Hotels afford a way of life that can't be found at home, with breakfast in bed, accommodating room service, and plenty of pillows for top-notch castle forts. Enjoy luxurious living with today's Groupon: for $152, you get a one-night stay, a full-day bike rental for two, and a $25 dinner credit at Cafe Zelda at the Marshall Slocum Inn in Newport (up to a $304 total value).
Marshall Slocum pampers patrons with an ocean-side rendezvous for relaxing in outdoor splendor and romping through quaint antique stores. Within a charming 1855 Victorian mansion, four unique rooms—The Bostonian, Slocum Room, The Captain's Quarters, and The Postcard Room—provide queen-size beds that invite guests to melt into their down comforters. Amenities such as private bathrooms, antique furnishings, and a five-star trained staff create an authentic New England charm while ensuring that the closets are completely devoid of monsters.
Hungry mandibles can munch on seafood specialties at the nearby Cafe Zelda, sampling succulents such as the bouillabaise, a combination of fish and shellfish in a tomato-leek-saffron broth with rouille ($26) or the Crispy Point Judith calamari, garnished with banana peppers in a thai dipping sauce ($11). Complimentary breakfast is available in bed, but those who prefer eating off of plates rather than sheets can opt to sit on the sun-room deck, where rested peepers can look over the extensive grounds while consuming crab Benedict, blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit and yogurt, or nova smoked salmon, served from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Off-street parking keeps cars busy while patrons roam the seaside scenery—which can be easily traversed by bicycle or trained flocks of seagulls—trekking to Newport's specialty stores on mansion-lined lanes or enjoying the salty spray on Ocean Drive.