Gardiner House

A 21-room oceanfront retreat on Lee’s Wharf in historic downtown Newport, Gardiner House celebrates the harbor, daffodils, art, literature, the International Yacht Restoration School, restaurants and shops, the Jazz Festival, and rambling houses full of interesting characters eating, laughing, drinking, dancing, talking, playing to the crowd, and spilling out into the yard. 

A place whose guest suites, cocktail bar, outdoor, and event spaces were so magically inviting they’d want to enjoy them themselves. The warmth and intimacy of friendship, nostalgia, and hospitality became our inspiration for a brand and experience that celebrates Newport’s spirit, culture, art, and way of life.

The hotel’s name, Gardiner House, nods to one of the founder’s middle names — and his grandfather’s — a well known impressionist artist whose paintings inspired an iconic mural of mythical birds that adorns the lobby. It also nods to the hotel’s rich connections to nature, its waterfront location, and lush event lawn.

The brand design touches every part of property — from interior and exterior signage and wayfinding, embossed leather key fobs, branded bureau drawer paper, and in-room materials to uniforms, promotional materials, and matchbooks.  

The website features an iconic, opening animation, intuitive interface, illustrated renderings, and vintage photography that invites an array of visitors — from world travelers to event managers — to effortlessly book a room, inquire about event spaces, and immerse themselves in a magical universe free from the constraints of time. That ebbs and flows like waves. That moves in rhythms, in seasons, and stanzas.