It may be the smallest state, but there’s nothing small about the impact that Rhode Island is having on meetings and tourism these days. Within its compact area is just about anything a group could want, including accessibility, value, superb venues, dining, accommodations and outdoor experiences.
Rhode Island’s small size also makes it easy to enjoy everything the state offers, whether it’s historic districts, vibrant ethnic neighborhoods or spectacular seascapes, while based in one location, said Tom Riel, vice president of sales and services for the Providence Warwick CVB.
“We like to say that when you book a city, you book a state,” he said.
Providence
Just 90 minutes south of Boston, Rhode Island’s capital city is emerging as a popular choice for groups seeking reasonable costs and availability in a destination rich in cultural attractions, culinary experiences, top educational institutions and other assets.
“Our city is considered a real value spot in the Northeast right now,” Riel said. “We’re an affordable alternative to Boston and Philadelphia, but what really closes the deal is our walkability and ease of use. There are 2,400 hotel rooms in the immediate vicinity of the convention center, plus about 200 restaurants within a very small footprint.”
One sign of Providence’s rising popularity is a major spurt in its corporate meetings business during the past year, he added.
“We’ve seen regional corporate business grow by about 14 percent, some of it coming from groups who had been meeting in Boston for many years, but who can no longer afford the rates or find the space,” Riel said. “So we’ve had success as a result of Boston’s success.”
Providence’s downtown hotel inventory, which includes a cluster of full-service properties such as the Hotel Providence, Providence Biltmore, Renaissance Providence Hotel, Marriott Providence and the Omni Providence, is expanding in a new direction that will make the city more affordable than ever. A Residence Inn is expected to open across form the convention center in late 2018, while a nearby Homewood Suites is on target to open late next year.
“We have very few limited-service hotels, so this is very exciting for us,” Riel said. “This will allow us to better meet the needs of groups whose attendees have various budgetary needs. We can offer them a wider choice of rates.”
Providence is also expanding its choice of special event venues in the downtown area. Just opened, the WaterFire Arts & Cultural Center is the headquarters for the annual WaterFire festival, a spectacular display of music and torch-lit pageantry that takes place on and along the Moshassuck, the Woonasquatucket, and the Providence rivers during select weekends in spring through fall. Located in a repurposed warehouse, the Arts & Cultural Center is also a venue for art exhibitions and is available for special events accommodating up to 900 people.
Also new is Skyline at Waterplace, a former restaurant converted to event space. Built into the side of a hill in Waterplace Park just north of the convention center, the venue offers elegant indoor and outdoor spaces with prime views of the WaterFire festivities as well as the WBRU Concert Series.
A boost in nonstop air service into Providence is another significant development for the city, according to Riel.
“After the merger of American Airlines with US Airways, American added additional flights into Providence,” he said. “And Southwest is opening up service between Providence and Reagan National in Washington, D.C.”
For many groups meeting in Providence, a highlight is the city’s burgeoning food scene, one that owes a lot to its diverse immigrant population as well as Johnson & Wales University, one of the world’s top culinary schools.
“Over the past decade we’ve built a reputation as a great food town,” Riel said. “A lot of the young chefs studying at Johnson & Wales end up staying on here and starting their own restaurants, so we’ve become a kind of food incubator. It’s great for groups, not only for restaurants, but with catering.”
Among the options for groups are culinary walking tours such as those offered by Savoring Rhode Island, the brainchild of Cindy Salvato, a local chef who leads tours of Federal Hill, Providence’s Italian neighborhood. Salvato takes participants on behind-the-scenes excursions to sample local foods and meet with bakers, pasta makers and chefs along the way.
“It’s not a restaurant tour, but an Italian food and culture tour where we learn about the neighborhood and authentic foods,” she said. “For instance, we learn how to judge good olive oil and balsamic vinegar—what’s real and what’s fake.”
For groups that want to dine at one of Federal Hill’s restaurants, Salvato’s top choices are Massimo, Trattoria Zooma, Siena and Pane a Vino.
“They all serve great food and have separate rooms for groups,” she said.
Warwick
Neighboring Warwick is where Providence’s T.F. Green Airport is located. Just south of Providence, the city of 80,000 residents offers a wide-ranging hotel inventory that includes Crowne Plaza, Sheraton and Radisson properties, as well as the boutique-style NYLO Providence/Warwick.
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“Warwick does a lot of smaller corporate meetings and has a tremendous hotel inventory, including a lot of select-service properties,” Riel said. “It’s also convenient not only to the airport, but it’s convenient to Newport.”
Newport
With its storied mansions, famous harbor, miles of stunning coastline and wealth of great restaurants and event venues, Newport plays a starring role in Rhode Island’s meeting and incentive scene. Downtown Newport offers four meetings-friendly properties—the Hyatt Regency Newport, Newport Marriott, Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, and Hotel Viking—all of which have undergone renovations and upgrades in recent years.
“Newport’s strength is in hosting smaller meetings and conferences of approximately 350 attendees or less,” said Tim Walsh, vice president of sales for Discover Newport. “We can host larger events, but the greatest demand is for smaller groups.”
Along with its downtown meetings properties, Newport also has a wide array of small hotels and inns available for retreats and group buyouts. Among the most upscale choices are Castle Hill Inn, a century-old luxury property on a private 40-acre peninsula, and The Vanderbilt Grace, a 33-room boutique hotel that was once a Gilded Age mansion.
Newport also offers impressive off-site venue choices, including The Bohlin, a new nautical-themed event space at the Newport Yachting Center, where a dockside terrace and adjoining 5,000-square-foot tent with teakwood furniture accommodates up to 500 guests for dinners and receptions. Also new are the Newport Beach House, a multilevel venue with indoor and outdoor deck spaces accommodating up to 600 guests, and the Audrain Automobile Museum, which hosts events among exhibitions of some of the world’s rarest vehicles.
One of the city’s landmark venues, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, recently unveiled a major expansion and renovation that included new interactive features for its history galleries, additional retail space and the acquisition of the nearby Canfield House, an elegant banquet facility seating up to 120 guests for catered functions. Tennis and croquet matches on the Hall of Fame’s historic grass courts are among the many teambuilding options for groups.
Much like Providence, Newport is also a place where groups will find plenty of fine- dining choices as well as culinary tours. Among the latter are customized food tours offered by Newport Hospitality, a local DMC.
“We combine a bit of Newport history with a walking tour; people stop at four or five different restaurants, meeting with the chefs and going into the kitchens to sample mussels cooked with wine or a lobster roll,” said Laurie Stroll, president of Newport Hospitality. “People love talking with the chefs and hearing about how they started their restaurants.”
When asked what he considers an essential Newport experience for visitors, Walsh said it’s anything that takes in the area’s natural landscape.
“The Cliff Walk, Norman Bird Sanctuary and Sachuest Point are the most beautiful hiking trails you will find in New England and are breathtaking in every month of the year,” he said. “And, of course, Newport Harbor. An opportunity to get out on the water in any type of boat is a must-do for visitors from late April through early November. And don’t forget your camera.”
