Neptune House

My husband and I have been owners at the Neptune House since the mid 1980's. Our first visit to the Neptune House was to a friend's unit that we rented for a week in late September. September on Block Island (BI) is beautiful, nice warm weather, great fall days. BI is also on the Atlantic flyway for migrating birds and at this time of the year through October many birding groups enjoy the island.

During that first visit we knew that we just had to have a week. We bought a fixed week in June, a float week and later a week in early October. June on BI is great, the summer season is starting and the promise of summer is ahead. "Race Week" falls on our week in June most years and this is a wonderful time to see the most beautiful boats sailing around the island. BI is a very special place, I think it has the best beaches in Rhode Island, it is a fun place to bike ride, hike (25 miles of walking trails) and enjoy fabulous sunsets. The Nature Conservancy named it one of the Last Great Places. One of the things that makes BI so unique is its commitment to preserving open space, approximately 40% of the $6,200 acre island have been preserved. So those of us who enjoy BI now can also enjoy it in the future.

The Neptune House is a wonderful way to enjoy a BI vacation, the units range from studio to two bedroom. Our units are one bedroom but we have stayed in the two bedroom units. The units are well maintained and have been updated. They have full kitchens, living rooms and comfy bedrooms. There is a pool at the resort, BQ grills, a tennis court and some very nice oversized Adirondack chairs to sit in and relax, also movies are available at the desk for children. The Neptune House also trades very well, some of our trades have been to England, Wales, Scotland, Portugal,The Caribbean and many locations in the US including Florida, New Hampshire, Reno, Sedona and last year downtown Boston--the list goes on.

The Neptune House and Block island are truly a wonderful combination and I would highly recommend them both.

We are long-time owners at the Neptune House. If you are not familiar with the island, Block Island is a wonderful small island a few miles off the coast of Rhode Island, and it is what The Nature Conservancy has designated one of the twelve "last great places in the Western Hemisphere." People often think of it as a smaller version of better-known Martha's Vineyard, but the way Martha's Vineyard was 20 - 30 years ago. There are great restaurants, a great social scene in the summer, and a picture-perfect downtown area, but still quiet beaches to be explored, nature trails abound, and the slow pace that comes from island living.

The Neptune House itself is perched on top of a hill about a 1/2 mile from downtown and the ferry, and about 1 mile from State Beach, the largest beach on the island (though there are several other less crowed beaches equally nearby that we prefer...). The Neptune House features the only indoor pool on the island, which is great for rainy days or taking a dip in after a day of exploring. There are two tennis courts (not exactly in U.S. Open condition, but still lots of fun), a game room, plenty of outdoor gas grills for cooking, community-access washer and dryer (bring lots of quarters for these--fresh water on the island is at a premium!), and an unbelievably extensive library of movies that are yours for the watching. There is also a large grassy hill/field in the back that is great for kids to run around on.

The units themselves have all been updated recently, and are well kept, clean, and comfortable. Our two-bedroom has an open livingroom-diningroom-kitchen area. The kitchen has everything we need and is in great shape (refrigerator, stove, microwave, pots, pans, utensils, etc.). Ask at the front desk for extras like a giant lobster pot or a blender for frozen drinks. Note that our unit does not have a dishwasher, so we generally bring a supply of paper plates to cut down a bit on the time spent at the sink! There are picnic tables and chairs on the deck outside each unit, so we eat outside as often as we can in the summer.

We own a week in the summer, and a "floating" shoulder week. We go to Block Island every summer, but often trade the shoulder-season week, and have had fantastic luck in our trading, landing great exchanges to places like Key West or the Dominican Republic in mid- February.

This is a nice resort located close to town. There were beautiful views of the island and the airport. The unit we stayed in was spacious, the kitchen enormous! The patio was pitiful! We enjoyed playing tennis, but they only had one side with a net. The pool was very nice and refreshing, but we missed having a whirlpool with it. We enjoyed the vast array of free movie rentals!

We wished there was more to do on the island. This is a great place to go to relax! There are a lot of beaches to choose from. Biking was great except for the hill you had to climb.

Stayed in a one-bedroom unit in May, 2004. Plenty of room for two people--great view of rolling hills and ocean from 3rd floor. Went swimming in their pool everyday--water temperature consistently comfortable. Helpful staff. Fits in well with overall ambience of Block Island. Going back later this year.

I've stayed here many times over the years in many of the different rooms. They are all decorated very differently in this quaint old Victorian B&B, so 'Block Island', but all - even the studios for 2 - have fully equipped all white gleaming kitchens (including an oven and full size refrig.) Gas grills also make cooking/cleanup easier. Porches and balconies come with every room, and staring at the rolling green hillsides and catching the ocean breezes and wind in your hair when you take a long forgotten bike ride remind you of a time and place long ago-which is what Block Island is, and so loved for. Heated indoor pool and zillions of free movies make you almost wish for a rainy day. My family easily watches 20-30 movies during our week's stay! But it is the staff that sets this tiny resort apart-so informative about Block Island, its history, and seems to know everything about everything and goes well out of their way so you feel part of the family by the time you leave. This resort, and this Island, beats Martha's Vineyard hands down. Which is why my family and I go back and rent year after year.....