Centerbrook-Designed Hotel in Elite Company

CENTERBROOK, Conn. -- The Ocean House in Rhode Island has been accepted into membership of Preferred Boutique, an elite collection of hotels and resorts launched in 2005 by Preferred Hotel Group. Unique by design, Preferred Boutique member hotels and resorts celebrate distinctive travel experiences that showcase style, service, and personality on an intimate scale.

Designed by Centerbrook Architects and scheduled to open in June, the Ocean House is listed under “classic resorts” category. Preferred Boutique’s members encompass eclectic properties from palaces to tent camps, from hip urban hotels to private islands. The Ocean House sits high on the bluffs of Watch Hill overlooking a private stretch of beach with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, Block Island, and Montauk Point.

Centerbrook conducted an extensive evaluation and reuse study of the hotel, which was built in 1868 but had to be torn down four years ago because of multiple structural and safety deficiencies. The design of the resurrected Ocean House includes a new north wing extending out from the replicated “historic kernel” that was built circa 1908, considered to be its heyday. The 152,660-square-foot hotel melds modern amenities with the charm of yesteryear, such as 49 impeccably appointed guest rooms, residential units, restaurants, a spa, pool, and exercise facilities.

Five thousand pieces of the historical structure, ranging from a 19th century elevator and fan light windows to a stone fireplace, railings, mantels, moldings, and chandeliers, were saved to be reused or to serve as templates to create exact replicas. Centerbrook partner Jeff Riley, FAIA, led the design team that included project managers Meg Lyons, AIA, and Peter Majewski, AIA.