The online magazine of travel, life, dining, and entertainment for people who love Rhode Island
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Rhode Island Roads
The online magazine of travel, life, dining, and entertainment for people who love Rhode Island |
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Providence’s Second Phase of Urban Renewal Includes Nearly 600 Additional Hotel Rooms
By Kristen Adamo
In the early 1990s, Providence, RI became the darling of urban planners with its remarkable metamorphosis from a gritty industrial city to a sophisticated urban center. Now, Providence is poised for a second wave of revitalization, including several new hotels that will account for nearly 600 additional hotel rooms.
“Because the Westin is connected to the Rhode Island Convention Center, the development of additional rooms will allow us to conveniently accommodate larger meetings and conventions,” said Neil Schriever, vice president of sales for the PWCVB. “Currently, there are 1,200 hotel rooms within walking distance of the Convention Center. The addition to the Westin, coupled other downtown hotel projects, gives Providence the opportunity to book larger conventions in 2006 and beyond.”
At the rear of the hotel property, in a separate building, is Villa Toscana, which features private courtyards, romantic balconies, and a two-floor suite that includes two mosaic-tiled bathrooms, a sunken tub, a living room with a fireplace, and a commercial kitchen/dining room with an open-floor plan, large enough for private parties.
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The first new property to open is The Hotel Providence, a European-style small luxury hotel in the heart of downtown Providence’s burgeoning Arts and Entertainment District. The hotel, which formally opened in late February, features 80 elegantly appointed guest rooms, including 19 suites. The Hotel Providence was originally two buildings, one of which served as Westminster Hotel in 1892. Much of the historical detail, including a grand staircase, cast-iron columns and coffered ceiling in the ballroom, has been restored. Its signature restaurant is L’Epicurio, a local landmark with a national reputation, that has relocated from another location to the hotel.
Several large-scale hotel projects are also in the works. Plans were recently finalized for the development of a second tower for the current Westin Providence Hotel. The Westin, which now includes 374 rooms, will gain another 200 rooms in the addition.
Another significant hotel construction project is the rehabilitation a former Masonic Temple by Sage Hospitality Resources, a hotel management and development firm. The temple was partially built by the Scottish Rite Freemasons in the late 1920s and the project abandoned during the depression. Sage plans to renovate the structureas a “certified historic rehabilitation” in accordance with preservation guidelines established by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. The proposed four-star luxury hotel will be called the Renaissance Providence Hotel and is scheduled to open in late summer of 2006. The hotelwill feature 274 guest-rooms, 10,000 square feet of ballroom andmeeting space and a ground-floor destination restaurant and lounge.
On a smaller scale, Dolce Villa – the much-anticipated boutique hotel on DePasquale Plaza in Providence’s Historic Federal Hill – has recently opened. Dolce Villa features a lemon-yellow exterior with Mediterranean-style architecture including balconies that overlook the busy plaza, similar to the beautiful hillside hotels in Positano, Italy. The ultramodern hotel boasts a completely white-on-white color scheme throughout the 14-suite property.
