The Pell-JDV by Hyatt Review

What was the cost?

When I decided on looking for a hotel in and around Newport, RI, I looked exclusively at Hyatt hotels because I was staying with a friend who has Hyatt Globalist status. With his Globalist perks, I enjoy late checkout (4 pm latest guaranteed), free breakfast at places that otherwise had an additional cost and free parking at hotels (when booking an award stay).

When deciding to book points vs. cash, I decided to book with points as the points cost was 18,000 points versus $319 for a cash price. If you book with points, this comes out to be 1.77 cents per point (CPP) valuation. Hyatt points are valued from anywhere in between 1.5 CPP to 3 CPP so you can have peace of mind knowing that your points are being redeemed at a solid rate.

This is also a Category 4 Hyatt, meaning each room starts off at 12,000 points per night and can go up to 18,000 points. Fortunately, you can use a Category 4 certificate at this hotel. You can get a Category 1-4 certificate with the World of Hyatt Credit Card—you receive one each account anniversary date. You can get another certificate when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.

What was the location like?

Being just 10 minutes from Newport, The Pell was a perfect place for me, my friend and my girlfriend to stay. I live in Massachusetts and was looking for a one night getaway that wasn’t too far of a drive.

The Pell being 10 minutes away from Newport was great as you are close to all the shops and restaurants but not too close to be bothered by all the noisiness at night. Thames Street is a storied street in Newport where there are amazing restaurants and cute shops. There’s everything from high-end boutiques and art galleries to souvenir shops.

You are also close to the water, just a 12 minute drive from Newport beach.

An underrated fun thing to do while staying at The Pell is to check out Newport Vineyards that is just a 5 minute drive away. You can walk around in the vineyards and go to the winery inside to grab a drink. They also have a nice little gift shop where you can buy everything from a bottle of wine to some merchandise to take home. My girlfriend got a sweatshirt and a couple bottles of wine.

If you are coming from out of state where you would need to fly, the Providence T.F. Green International Airport is a 40 minute drive to The Pell Hotel.

How was the room itself?

The room was quite nice—it came with two queen beds and lots of space. It was very bright and modern along with an inn-like feel. If you have ever been to Cape Cod in Massachusetts, it felt like you were staying in a cute little cottage there. There was a big screen TV and a spacious bathroom as well. The only downside of the room was that we were on the first floor so we were facing the parking lot looking at the cars.

Any amenities?

The Pell-JDV by Hyatt comes with a variety of amenities. The internet was fast and easy to connect to. There's an on-site seafood/american food restaurant as well as a fitness center. Unfortunately, you can only get free breakfast at The Pell with your Globalist status if you book using a Category 1-4 certificate.

There is also laundry and free parking. The laundry is an underrated perk—the last thing you would want to do is go to a laundromat off-site early in the morning. The free parking is nice as well as not all hotels offer this especially close to a destination like Newport, RI.

What was the service and general experience like?

I very much enjoyed my stay at The Pell. Upon arriving at the hotel the front desk staff were friendly and quite helpful. Entering the lobby felt like a real escape from reality haha. Very high ceilings and lots of white and light blue.

I found it kind of funny that I was staying there because a lot of the people walking around were about 35-50 years old and dressed elegantly. For context, I’m in my 20s and I am not a high roller. If I had to book this hotel with cash, I would not have been able to afford it.

I wasn’t able to see what our room would look like after being cleaned as we only stayed one night. However, I found that our room was in tip-top shape upon entering the room.

$500 Smoking Charge Allegations

If you look at recent reviews of this hotel (August 2025 timeframe), you’ll notice a bunch of 1 star reviews with complaints about faulty smoke detectors. While I did not have any issues myself, it’s certainly strange that this many people are raising complaints about the smoke detectors.

I personally can’t say I’ve ever seen a hotel with this high of proportion of smoking charges alongside negative reviews. Sure, I can understand negative reviews from actual in-room smokers, but this many people?

Something seems a bit off for sure.

If you plan on smoking at all, avoid this property at all costs because it seems like something is triggering the detector.

It seems like even using the hair dryer might trigger the smoke detector, so proceed cautiously when using anything that could generate smoke.

Final Remarks

The Pell is an excellent option for folks looking for a relaxing and coastal stay in New England. As someone who lives in New England but not near the coast, it was a refreshing change of scenery. The Pell can be expensive to book during peak times with cash but it's usually an excellent redemption with points.