Newport, R.I. Mayor Operating Hotel
Without Liquor License

Also Serves as Chair of City’s Licensing Board

By Jordan Bradley

A Newport, Rhode Island hotel operated by its mayor—who also chairs the city’s licensing board—has been selling alcohol without a valid liquor license for nearly two months.

Newly inducted Newport Mayor Charles Holder was appointed the director of hotel operations at the 21-room boutique Gardiner House hotel on Lee’s Wharf in April 2024. The hotel, which was opened in 2023 by Howard Gardiner Cushing’s Bloody Bull, has two beverage programs: the Studio Bar, located in the hotel lobby, and Flora, a restaurant on the second floor.

The Gardiner’s liquor license expired on December 1, 2024, but the property has continued to serve alcohol on the premises in violation of the Rhode Island General Law and City of Newport ordinance, according to a January 14 letter sent by City Manager Colin Kennedy to Holder and the members of the Board of License Commissioners.

The letter noted that the property had failed to receive R.I. Division of Taxation approval and pay daily late fees accrued as a result—two conditions of approval for the license renewal.

“The City Clerk’s Office had made several attempts to contact the licensee regarding the outstanding issues…” the letter read. “No response has been received to date indicating resolution of the outstanding issues.”

In a January 21 emailed statement to the Boston Globe, Holder said prior to his tenure with the hotel there had been “some errors in accounting, which is unfortunate in a new business.”

It is unclear how much the property owes in fees or on whom the responsibility falls for the hotel’s defunct liquor license.

But in an interview with a local NBC affiliate in which he was asked who should be held accountable for the error, Holder said: “Well first off the hotel, for sure and part of this has to do with me.”

At a January 22 city council meeting wherein Holder recused himself from ruling on the matter, city solicitor Christopher Behan said it is typical for a business’ liquor license to expire and for the city to allow that business to continue to serve alcohol as they iron out license discrepancies.

“After we grant these liquor licenses—in the beginning of December—there are a few license holders each year—three or five or so—who, for any number of reasons, may not have met all the conditions,” Behan said when asked by the council to make a recommendation in the case of Gardiner House. “So in this particular case, they need clearance from the Division of Taxation. They’re working on that. I believe they will have that clearance in a couple of days.”

Holder did not respond to multiple USAE requests for comment by deadline, nor did representatives from the Gardiner House hotel.

The city council moved to continue the hotel’s hearing to the next meeting scheduled for February 12. The hotel is permitted to sell alcohol in the meantime, according to reports.