Marlen Scalzi's father, Len, was Hotel Viking's general manager. Now 74, she has watched the hotel complete a multimillion-dollar redesign timed to its 100th birthday.
Scalzi's father, Len Scalzi, served as Hotel Viking's general manager from the end of World War II until 1970, according to pbn.com. His daughter grew up a few floors above the lobby, in a two-bedroom apartment she and her family called home until 1972. That same space is now the Kingscote Suite, overlooking Bellevue Avenue and the hotel's new restaurant Pescadou, a detail the Boston Globe reported as part of its look back at Scalzi's childhood there.
A Childhood Staffed by Bellmen and Room Service
Growing up in a working hotel came with perks that few eight-year-olds could imagine. Per the Globe's reporting, Scalzi received room-service meals and housekeeping service for her family's linens throughout her childhood, and a Hotel Viking bellman would pick her up from the bus stop in the afternoons. Hotel dining and service were part of her childhood routine.
The Newport Folk and Jazz festivals began in the 1950s. Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary taught Scalzi to play guitar as a little girl, a memory also noted by wickedlocal.com.
A Wedding in Newport
John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier married at St. Mary's Church in Newport.
Scalzi worked at Hotel Viking as director of sales and marketing, a role she held in 2007, according to pbn.com.
Inside the Centennial Makeover
The hotel Scalzi remembers from childhood closed in September 2025 and stayed shuttered until reopening in spring 2026, timed to coincide with its 100th anniversary, according to Turn to 10. Before it closed, more than 100 employees were laid off, though hotel officials said they encouraged staff to reapply once the property reopened.
KHP Capital Partners led the renovation. The firm acquired the hotel and had raised commitments for a $300 million real estate fund, Hotel Management Network reported, noting the Hotel Viking purchase was completed on April 17 as the fund's third investment. The redesign debuted in May 2026 with new rooms, suites, meeting and event spaces, public areas, and four culinary concepts — Pescadou, Cap Club, Skoal Room, and Tuck Shop, according to HOTELSMag.com. Pescadou is a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant, while the Skoal Room is a new cocktail lounge.
HOTELSMag.com reports 208 guestrooms and suites for the renovated property. PBN's 209-room count describes the hotel in 2007. The renovated Spa Fjör now offers individualized treatments, a fitness center, an indoor pool, an infrared sauna, and a Himalayan sea salt wall, per the same HOTELSMag.com report, and the property also includes more than 13,000 square feet of flexible event space, with the Viking Ballroom able to hold up to 400 guests. Elsewhere in the hotel, guests will find a preppy artisan coffee cafe and a retro yacht club-inspired rooftop bar, according to the Globe.
What Survived the Renovation
Despite the overhaul, the hotel's main-building layout remains somewhat similar to its 1926 footprint, and the lobby still contains the original 1926 brass letters box and key box, a detail Scalzi has said she appreciates. Hotel Viking marked its centennial in May 2026 with a celebration that included a declaration from Newport Mayor Charlie Holder, cocktails, canapés, and a performance by the band Deer Tick, per the Globe's account.
Scalzi's old family apartment, now the Kingscote Suite, charges rates starting at $1,323 for a weekend night and more than $1,792 during peak summer, with a two-night minimum. The redesign added modern amenities while seeking to preserve the hotel's character. Nearby properties including the Newport Hyatt Regency Hotel and Spa, the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, and the Newport Marriott have invested in renovations over time. PBN reported in 2007 that the Newport Marriott had spent $14 million on guest rooms in 2006 and that the Newport Hyatt planned to spend at least $23 million renovating 264 rooms in November 2007.
