More about Renaissance Providence Hotel
THE PLACE TO STAY: Beautiful boutique hotel in great historic building
by TripAdvisor Member kennethwalker
I enjoyed a wonderful stay at the Renaissance Providence Oct 20, 2007, after two disappointing nights at the Westin Providence. The Renaissance Providence rivals the best Kimptons-with well designed rooms and baths with fun decor in great historic building-in this case a Masonic Temple that was empty for years. Everything is brand new and beautiful, having just opened in June 2007. Front desk staff were extremely helpful and courteous, and airline boarding pass printing kiosk is nice (free) amenity. Ask for upper floor (9th) with state house view (915 was just fine). Temple Restaurant also recommended. Photos of graffiti from building's history and graffiti themed art nice touch. DEFINATELY THE PLACE TO STAY IN PROVIDENCE. If you want to know WHY NOT to stay at the Westin read my review.
A Unique Providence Hotel Experience
by TripAdvisor Member ocGlobetraveler
The Renaissance Providence is a fantastic new addition to the city, and one that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting.
The hotel itself is a modern revival of what was once a Masonic Temple. Having stayed at other historic conversion properties, I can tell you first hand that the Renaissance has done a spectacular job of blending the history of the building with the functionality of a new hotel.
The location is quite central, just steps away from the Rhode Island State Capitol, and adjacent to the main city mall. Although only a short walk from most attractions in Providence, some may feel it's somewhat remote. I however enjoyed the fact that it was conveniently located, yet still a bit removed from the traffic and congestion.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed by a friendly staff, and a hotel that is clearly celebrating its history, yet very new in feel. The lobby has been tastefully decorated, with a contemporary motif throughout.
We reserved a standard category room, which was impressive by Renaissance standards. The rooms reflect that of Ritz-Carlton quality, with extremely comfortable beds, bedding and furnishings. The bathrooms were large, and featured excellent amenities. Despite the building's age, you feel as though you're in a brand new hotel from top to bottom.
The rooms afford great space to work, and wireless internet is complimentary throughout the hotel, which was a nice perk. A fully functional business center is also available for copies, internet and faxing.
Providence is a quaint town, and turning into a wonderful New England city destination. The Renaissance is probably the best place to stay given its location, newness, comfort and service. We did consider the Westin, but understand that it's somewhat older, and is more generic in style.
On my next visit to Providence, leisure or business, I will certainly choose the Renaissance.
Classy and Kid Friendly
by TripAdvisor Member SouthJerseyCrew
We were trying to get the Westin in Providence via Priceline, but to our surprise, we got the Renaissance instead. Boy were we happy! My wife and I were travelling with our 7 children, and had a great time at the hotel. Even the kids enjoyed the glamour of the place, as well as the small touches, from the titles of the staff, to the stunning bathroom, etc. We were there for the grand opening, and the kids were treated to caricatures by the great Michelangelo and the great Da Vinci. The only down side was the valet parking, and when they lost all our keys, and we were stuck till a locksmith got us in. But even that was handled with great aplomb, and they were extremely accomodating under the circumstances. We highly recommend this hotel, even for large families with children.
Needs impovement
by TripAdvisor Member ak1978Boston
I stayed there recently and while it is a nice hotel, there is much room for improvement. Service could be better. It was an okay experience, nothing fantastic. I don't think I will return.
rating renaissance #1!
by TripAdvisor Member PamSNiskayuna
My husband and I stayed at the Renaissance for one night while visiting my mother in Providence. While there were a few glitches during our visit we were so impressed by how well they were taken care of! We had been told internet access would be free rather than the $9.95 charge that was advertised in the information book in the room--when we received our bill, there was a charge for $10.95! All it took was a mention to the desk clerk to have the charge removed. Our room safe worked too well--after I stored my laptop in it, it would not reopen! The front desk sent up an engineer to take a look at it; he was extremely friendly and eventually was able to reopen it (it needed new batteries). On the morning of departure, I took a shower at 8:00--the water never got hotter than lukewarm though my husband was able to experience a hot shower an hour later. When I mentioned the water situation to the front desk clerk at check-out, she took $50 off of the bill (without being asked) and apologized profusely for the inconvenience.
Add in the friendly attitudes of every staff member we encountered and the fun details within the beautiful decor and we have a hotel that will become our place to stay every time we are in Providence!
Renaissance at an old Masonic Temple !
by TripAdvisor Member walhala
This hotel is adjacent to the Statehouse and within a short walk of the Providence Convention Center. The brochure states that it was an unfinished Masonic Temple. Apparently, work on the Temple started in the late 1920s, but the Great Depression caused the investors to pull out, and it was "graffitti-haven" for the next nearly 80 years until it became this hotel !
1. The staff were uniformly friendly, with "can-do" attitudes, ready smiles, and boundless enthusiasm for the hotel and for Providence which, too, hahs undergone a renaissance.
2. The room was smaller than expected given the imposing edifice it was in, but it was more than adequate for two people. The bed was very comfortable. There was free wireless and wired internet service in the room. The decor - ? masonic themes seemed to predominate. Our room was decorated in hues of red, gold and blue - a bit wearing a times. The bathroom was excellent - especially the shower which was very roomy with a frameless glass door.
3. Room service - friendly and efficient. We had a slight contretemps on the first day when we returned in the evening and found that the room ahd not been cleaned and the breakfast tray was still in the room. But a phone call to housekeeping resolved the issue. Later that evening, we returned to a beautifully cleaned room , a note of apology, and a fruit/cheese plate with a half bottle of wine. We were definitely impressed !
4. Parking - valet for $25 per night. Somewhat steep for Providence, but very convenient. An alternative might be to park at Providence Place mall (we did not try it), or on the street if one planned to leave early in the morning before the meters become operative.
5. Restaurant - we did not try it. The concierge drscribed it as "not your typical hotel restaurant; more edgy and interesting..."
All told, our stay was very comfortable and pleasant. It is definitely a cut above the old Providence Marriott.
Above and Beyond.....
by TripAdvisor Member heythere007
This hotel was more than amazing. The two girls at check in were polite and very helpful more so than any other hotel i have been to. Also We checked in close to ten so by time we were ready to eat a few hours later, it was only a very limited menu(not very impressive for such a wonderful and upscale property), but the overnight girl who took our order and delivered our food was very accommodating. She worked with us to help us find something we wanted to eat and was still available at that hour. She went as far as to making a PBJ sandwich for our son and bringing him up a bowl of grapes free of charge because he disliked the sandwich options. The breakfast was a bit pricey, but overall good. The decor was magnificant although i agree with others that the bathrooms are a little loud for my taste. Whenever we travel to rhode island, we will be staying there again due to the wondeful staff.
Issues with Valet and Customer Service
by TripAdvisor Member Alain789
First let me say that the hotel itself is beautiful. The hotel is walking distance to Providence Place Mall, Amtrak train station, and many nice restaurants. The Temple Downtown Restaurant/Lounge inside the hotel is a busy scene on the weekends. The restaurant food was above average.
The guest room was large and the bed was extremely comfortable. The guest room also has a large flat screen t.v. and the fitness center is nice.
Now for the bad... The shower goes from ice cold to scalding hot without warning. The valet service is an inconvenience if you are coming and going alot. Valet is $25.00 a day, not including tips everytime they retreive your car. There is no other parking option. My biggest complaint is that the valet gave my rental car to another hotel guest who apparently had the same make and model car. Although they offered me complimentary dinner in the hotel restaurant and a free day of valet service,alas, this gesture was ruined when they decided AFTER my meal was completed that dinner only included an entree (not sides or dessert). After requesting to speak with a manager, it was decided that my entire meal would be covered. Unfortunately, this only added to the stress of the evening which was spent wondering if my rental car would be returned undamaged (if at all). Upon checkout, I discovered that the free day of valet was not given and I had to request that it be removed from my bill. The charge was removed, but not without some eye rolling and mumbles from the hotel staff. Customer service and experienced staff/management seem to be lacking at this hotel. So much for a stress free weekend getaway!
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