Rhode Island Best Lodging 2012

Yankee Magazine chooses Rhode Island’s best lodging for 2012.

BEST BREAKFAST
Bristol House, Bristol
Guests rave about breakfast at this three-room Cape Cod-style inn owned by a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Awaken to a table of homemade jams, granolas, and breads, from scones to Nana’s sticky buns. A three-course breakfast might include lobster eggs benedict, and ingredients are foraged from the garden whenever possible. Rates: from $159, including full breakfast. 14 Aaron Ave. 401-396-9066; bristolhousebnb.com

BEST URBAN RETREAT
The Hotel Providence, Providence
This arts-district lodging is steps away from the best boutiques–not to mention the mall. Housed in a restored 1897 building and overlooking Grace Church, this AAA four-diamond boutique hotel is all about the details: graceful arches, bay windows, and unique touches. Rates: from $199. 139 Mathewson St. 401-861-8000; hotelprovidence.com

BEST BEACH HOUSE
Castle Hill,Newport
Formerly a private mansion, this hotel nests on 40 acres of a panoramic peninsula. Shingled bungalows and cottage amenities range from outdoor fireplaces and decks to whirlpools, hardwood floors, and French doors; each cottage comes with an ocean view. Rates: from $645 per night, including full breakfast. 590 Ocean Drive. 888-466-1355, 401-849-3800; castlehillinn.com

BEST TASTE OF THE OUTDOORS
The Richards B&B,Narragansett
This 1884 mansion was built from stone quarried on the property and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pass the daffodil fields to continue a half-mile meander through the woods to the ocean. Or stop by the English gardens on your way to a hammock near the koi-filled water garden. Nancy Richards’s chocolate macaroon or PB&J muffins are the best kind of wakeup call. Rates: from $150, including full breakfast. 144 Gibson Ave. 401-789-7746; therichardsbnb.com

BEST ISOLATED RETREAT
Maxwell Mays Cottage,Coventry
Situated on 300 private acres at the Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge, this historic wood-and-fieldstone camp overlooking a private pond is available to rent for a night or longer from May to October. Rates: from $150 per night, $1,000 per week (weekly rentals preferred July-August). 2082 Victory Highway. 401-338-6390; lakehousevacations.com/page-6662.html

BEST ISLAND INNThe Sea Breeze,Block Island This sun-bleached shingled inn with private cottages overlooks wildflower meadows, perennial gardens, and a pond. Borrow the kayak to explore the salt pond and a hammock for siestas. With breakfast goodies delivered to your room each morning, there’s more time for a morning nap. Rates: from $150, including continental breakfast. 71 Spring St. 401-466-2275; seabreezeblockisland.com