Hotel Viking

For 750 a night, this was a horrible hotel and not worth it. The rooms felt dated and dodgy, service was terrible, and the front desk was slow and unfriendly. The bartender was awful. The room was cleaned nicely, but the old shower and bathroom had a leak. They charge 150 cleaning fee for your dog, plus 50 dollars a night. The hot tub was cold, and this morning several people checking out said they’d had the same experience. Even the coffee place didn’t have a large cup, which was crazy bad. Better to stay Marriott.

The location is great, but paying $45 to park and then finding a moldy shower is awful. Our room was tiny and musty, with the sink in the closet. The bathroom had mold, ceiling cracks, and broken tiles. This place is living on its reputation and felt like a dump during our stay for a black tie wedding in Newport. Avoid it unless you’re stuck with a wedding booking.

The location is amazing, the staff across the front desk, cleaning, valet, and restaurant were wonderful, and the hotel has complimentary water and bicycles plus a terrific coffee spot inside. We’ve stayed at the Viking many times, though it feels like things have gone downhill. There are fewer towels, and bathrobes, slippers, and even decent toilet paper are gone. Estate rooms no longer have a chair. We were on the 3rd floor and could hear the guests above us on 4 all too well. The faucet was coming loose from the sink, the TV remote didn’t work, and the sheets had old stains. We would come back, but the price doesn’t match the hotel’s condition. You’re paying for the location.

The worst part was the customer service after I left early because of a family emergency. I spoke with the front desk, got a printed final bill of about $500, and checked out a day early. The next day my card was charged $1200. I called four or five times a day for three weeks and nobody answered. When I finally got through, a man said they had a company contract and had to charge for the whole weekend. That hadn’t been mentioned when I checked out, and I was already annoyed. He said he’d email the receipt, but two more weeks passed without the final bill arriving. The room also had a vibrating floor noise all night, and it definitely didn’t feel like 5 star quality. Nothing about the hotel seemed 5 star, or even 4 star, and they should drop the false advertising. It was my first time in Newport for a work conference, and this stay has convinced me not to return to town. I’ve stayed in hotels for work and personal trips for a long time, and this may be worse than red roof inn. At least there, I can get a final bill. Stay away if you don’t want to feel scammed.