True to that old saying that good things come in small packages, America’s most intimate state is a Yankee maritime classic, with 400 miles of sandy coastline and no part of the state more than a 30-minute drive from the Atlantic Ocean.
There’s some mythology associated with how this mostly mainland state—officially known as “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” and not an island per se—was named. One legend has Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano—his 1524 visit the earliest known from a European—naming the area for its evocation of the Greek island of Rhodes. Another explorer, Adriaen Block, gets the official credit, though; the Dutch navigator called it “Roodt Eylandt” (“Red Island”) after the shoreline’s red clay.
Beyond question, however, is the Ocean State’s prowess as a group and getaway destination. Easily reached by air, rail and road within the span of the Maine to Washington, D.C., corridor, Rhode Island’s principal destinations—Providence, Warwick and Newport—offer myriad maritime and inland assets, including sailing, cliff walking, museums and Gilded Age mansion tours. Delegates, too, have an ever-expanding range of hotel and venue choices, with a host of renovations and upgrades collectively elevating the state’s meetings profile.
Providence
Anybody with lingering 1970s memories of Providence as a town in decline is in for a treat.
Blending historic architecture, buzzing dining and arts scenes and a rejuvenated downtown, Providence is a city transformed. National Geographic Traveler says it best in its December 2008 ode to this former port town: “Visitors’ faith in Rhode Island’s capital city is revived.”
Home to several major universities, including the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Ivy Leaguer Brown University and culinary and hotel industry leader Johnson & Wales, “Renaissance City” takes a hospitality-driven approach to meetings.
An international destination for scientific and medical conferences and within 500 miles of one-quarter of the U.S. population, Providence is highly accessible, and once visitors arrive, it’s a snap to navigate.
“We are an eminently walkable city,” says Kristen Adamo, vice president of marketing for the Providence Warwick CVB. “Once you are here, logistics are incredibly easy and straightforward.”
Indeed, of the 5,500 hotel rooms in over 35 properties in the Greater Providence area, there are 2,050 rooms within walking distance of the Rhode Island Convention Center, including the landmark 291-room Providence Biltmore Hotel and the skywalk-attached, 564-room Westin.
The downtown convention center complex encompasses two multipurpose facilities, the Rhode Island Convention Center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, which recently finished an $80 million renovation. The granite and glass complex features a 100,000-square-foot contiguous exhibition hall, 23 meeting rooms and a 20,000-square-foot ballroom.
New downtown developments include a 110-room Hampton Inn with 2,000 square feet of meeting space. Also in the works is a 142-room aloft property, part of a mixed use renovation project slated for completion in 2010 that includes the 55,000-square-foot Harbor Heritage Museum.
While a small city with a population of only around 175,000, Providence offers the culinary, cultural and intellectual richness of a major metro area, says Neil Schriever, senior vice president of sales at the Providence Warwick CVB.
“We are not just competitive in the New England market,” he says, “but in the entire Northeast.”
Schriever says Providence’s February 2008 inclusion in the branded Capital Cities Collection (www.capi talcitiescollection.com)—a collaborative sales and marketing effort that also includes state capitals Baton Rouge, La.; Raleigh, N.C.; and St. Paul, Minn.—has proven a smart move in these challenging economic times.
“It makes sense fiscally for us to share resources, while providing meeting planners with four different destinations in a simpler, more efficient way,” he says.
The city’s buzzing art scene took a major step forward with the opening this September of the Chace Center. An instant hit, this five-story, 43,000-square-foot addition to the world-class RISD Museum of Art offers retail, public programming, academic classrooms and studio spaces.
The Johnson & Wales Culinary Archives and Museum is worthy of a visit, and gourmands will find a wealth of outstanding seafood and steakhouse choices, along with classic Italian menus in the Federal Hill area, the city’s Little Italy.
Providence’s signature attraction, WaterFire, continues to wow visitors. Created by a Brown University alumnus and artist, this dazzling seasonal (Saturday evenings from May to October) artistic work features 100 floating bonfires marking the convergence of the Providence, Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers.
Also downtown is Waterplace Park. Connected to the charming cobblestoned Venetian-style Riverwalk, the park serves as the stage for special events, festivals and free summer concerts.
Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty to do. Set on 430 green acres, Roger Williams Park is composed of waterways, walkways, a Carousel Village, the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium and the park’s crown jewel, Roger Williams Park Zoo.
Warwick
South of Providence lies the state’s second-largest city, Warwick, offering maritime-themed activities and entertainment choices along its 39 miles of coastline. Before the Great Depression and the Great New England Hurricane of 1938, more millionaires called Warwick their summer home than any other location in the country.
Conveniently located off Interstate 95 and close to T.F. Green Airport—newly renovated and offering more than 160 direct flights via major carriers—Warwick, the “Crossroads of Southern New England,” has a collection of hotels ideal for regional drive-in and smaller meetings.
The two largest meetings properties are the Crowne Plaza at the Crossings and the Radisson Providence Airport.
In September, Warwick opened a Nylo property, featuring 153 urban-chic, loft-style rooms and 1,450 square feet of meeting space.
Just across Narragansett Bay from Warwick, the waterfront town of Bristol is an ideal choice for corporate retreats, with properties such as Bristol Harbor Inn, the central feature of the Thames Street Landing complex, which includes meeting space for 120 people in a restored warehouse.
Newport
Occupying the southern tip of Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay and connected to the mainland by three bridges and a ferry, this historic “City-by-the-Sea” is the true island part of the state.
Founded in 1639 and an important center of trade during the colonial era, Newport would become the playground of American royalty, who began building their colossal “summer cottages” here in the mid-1800s. These fabulous mansions, combined with Newport’s elite sailing history and rich collection of landmark 18th century and 19th century buildings, may suggest an enclave exclusively for the rich, but in reality, “America’s First Resort” is for everybody.
“From colonial buildings to bustling downtown wharves, a sense of place is apparent in every direction,” says Tim Walsh, CMP, vice president of sales at the Newport County CVB. “Ideal for large group meetings, an intimate board retreat or a successful team-building endeavor, our charming seaside city inspires successful meetings and events with a distinctly Newport flair.”
Planners can host meetings in the richly appointed boardrooms of historic hotels or opt for unique meeting spaces, such as the International Tennis Hall of Fame, classic wooden yachts and the Colony House, which was Rhode Island’s first state house.
Through the Preservation Society of Newport County, planners can arrange receptions, galas and other events at several majestic homes overlooking the water, including Rosecliffe, the setting for the 1974 film classic The Great Gatsby.
Newport boasts 950 guest rooms in its five downtown convention hotels, four of were recently renovated, including the Hyatt Regency Newport, which wrapped up a $34 million property-wide upgrade; Newport Marriott; Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina; and Hotel Viking, which completed a $4.8 million renovation and reconfiguration of its 78-room Viking Wing. The famed dormered, roof-top rooms remain true to their original architectural detail, with views of Newport Harbor.
Newport also has a variety of boutique inns and bed-and-breakfast properties that host meetings. Situated on a 40-acre peninsula, Castle Hill Inn & Resort offers the seclusion of a private oceanfront resort. Other waterfront gems include The Chanler at Cliff Walk, Ocean Cliff and The Francis Malbone House, specializing in intimate team-building retreats.
Meanwhile, the former Inn at Newport Beach reopened as the Newport Beach Hotel and Suites following a multimillion-dollar renovation of the original historic hotel and the addition of upscale one- and two-bedroom suites in a separate building. The beachfront property, a member of Historic Hotels of America, accommodates up to 200 people for meetings and retreats.
Groups can enjoy a multitude of activities in Newport, such as harbor tours, golf, wine tastings, Iron Chef-inspired culinary challenges or a croquet tournament on the grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
“For hands-on excitement, Newport offers team-building exercises such as racing vintage 12-meter America’s Cup yachts, ropes courses and rock-climbing, and even lessons on constructing a traditional New England stone wall,” Walsh says.
Formerly Newport’s colonial seaport, Bannister’s Wharf is now the hub of Newport’s harbor-side shopping and dining scene, while just a few miles from downtown, the Green Animals Topiary Garden features the hedge-trimming whimsy of generations of gardeners.
As Walsh says, “there’s plenty to do in a few square miles.”
For More Info
Newport County CVB 401.849.8048 www.gonewport.com
Providence Warwick CVB 401.274.1636 www.goprovidence.com
