A little less than an hour from Boston’s Logan International Airport, fewer than 10 miles from T.F. Green Airport and convenient to all of the ground transportation options so prevalent in the metro Northeast, Providence, R.I., offers accessibility that won’t burn a hole in the budget.
The meetings market has seen steady recovery since the Great Recession and even smaller-market destinations such as Providence and neighboring Warwick have long been in the upswing. It started slowly, according to Tom Riel, vice president of sales and services at the Providence Warwick CVB, but has since become “a tipping point, with attendance numbers exploding.”
“The Providence/Warwick area’s ease of accessibility is such a strength of the destination,” he says. “That combined with the walkability of the market once you have arrived ensures ease of use, which is second to no other Northeast destination.”
Another significant group draw to Providence is the city’s education presence. As home to a half-dozen institutions of higher education, Providence is able to provide planners with options for guest speakers in a wide range of fields for their events, which is a trend that remains a constant on the Providence meetings scene.
“Many of our groups have reached into departments of local universities for published professors to utilize as speakers within their events,” Riel says. “This is prevalent in education [via] Rhode Island College, healthcare [via] Brown University and hospitality [via] Johnson & Wales University.”
Meeting and event space is also available at some of these institutions. Brown University, for example, has space ranging from conference rooms that can accommodate meetings of up to 20 to its colonial-era University Hall, which seats up to 600 theater-style.
In the vein of education and adding a professorial flair to their event, meeting planners can host a gathering in Providence, which bills itself as a creative and culinary capital, at the Rhode Island School of Design. It’s one of the oldest and best-known schools of art and design around, and it has an auditorium that can be rented to host events of up to 575.
For the big-bill events, the Rhode Island Convention Center in the heart of downtown Providence has 37,000 square feet of meeting space and nearly 300,000 square feet of function space. The convention center is connected to the nearby Providence Palace Mall, the 564-room Omni Providence Hotel and the 14,000-seat Dunkin’ Donuts Center by a skybridge that allows visitors to walk between the properties without ever returning to street level. This complex is located at the confluence of Highway 6 and Interstate 95, and is easily accessible for visitors arriving via Providence Amtrak or T.F. Green Airport in neighboring Warwick. There are 2,200 hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center and nearby downtown restaurants, shopping and attractions allow visitors some lively after-hours experiences.
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“Our compact convention district could literally fit within the footprint of most large convention hotels, while offering the charm of a New England city,” Riel says.
Another—perhaps more uniquely Providence—lodging experience is the historical but faithfully remodeled Providence Biltmore Hotel and Spa, which first opened its doors in 1922. The Biltmore is the area’s only combined hotel and spa and can boast such group offerings as flexible spa times and discounts of up to 20 percent off. While the amenities are plentiful, the location is popular with groups visiting Providence for reasons ranging from business to pleasure. An easy stepping-off point to downtown Providence, the Biltmore can serve as a shining example of a culturally rich lodging option.
“Over the last year and a half they’ve remodeled every single room in the hotel and are currently finishing up the lobby,” says Deb Garman, spa director at the Biltmore. “I think what makes the Biltmore so special is that you have this huge historic building that’s been renovated, but renovated to include the old features so you still get the best of both worlds.”
The Renaissance Providence Hotel has also just completed a similar renovation, updating all its public space, and is slated to complete a full room renovation over the course of this spring and summer. The Renaissance Providence can host up to 500 in its 10,000 square feet of event space dispersed among nine event rooms.
Meanwhile, the European-style luxury Hotel Providence offers 4,250 square feet of meeting space along with 80 guest rooms.
For a day outing or even a smaller-scale meeting, visitors can head over to Providence’s historic East Side, where they will find the Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum, which can host up to 125 for a standing reception or between 60 and 90 for a sit-down dinner. Indoor and outdoor amenities of the 33rd governor of Rhode Island’s home have been faithfully maintained to its historical 19th century origins, and guided tours of the home and museum are offered at a discounted rate for groups of 10 or more.
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Another option for smaller groups looking for bed-and-breakfast lodging is the historic Christopher Dodge House Bed & Breakfast. The three-story brick home was built in 1858 and today features a dozen guest rooms and two meeting rooms that can facilitate both day and night gatherings. The venue is within walking distance of shopping, dining, Brown University and the downtown Providence convention facilities.
Opposite the historic East Side is Providence’s Federal Hill neighborhood, which has been repeatedly recognized as one of the nation’s top dining destinations in a city that’s received the same accolades.
Old World cuisine and ambience are readily available and diners would be missing out without experiencing some of the area’s top draws, such as Costantino’s Ristorante Caffe, which has a wine cellar that’s home to more than 250 wines from all over the world, or Camille’s, one of Providence’s oldest culinary institutions. Camille’s serves up world-class Italian fare and has a bar and lounge that often showcases live entertainment every Friday and Saturday.
Warwick
A short drive south of Providence is Warwick, the coastal town that’s home to Rhode Island’s T.F. Green Airport, where many regional visitors fly into.
Just three miles away, the Rhode Island Green Certified Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings offers planners 44,000 square feet of meeting space and 266 guest rooms. Plus, it can host an outdoor event for up to 2,000. Closer to the airport is the Sheraton Providence Airport Hotel. The property has 9,400 square feet of meeting space and a 3,500-square-foot ballroom.
According to Angela Myatt, development and tourism liaison for the Warwick Tourism, Culture and Development Department, Warwick’s 39 miles of coastline boasts retail and dining venues to enjoy after the workday is complete. Groups, she says, have chosen Warwick as a jumping-off point for conventions and larger meetings held in Providence while enjoying the amenities in the seaside town.
Warwick also offers the more natural counterpoint to neighboring Providence. With plenty of boat mooring space on Narragansett Bay, Warwick boasts more marine services than any other community in Rhode Island. Home to several miles of park and coast land, it’s an ideal option for outdoor recreation and relaxation.
While no convention-size draws are on the bill in Warwick, the small town is home to nearly 20 small hotels and bed-and-breakfast properties, plus just about as many marina and yacht clubs for post-meeting relaxation and waterborne events.
For history and culture, Warwick’s “Gaspee Days” celebration can’t be missed. Fireworks, parades and other events to commemorate the origins of the Revolutionary War occur every summer. These, according to Myatt, can give visitors a unique look into Rhode Island’s place in American History.
The historic mansions don’t end with Providence, either. Warwick has its own less than five miles from T.F. Green Airport in the form of the Aldrich Mansion. The mansion has six group rooms and a theater with a 150-person capacity. The largest of the function space totals 1,270 square feet. Classroom space and a banquet hall can seat 230, all adding up to a premier group venue that gives visitors a taste of the cultural and historical New England flair of the area.
CHRIS TORRES, a former Meetings Focus editor, is a self-proclaimed history nerd who would love to check out some of myriad colonial draws in Providence and Warwick.
