I wanted to show my best friend how great Newport is. Hadn't visited there in 10 years so I wasn't sure where to stay. She always worries that we will end up in a bad neighborhood. This place was easily located; not far from downtown; next door to the Casino and we felt safe there. It was very clean and the beds were very comfortable. The restaurant served a good breakfast. The staff were pleasant and helpful with locating points of interest and recommending the best places to dine. We would definately stay there again when returning to the area.

This Best Western is aged. But not too bad. The maintenance needs some work but my room was fairly new. The furniture and bed all seemed to work fine.

My biggest problem with this hotel was the location (not real convenient to downtown) but most importantly, the female front desk clerks.

At Check In AND Check out, I had to be serviced by a very brawny and brash blond-headed women who chomped on gum. Actually, they all were chewing gum. Very unprofessional.

And, as a guest checking in, I don't like to listen to them whine about their jobs and wanting to go home. I was never made to feel welcomed.

For that reason, I will not be returning to this hotel.

We found the Mainstay to be clean and convenient. The room was not luxurious, but neither was my bill at check out. It appeared to be renovated with newer carpeting, baths, and furniture. The front desk was friendly and helpful - had no problems with any grouchy staff previously mentioned in other reviews. The best part of the hotel is its location. It's just a few minutes from downtown Newport.

Our family attended an event in Newport and had several rooms at the Mainstay Inn, with no plans to spend much time in the hotel. Based on previous reviews, I had thought, "Well, I can handle anything for just one night." But as soon as we entered the building, it was pretty obvious that past issues had been solved. Everything in the main building (four stories) appeared brand spanking new. I didn't get a chance to visit the wings, where the top level (2nd) had rooms with doors facing the parking area. From the outside, the wings appear older than the main part of the hotel. (See picture on website)

We stayed on the fourth floor in a room with two double-beds. The carpeting, drapes, and bed linens were spotless. Furniture and lamps appeared well-maintained. The bathroom was roomy and had a marble sink/vanity. Shower had a marble surround and was clean. Hairdryer, iron and ironing board, modern coffee maker were all included.

Hallways were quiet and we never heard a peep while in our room, despite the fact that the place seemed to have a lot of groups on their way to/from weddings or other events. Basically, the room was generic, but it was nice, comfortable, and clean; everything I want if I'm just planning to sleep there. Two miles to "downtown" Newport.

We had breakfast in the hotel; the service was friendly and efficient. The waitress had a lovely Irish brogue and called us "darlin.'" The food was delicious and a good value: omelets, hash browns, waffles, etc. It looked like it would be a nice place to end an evening with a drink, particularly if visiting with family members and needing a place to gather.

Interestingly, in view of previous comments about the front desk clerk not being friendly...I did notice that when I returned my "card keys" to check out, the clerk really was rude! My husband departed earlier and dropped off his key, so someone had checked us out, even though I still had my key. Rather than simply taking my key and saying, "Thank you, you're all set, have a great day!!!" I was sent off with a grumpy reprimand, "Why, these rooms were checked out ALREADY??!!" Not a deal-breaker, but some training on the front lines would be good. Perhaps the Irish waitress can be recruited!