Rhode Islanders are often teased for their habit of identifying locations by what used to be there, rather than what is there now. So in Rhody-speak, the Hilton hotel is where the Holiday Inn used to be.A few years ago, a big crane removed the Holiday Inn’s familiar orange-daisy logo from the top of the blockish building that overlooks downtown from the beginning of Atwells Avenue, the city’s Italian-flavored “restaurant row.” Along with replacing the daisy with the Hilton sign, the hotel’s new owners spiffed up the interior — updating and improving the lobby, adding a Don Shula’s steak restaurant and a Starbucks, and enlarging the rooms to meet Hilton standard sizes by bumping out the windows.
The transformation was a success, and on our visit to the Providence Hilton Retired Guy and I were impressed both by the new look and by the efficiency of the staff we met.As at all the other hotels we visited, we said that we were looking for a room that night and that we also were scouting for hotels as locations for a daughter’s possible wedding this summer.
We were given a brisk and informative tour by a manager named Scott, who showed us a very comfortable and stylish room that would be available that night for $149. He also laid out the parking arrangement, which none of the reps at the other hotels had done and which in fact we hadn’t thought to ask about. It turns out that all of the downtown hotels charge an additional fee of about $24 per night for parking. (At the Hilton, you have the option to self-park in a lot across the street for $20, and at the Westin, you can self-park in a garage for $17.)
The room had an expansive view of the west side of Providence, and by bumping out the window, the renovation had created a wide marble seat that not only looked inviting but also made the room feel larger.
The bathroom was plain but fine, and there was everything the modern traveler needs in terms of services like WiFi and TV. Scott explained that, like other hotel chains, Hilton has a tiered set of brand names aimed at different kinds of travelers from luxury to economy to business. This one was in the middle — neither the most luxurious, nor the most basic.
Wherever we fall by those corporate-level distinctions, the Hilton suited us just fine, and its location at the intersection of downtown and the Atwells dining scene is ideal for an out-of-towner who wants to get out and explore Providence. The room price was $10 to $20 less than others we’d been quoted thus far for similar rooms downtown, and I like the option to park my own car.
This being the fifth hotel we'd looked at in one afternoon, we were nearly ready to lay down the credit card and actually stay for the night. No rest for the weary, though — there was one more downtown hotel to visit.
Next: Courtyard by Marriott
