Yahoo Lifestyle What It's Like to Vacation at Castle Hill Inn, Where Grace Kelly Stayed While Filming Her Last Movie 'High Society'
I've always loved Grace Kelly. The late Princess of Monaco was unparalleled as far as timeless beauty and style were concerned and as a travel writer, any place she adored and frequented is high on my list to visit.
This would include Hotel Bel-Air where she lived briefly after winning her Academy Award in 1954, before her wedding to Prince Rainier Grimaldi III. They have a Grace Kelly Suite named after her that's absolutely dreamy. Then there's Alain Ducasse's Le Louis XV restaurant at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, where I was lucky enough to dine (once) and wore her signature scent, Chateau Krigler 12, in honor of the occasion. And finally, Castle Hill Inn, a regal Relais & Châteaux set across 40 sprawling acres in Newport, Rhode Island where she stayed filming High Society during the summer of 1956.
It's no secret that her husband-to-be was less than pleased about the in-demand Hollywood darling and Hitchcock muse continuing her career after they were married, so the musical comedy High Society would become the last movie she ever made.
I recently checked into the seaside mansion for a sister's trip and toured the very Harbor House she called home, plus the beach they named after her. Here's what it's like to vacation at Castle Hill Inn like Grace Kelly.
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The drive up to Castle Hill Inn, which dates back to 1875, is just as enchanting as walking through the storied estate's front doors. For starters, it's far removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown Newport. Set high above the crashing waves and rugged cliffs that front Narragansett Bay, with a rolling lawn dotted by white Adirondack chairs.
The former summer home of Harvard University marine biologist and naturalist Alexander Agassiz was once used to house naval officers stationed in Rhode Island during World War II. But after the war, the three-story wooden estate was transformed into a luxurious inn to welcome guests seasonally.
It was eventually winterized and refreshed with modern creature comforts in the form of marble bathrooms, steam showers and super plush beds but my favorite part of the hotel is the lawn. Where you can post up for hours watching the boats pass by, cocktail in hand.
In terms of accommodations, the hotel has expanded its offerings since Grace was a guest. They now boast a cluster of posh beachside cottages with kitchens on the west end of the property, although the movie star opted for the tucked-away Harbor Houses around the corner from the Agassiz Mansion for her stay.
This is most likely because of the privacy these cozy cabins afforded. They're petite yet charming and feature separate entries, in-room fireplaces, intimate porches, and picturesque views of the bay. That is exactly where I'd want to come home after a long day on set—if I were Grace.
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Behind the Harbour Houses is another smaller, more private beach, which happened to be Grace's secret refuge. When she wasn't filming, she would make her way down a craggy cliff to sunbathe and swim, since the photographers and paparazzi who loved to follow her every move couldn't reach her there.
Undisturbed, she could loll by the bay doing as she pleased only the trek back up to her quarters wasn't as easy as the descent. The concerned staff saw her struggling to climb the treacherous terrain and decided to intervene by building her a sturdy staircase for the journey. That's how this little patch of the property became lovingly known as "Grace Kelly Beach."
As for how she spent the rest of her free time at Castle Hill, I'm sure there were many bike rides to the lighthouse at the end of Ocean Drive, another scenic spot away from the public eye.
Built in 1890 more than a decade after the mansion, the beacon signaled many boats to safety before Agassiz sold the lookout for $1 to the United States Government in 1988. Although it takes a bit of effort to find, there is a sign and a trodden path to lead the way and the views from the cliff are worth the effort alone.
After touring the grounds, it was time for lunch. Castle Hill had a humble eatery on the premises back in 1956, where Ms. Kelly could have popped in for a bite or ordered room service. Rumor has it she loved cheeseburgers (a girl after my own heart) and their chef was probably happy to oblige had she requested one, for her Grace.
Today, however, the hotel boasts two of the most-visited restaurants in Newport: The Lawn Terrace for cold creamy lobster rolls and one of the best clam chowders in town, plus Aurelia for a fine dining experience with a six-course tasting menu.
Named after Agassiz's preferred object of study, moon jellyfish known as "Aurelia" that inhabit Narragansett Bay, the restaurant is not only stunning but appropriately situated on the grounds. Flanked by windows overlooking the water and aquatic life below.
They even have a Manhattan cocktail inspired by Grace, which I had to order, given the nature of my visit.
Dinner at Aurelia is an hours-long celebration of both local and far-away flavors. A vintage Champagne trolley is packed with ice and bubbles from the States as well as France, while a custom-made-for-Castle Hill cheese cart is stocked with aged fromage hailing from Jasper Hill Farms in Vermont, all the way to the land down under in Australia.
Then there are imaginative dishes utilizing the local bounty of produce and seafood that's native to Newport. Think fluke crudo with Asian pear and sea urchin, heirloom squash tortellini with lobster mushrooms and Rhode Island Tautog—a type of blackfish that lives in the waters between Cape Cod and the Chesapeake Bay.
The service is top notch and the setting is so idyllic that I can't help but think Grace would have loved Castle Hill Inn even more today, 68 years after she checked in.
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Of course, a trip to Newport wouldn't be complete without a stroll along the Cliff Walk, a 3.5-mile picturesque path that hugs the shoreline, which Grace must have visited once or twice.
Arguably one of the area's most popular tourist attractions, this winding stretch offers a bird's eye view of The Newport Mansions and the beaches that make the Sailing Capital of the World truly one-of-a-kind.
It also has a halfway point, the Forty Steps, where an obligatory pit stop for a photo is a must.
Back home, the same place Grace called home, I lit a fire and drew a bubble bath, recalling a passage from Thornton Wilder's book Theophilus North.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author describes the Turret Suite at the tippy top of Castle Hill Inn as a magical room, from which he could see "the beacons of six lighthouses and hear the chiming of as many sea buoys.”
It was then that I realized the distant foghorn I'd been hearing the last few days was coming from the lighthouse we visited earlier that weekend. The one Wilder was inspired to write about in his semi-autobiographical tale, set in Newport in the 1920s, and the one that served as a watchful beacon while Grace stayed in the '50s.
That's the thing about Castle Hill Inn though...it's all magical. Guests past and present. Rooms now and then. Only a few things remain unchanged: the sound of the siren from nearby lighthouses; the crashing waves by Grace Kelly Beach; and the Aurelia floating below.
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