Of the three Marriott-brand hotels in Providence, Courtyard is the most basic, and it blends into its downtown location so completely that you almost could walk by and not realize that there's a hotel there. The building is low-slung and built of yellow brick to look like an extension of the historic train station building (now offices) overlooking Kennedy Plaza in the heart of the city.As it was undergoing repairs and renovations, Courtyard probably wasn't looking its best on the Friday in March when Retired Guy and I did our unofficial tour of downtown hotels. A strong odor from cleaning agents that had been used on the carpets permeated the lobby and the rest of the hotel, including the $129 room we were shown.
There were some signs of wear and tear around, such as scratches in the elevator walls, but it looked as if the hotel was in the process of addressing them.
On the plus side, Courtyard's room price was $30 cheaper than the going rate that day for similar rooms in other downtown hotels. Like its rooms, the hotel's lobby is decorated in functional mid-century modern style.Overall, Courtyard looked like a place to spend the night rather than a destination hotel.
Our Rhode Island Explorer downtown hotel survey finally done, RG and I reflected upon the six hotels we'd seen.
Certainly, there was no shortage of hotel rooms in downtown Providence that Friday night, and we could have stayed in any one of them without a reservation and probably at a considerably cheaper price than we were quoted had we chosen to negotiate. Interestingly, from the most deluxe to the most basic hotels, the room prices we found varied only by about $40. We might have chosen to stay at the Westin for $169, the Hilton for $149, Courtyard for $129, or the Hotel Providence, the Renaissance, or in a Biltmore suite — all for $159.
I remarked to RG that if I were to choose, I guess I'd either go by location and choose the Hilton, because of its accessibility to Atwells Avenue and downtown, or the Biltmore because of its vintage style. What about him?
"They all look pretty much the same to me," he said. "Let's go home!"
