Renovated Luxury Inn Hosts Events for Locals and Out-of-Towners Alike

While it is well known that Middletown offers a wide range of hotels and motels for out-of-towners, a luxury inn is now in town. 

Corinna Britton purchased the Villa One Twenty Inn, formerly the Inn at Villa Lawn, at 120 Miantonomi Avenue last January and has since renovated it into a modern, upscale inn that also serves as an event venue for everything from small dinner parties and "murder mystery nights" to on-site weddings and an upcoming Victorian Christmas Feast.

Britton opened for business on July 4 this year after spending about three months renovating the inn.

Britton, who has just relocated to Middletown from London with her two daughters, ages 12 and 15, says she fell in love with this inn because she loved the architecture, but not the décor, which gave her license to make it her own instead of continuing a business someone else had built.

Britton gave the entire inn a facelift by stripping the Victorian décor and giving it a fresh coat of paint both inside and out. Britton says that people walk in the door and ask if she has resurfaced the floors, but she hasn't. She says you can just see them now because there isn't so much else going on in the space.

"Most of it was paint. It was concentrating on the architecture--making the colors, although they're modern--subtle in most of the rooms so that you can concentrate on the architecture because that actually decorates the room in itself," says Britton.

She adds, "I love the architecture. I just wanted everyone to be able to see the workmanship that was actually put into this place and cannot be replaced."

In addition to painting, she removed the ensuite kitchens from the rooms and turned all of the outdated bathrooms and the main kitchen into modern spaces. She kept some of the furnishings in the common areas and upgraded them where necessary, changed out many of the light fixtures, and furnished the six gemstone themed guest rooms with more contemporary furniture.

Britton spent two years looking for just the right spot to move her family and start her latest venture. Having lived most of her life moving around the world in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai, she really wanted somewhere to put down roots for her children. She narrowed it down to Newport and Napa, CA, but ultimately chose the Newport area because she wanted somewhere with plenty of things to keep her children busy while she was busy working, with easy access around the community, and where she could picture herself living for years after her girls go to college.

While Britton was drawn to Newport County because of its history as a resort town, she says the culture here is what really set it apart from other seaside towns. She also loves that so much goes on in the area to draw visitors, such as the various festivals and the mansions, and she is doing her part to learn as much about the history of the area as she can so that she can guide her guests.

It's clear when speaking to Britton that she wants to create a pleasant and serene escape for vacationing couples without breaking the bank. Room rates range from $199 to $279 per night. The entire inn is also available to rent for weddings and special events. Parties of up to 60 people can be accommodated inside the inn and a tent can be set up outside among the well manicured gardens for larger groups.

Britton is also happy to cater to smaller dinner parties as well.

In addition to accommodations and function space, Britton has a full schedule of events in which locals can take part. Britton has organized a series of murder mystery events, is playing host to the Singles Night series by Newport Cooks!, and has a Victorian Christmas Feast and a New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Ball planned.

She also is happy to accommodate people for an English Afternoon Tea, a Pimms Cocktail and Canape Hour or cooking classes.

For more information on the inn and a schedule of events, visit www.villaonetwenty.com.