The Providence Biltmore Transports You Back in Time

By Ann Binlot Published August 28, 2015

In 1922, Warren and Wetmore, the architects behind Grand Central Station in New York, unveiled a hotel in the heart Providence, Rhode Island. Tourists flocked to it when they headed to the city, and it was also the place to go to for a night out on the town. The Providence Biltmore, which just went through a multi-million dollar renovation, offers 294 guest rooms and suites, with half being over 600 square feet. Design firm Parker-Torres gave the hotel a contemporary feel, while maintaining the traditional elegance of the original rooms. Each room comes with custom-made beds and triple seating, amenities from the Biltmore Spa, a fridge, iHome and more.

Junior-King-Suite-2-header — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re need of relaxation, head to the spa for a massage or a facial. For dinner, dine at the old staple McCormick & Schmick’s, where you know you’ll be able to find a tasty steak and all the fixins you can imagine. For a quick caffeine fix, head to the in-house Starbucks for one of the nicest Starbucks locations in the country.

Recommended Videos

According to the hotel’s there’s a lot going on in the city. “Structures of note include the Rhode Island State House, The Arcade, the John Brown House, and the Meeting House of the First Baptist Church in America (all open to the public year-round), as well as the scores of immaculately preserved Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian houses located throughout the city. Visitors to Providence are also invited to experience the Independence Trail, a 2.5-mile self-guided walking tour that identifies and educates about historic landmarks throughout downtown, including the Providence Biltmore itself.”

So next time you find yourself headed to Providence, head to the Providence Biltmore for a charming stay that transports you back in time.
For more information, visit providencebiltmore.com.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…

Travel

Travel tips and tricks: Dumb mistakes I make every time (but you can avoid)

Travel tips: Do as I say, not as I do. Please.

Seated man with feet propped up on luggage looks longingly out airport window at plane taking off

For over 10 solid years, I’ve been traveling constantly. Over the course of that time on the road, I’ve been to all corners of the world, resided almost exclusively out of Airbnbs and hotels, and — for the most part — lived entirely out of a bag or two nearly every step of the way. The only occasions that involved traveling with more bags were the months of road-tripping, and living out of a car or van isn’t exactly far off from minimalism.

With all that travel experience, you’d think that by now, I’d have the entire process streamlined to perfection and have an extensive list of useful travel tips. But while my travels are certainly less stressful than they used to be, there are a few mistakes that I tend to make again and again — maybe not as frequently as I used to, but they still happen. To that end, here are a few travel tips to keep in mind that will help you avoid these all-too-common mistakes.

Travel

United Airlines’ new boarding process saves time, but may annoy you

What do the United boarding groups mean now?

A passenger scans their boarding pass prior to boarding the plane.

No matter how many new travel hacks emerge on the internet, there’s one aspect of travel that remains an inescapable pain: boarding. Getting dozens (or hundreds) of people into their seats in a timely manner can easily be prolonged by inevitable things like sitting in the wrong seat, putting bags in overhead bins, or standing in the wrong boarding group line. When trying to keep flights on time and customers satisfied, a lengthy boarding process can cause unnecessary delays. United Airlines is looking to minimize these long boarding times with the re-introduction of its WILMA boarding order.

Using this method, passengers board window-to-aisle, which will save an estimated average of two minutes per flight. Ground time runs United around $100 a minute, so every minute saved will create attractive savings across all flights.

Travel

There’s a secret theme park in Arizona (and it will transport you to the past)

Have a yabba-dabba-do time at this theme park in Arizona

Bedrock City theme park in Arizona.

Forget about overcrowded theme parks like Disneyland or LEGOLAND. There are all sorts of cool, weird, and unique theme parks that need to be taken advantage of. If you grew up watching The Flintstones or have a child (or inner child) who is really into dinosaurs, a park in Arizona will transport you right back to the Stone Age. See how to ride with the family down the street to Bedrock City at Raptor Ranch.

Theme parks dedicated to the hit show
There have been a few theme parks across the U.S. bringing the Hanna-Barbera show to life.