Loving Little Compton
Sunday, August 09, 2009 by Jason Oliver Nixon.
This past weekend, we discovered a magical escape for a romantic weekend! The just-opened Stone House in Little Compton is an impressive, historic hostelry hugging the coastline in this charming Rhode Island town. Little Compton is a revelation, a glorious mix of shingle-style cottages and agricultural fields that spill down to the seashore. We are reminded of the Hamptons 20 years ago, back when that resort community’s vibe was relaxed—before the see-and-be-seen restaurants and nightspots dominated.
The historic façade of the Stone House, overlooking the beach in charming Little Compton, Rhode Island.
The Stone House mixes 18th-century architecture with cutting-edge green technology to minimize its carbon footprint. Our suggestion: Book a room in the main house topped with a wedding cake-like cupola, and take in the stunning vistas of the rocky shoreline.
An open-plan, contemporary-styled room in the barn at the Stone House.
Or, reserve one of the super-spacious, open-plan aeries tucked upstairs in the contemporary-cool barn. Savor any of the sublime spa services—perhaps a deep pore cleansing facial or a Balinese massage—before sipping a martini in the sunken garden tucked into the extensive lawn. Dinner at Pietra is—in a word—chic, mixing contemporary design with crisp service and superlative eats, including curry-coated fried oysters on pillars of rice; a risotto of hand-foraged chanterelle mushrooms and black truffles (Hand-foraged? Count me in!); and Maine halibut with tiny tomatoes and white anchovies. (The hotel’s tap room is still a work in progress and, when finished, will add a further dimensionality to the hotel.)
Soak away your cares in the giant Japanese soaking tubs in the rooms above Pietra restaurant.
Take a long walk along the shore, venture to nearby Evelyn’s for a lobster roll and steamers, or stroll to colorful Sakonnet Harbor to watch the boats bobbing about the marina.
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