1888. Forty-six rooms directly across from the ferry landing; closed mid-October, reopens early May."
"The Victorian above Crescent Beach, now operating as Block Island Beach House. The island's only true beachfront rooms, some with private balconies, steps from the sand."
"The marina-side resort on New Harbor and Great Salt Pond, pool, boat slips, and a livelier crowd. Where the sailboats tie up for the weekend, and so does Block Island Race Week."
"A gingerbread Victorian of 1882 on Water Street, ferry slip just down the road. The smallest of the historic hotels, and the most genuinely quiet."
"Ten cottage-style rooms above the bluff, family-run for more than thirty-five years, breakfast delivered in a basket. The closest thing on the island to disappearing."
Block Island is the rare American destination that makes a solo traveller feel deliberate rather than stranded. The ferry ride functions as decompression. Once on the island, no rental car is needed, bicycles, beaches, and bluffs do the rest. Our verdict: Sea Breeze Inn for the bluff-edge solitude, Hotel Manisses for the most restorative interior, and The Inn at Old Harbour for the quietest address near the harbour.
Victorian rooms, walled gardens, Spring Street stillness. From $375/night.
Ten rooms in a gingerbread Victorian, the smallest historic hotel. From $310/night.
Block Island has been hosting anniversaries since the first lighthouses were lit in the 1870s, the kind of place where couples return on a five-year cycle and the same porch chair remembers them. Spring House Hotel is the iconic Victorian, verandah, ocean, history. The Atlantic Inn is the most romantic dinner address. 1661 Inn is the most refined, private whirlpools, harbour views, and the kind of breakfast that lingers past noon.
Our ranked list, with the one-sentence verdict on each.
The 1852 grande dame, the oldest and largest hotel on the island and still the one with the longest porch and the best view.
An 1879 hilltop Victorian on six acres, the most romantic dinner table on the island, full stop.
Harbour views, peacocks on the lawn, and whirlpool tubs that face the Atlantic, run with sister property Hotel Manisses.
Sister to the 1661, restored mansard rooms, garden animals, the most Victorian interior on the island.
The 1888 grand front porch on Water Street, the social heart of Old Harbor and a sixty-second walk from the ferry slip.
The Victorian above Crescent Beach, now Block Island Beach House, with the island's only true beachfront rooms.
The marina-side option on New Harbor, pool, slips, and the heart of Block Island Race Week.
Ten rooms in a gingerbread Victorian on Water Street, the smallest of the historic hotels and the most quietly run.
Cottage-style rooms on the bluff, basket breakfasts, the closest thing on the island to disappearing.
The island divides into a handful of small worlds. The right base depends on whether you came for the ferry-side bustle, the marina, or the cliffs.
Where the ferry lands and most historic hotels sit. The National Hotel and The Inn at Old Harbour put Water Street at the door.
The nautical side around Great Salt Pond. Champlin's Resort is the marina base, quieter and more boat-minded.
The southeast cliffs and the Southeast Lighthouse. Spring House Hotel and The Atlantic Inn hold the high ground above the Atlantic.
The long sandy curve north of Old Harbor, the island's best swimming. The Surf sits closest to the sand.
The Block Island season runs Memorial Day to Labor Day, with the genuine peak falling between July 4th and the third week of August. June is the connoisseur's month, the wild roses are out on Mohegan Bluffs, the Atlantic has begun to warm, and the ferry crowds have not yet arrived in earnest. September is the shoulder month favoured by returning guests: the water remains warm into early October, restaurants relax their reservation policies, and rates ease back by twenty to thirty per cent. October brings Block Island Race Week to New Harbor for sailors, but most of the island has already begun closing for the season. By November, perhaps a third of the inns remain open; by January, the island is functionally closed to luxury travel and reopens only as Memorial Day approaches. The summer-only character is a feature, not a defect, it is what keeps the place uncommercial.
Old Harbor is where the ferry lands and where most of the historic hotels sit, The National, The Inn at Old Harbour, and The Surf are all walking distance from Water Street and the downtown shops. It is the correct first-time choice and the easiest base if you intend to walk everywhere. New Harbor, on the western side around Great Salt Pond, is where Champlin's Resort and the marinas live, quieter, more nautical, less foot traffic. Mohegan Bluffs, in the southeast corner, is where the Southeast Lighthouse stands and where the cliffs drop two hundred feet to the Atlantic, a few inns sit nearby, including Spring House Hotel and The Atlantic Inn. Sandy Point, at the northern tip, holds the North Light and the bird sanctuary; staying near the bluffs or the centre of the island places you within bicycling distance. Crescent Beach, the long sandy curve immediately north of Old Harbor, is the best swimming beach and where The Surf sits closest to the sand.
Block Island runs more expensive in season than its size suggests, because the inventory is finite and the season is short. Expect $275 to $325 per night at the smallest boutique inns in peak July and August, $345 to $445 at the better-positioned historic hotels (The National, Atlantic Inn, 1661 Inn), and $525 and up at Spring House Hotel for an ocean-view room. Suite rates at the top properties can reach $700 to $900 in peak weeks. June pre-season rates run roughly fifteen per cent below July; September shoulder rates roughly twenty to thirty per cent below peak. Most properties operate two or three night minimums on summer weekends and impose a four-night minimum across the July 4th and Labor Day weeks.
Three things temper the romance. First, the season is short and unforgiving: book outside roughly May to October and most of these inns are simply shut, with the smaller bed-and-breakfasts the first to close and the last to reopen. Second, the rooms are old-building rooms, charming, but expect uneven layouts, the occasional shared-wall sound, and few of the resort amenities a mainland rate at this price would buy. Third, the minimum-stay rules are real: two to four nights over peak weekends, booked months ahead, with little flexibility. None of this is a reason to stay away; it is a reason to plan early and pick the season deliberately.
Getting to Block Island is part of the experience, and part of the planning. The Block Island Ferry from Point Judith, Rhode Island runs year-round (about an hour, with a high-speed option in summer); seasonal services run from Newport, Rhode Island as well. The Block Island Express ferry sails from New London, Connecticut in season, and Seastreak operates a summer fast-ferry from Highlands, New Jersey. Reserve vehicle ferry tickets months in advance if you must bring a car, but most luxury travellers do not. The island moves on bicycles and walking; rentals are widely available at the harbour, and most inns are within twenty minutes' cycle of any beach. Block Island Race Week, in late June, sells out marina-side rooms a year ahead. For Spring House Hotel and The Atlantic Inn, book by February for July dates. For the smaller inns, by April. Confirm whether your room rate includes breakfast, at the 1661 and Hotel Manisses it does, at most others it does not.
Standard American tipping conventions apply. Restaurants: 18, 20% on the pre-tax total, with 22% appropriate at the better dinner addresses. Bartenders: $1, 2 per drink or 18, 20% on the tab. Housekeeping: $5 per day at the smaller inns, $10 at Spring House. Bellman or porter (limited at most properties, given the modest scale): $2, 5 per bag. Concierge for restaurant reservations or excursion bookings: $10, 20 depending on difficulty. The taxi drivers and bicycle rental shops also accept tips, though the latter is uncommon. Service charges are not generally added to inn bills, so all gratuities are at your discretion.
Other coastal New England destinations worth your consideration.
The season runs Memorial Day to Labor Day, with the genuine peak between July 4th and mid-August. June is the quiet connoisseur's month, wild roses out on Mohegan Bluffs and few crowds. September is the shoulder favourite: warm water into early October and rates roughly twenty to thirty per cent below peak. Most inns open only May to October.
Spring House Hotel is our top pick: the 1852 grande dame on a bluff above Old Harbor, the island's oldest and largest hotel, with 32 rooms and the longest verandah on the island. The Atlantic Inn is the best romantic-dinner address, and the 1661 Inn the most refined, with harbour-facing whirlpool tubs and breakfast on the lawn.
Expect roughly $275 to $325 at the smaller boutique inns in peak July and August, $345 to $445 at the better-positioned historic hotels, and $525 and up at Spring House Hotel for an ocean-view room. Suites at the top properties reach $700 to $900 in peak weeks. Two- and three-night minimums are standard on summer weekends, with four-night minimums over July 4th and Labor Day.
The Block Island Ferry from Point Judith, Rhode Island runs year-round, about an hour, with a high-speed option in summer. Seasonal services run from Newport, Rhode Island; the Block Island Express sails from New London, Connecticut; and Seastreak runs a summer fast-ferry from Highlands, New Jersey. The island moves on bicycles and on foot, so most luxury travellers leave the car on the mainland.
Old Harbor is where the ferry lands and most historic hotels sit, The National, The Inn at Old Harbour and The Surf all within walking distance of Water Street. New Harbor, around Great Salt Pond, is the nautical side and home to Champlin's Resort. Spring House Hotel and The Atlantic Inn sit toward the Mohegan Bluffs, and The Surf is closest to Crescent Beach.
No. Block Island is a summer-season destination. Most inns open only May to October; by November perhaps a third remain open, and by January the island is functionally closed to luxury travel. The National Hotel, for example, closes from mid-October and reopens in early May. Always confirm operating dates directly before booking a shoulder-season stay.
Tell us your occasion and we'll narrow it down. Solo retreat, anniversary, honeymoon, family holiday, Block Island has the right Victorian inn for each.
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