My husband and I stayed at the Renaissance for two nights last weekend for a Providence College reunion and were amazed by the luxurious feel of the hotel. We paid $170 a night at a AAA rate. Having been to the city many times before, we had no difficulty locating the hotel and the well laid out valet parking station. The outside of the hotel is grand and not at all the appearance of a standard Marriott, valets were attentive,courteous and plentiful with staff holding doors and offering assistance at every step.
Check in was equally quick and easy, we were greeted warmly and told that friends were waiting for us in the attached Temple restaurant and bar. Staff was accomodating about assigning us a room 3 doors down from our friends. We stayed in room 902 which was located immed off the elevator lobby on the 9th floor.
We heard no elevator or hallway noise at any point during our stay due to substantial doors and the unique layout of the room. Our room was situated with a large square foyer area containing a closet (we later found that the same closet held a luggage stand and opened also into the bathroom!).
Off to an angle was a small hallway leading to the hotel room proper. Built into the angle was a tidy bar with a concealed refrigerator and laptop-accomodating safe. A coffeemaker and lovely selection of teas and coffees as well as a list of available snacks for stocking the fridge (no bargains among them) sat on the counter.
The 2 Queen bed room was large and attractive with bold but well thought out colors. Beds had soft mattresses, 2 fluffy pillows each, quality linens and soft duvets. A small sitting area in front of the window (non-opening, no capitol view) held a large laptop desk with multiple internet and power outlet options, lamp and pull out work surface and 2 comfortable chairs. Blackout drapes were effective as well as attractive. Large flat panel TV with HDTV was placed on a chest of drawers immediately before beds. Nightstand held an alarm clock and lamp with handy electrical outlets for charging cellphones, etc.
The bathroom was just beautiful, spacious and clean. We loved the pass through closet which made it easy to access clothing from the bathroom for dressing. Bathtub was large enough for soaking and hot water was readily available.
Our only complaints were:
-Low water pressure - annoying but not terrible.
-At 5 pm the second day, after being out all day, we found that housekeeping had not yet come to refresh the room. When they did arrive a few minutes later, they were unwilling to give us 5 minutes to use the bathroom and get out of their way - the housekeeper looked at her watch and insisted that they start immediately, while my husband was in the bathroom!
-The biggest problem we had: the room was extremely warm and we were unable to regulate the temperature. It was 79 degrees on the digital thermostat when we arrived and although we set the air conditioning to 60, it never came down below 76 all night. The second day, we mentioned the problem to the front desk who speedily remedied the situation with a visit from the engineer. The room was a cool 65 in no time and maintained that temperature throughout the rest of the stay.
Check out was easy via the remote control - valet took about 20 min to retrieve our car although we had called down ahead. During our stay, we had drinks in the Temple restaurant which we found to be dim, quiet and upscale with very upscale prices. Service and quality of drinks was average. We walked to Waterfire and the Providence Place Mall with moderate effort rather than looking for parking in the city and found it easy to navigate and safe enough.
All in all, it was a lovely and romantic getaway for two adults who left the kids with grandma!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Other