Katie's home was a comfortable place to park our family of four for a week. It's attractively decorated, fairly spacious and invites relaxation, especially sitting on the deck with a water view. The bed in the primary bedroom was extremely comfortable and having A/C in the house was a definite plus for several days. The home is in a friendly neighborhood that's quiet most of the time. Walking down the street to the water to watch the sunset should be a must-do at least once.
Portsmouth is roughly between Providence and Newport, which is about a half hour away and where we spent a lot of our time. However, Portsmouth is actually where the Newport Polo matches are, if you partake (we did) and home to a Rail Explorers ride on the rails. There are also some good nearby restaurants, including Dashing Dan's, Gulf Stream Grille and Schultzy's Snack Shack.
By being in Portsmouth, you get more for your money if you don't mind the 11-mile sojourn to Newport. We found Katie's home to be a good value for what we paid.
That said, we were disappointed to find out the hard way that the barbecue was broken. It would have been good to have known that or to have had it fixed or replaced.
Also, some basic items you come to expect in any house rental, especially one at this level, were missing, including tissues and napkins. Also, if you plan to go to the beach, bring your own towels, chair and blankets. There was only one bath towel available per person and one hand towel for the main bathroom. These items aren't ones that should you dissuade you from renting--as the house is otherwise well-kept--but ones to be aware of or to communicate with Katie about prior to arrival.