Perched above the harbor at the crest of Bellevue Avenue, where Newport’s historic neighborhoods begin to unfold, Hotel Viking is a masterpiece of design following a complete renovation timed to its centennial. Led by Los Angeles-based interior design firm Beleco, guided by Principal Christian Schnyder, and AXIS Architecture & Design, the reimagining preserves and celebrates the original architectural details that define the property. Original plaster crown moldings, hardwood floors, and marble fireplaces were restored, and a hand-carved marble mantel was reinstated. The sense of procession through the public spaces was carefully reintroduced, with distinct rooms unfolding from lobby to bar to restaurant in the way the building was always meant to be experienced.
“We sought to honor the historic elements that make Hotel Viking unique while ensuring every space feels refined and genuinely welcoming for today’s guest,” remarks Christian Schnyder, principal of Beleco. “Through this work, we were able to give Newport back a landmark that belongs to the city, and position Hotel Viking as a destination that will endure for the next 100 years.”
The arrival sequence sets the tone for the property. A checkerboard white and gray marble tile floor establishes the sense of arrival, giving way to the original hardwood of the historic ballroom and traditional parquet flooring in the bar beyond. Three-dimensional wall coverings add texture while keeping the color palette rigorously neutral. Public spaces are calm and considered, with color reserved for art and fabric rather than architecture. Custom area rugs throughout the property draw from Persian rug traditions and are reinterpreted for the hotel’s nautical identity. Patterns incorporate krakens and sea monsters from 1920s maritime iconography, a wry echo of the hotel’s striped brand language. All public-area seating and case goods were produced by Stellar Works. Lighting throughout was custom-designed by Hammerton, with Art Deco-influenced fixtures specified with warm-toned LED sources to produce the amber glow that defines the hotel’s evening atmosphere.
The 210 guest rooms and suites are designed around a single intention: calm. Interiors feature light-stained oak flooring, neutral-toned walls, classic molding details, and beadboard wainscoting, a nod to New England coastal tradition. Blond burl veneer, which was fashionable in the 1920s, roots the guestrooms in the hotel’s founding era. Furnishings are treated as an ensemble with two wood finishes throughout: dark espresso and blond oak. Locally referenced artwork introduces the only color in an otherwise neutral palette. Three signature suites incorporate carved furniture that honors Newport’s Gilded Age heritage.
Pescadou, Hotel Viking’s French Riviera-inspired signature seafood restaurant, draws from a palette of deep pinks and greens inspired by the coast of France. Interiors feature a high-gloss lacquered ceiling, traditional parquet flooring, burl wood veneer accents, and Calacatta marble. Antique mirror wraps the columns. Banquettes in striped fabric reference the hotel’s brand language. A custom landscape mural by Hattas Studios of Los Angeles anchors the dining room with a romantic interpretation of the Newport coastline. The Garden Room, positioned between the dining room and the outdoor patio, offers a quieter transition. Deep green reappears on the ceiling and trim, a custom floral wallpaper covers the ceiling, and sage green lanterns complete a room designed to feel in conversation with the garden beyond.
“Our responsibility was to pay homage to the original building,” said Jennifer Fujishima, Associate Principal at AXIS. “Every decision we made was rooted in understanding what the 1926 structure was trying to be and ensuring that the work we brought to it honored that intent while meeting the demands of a modern hospitality experience.”
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