Providence Marriott Downtown Review »
On a recent trip to Providence, we stayed in this hotel near downtown Providence. We picked it mostly because of location to Interstate 95, which made it east to access from the airport, but also because we had to travel towards Boston, Newport and Connecticut, which means we could easily get where we needed to go. The only problem is that accessing I-95 North from just about anywhere in downtown Providence can be a major hassle. Doing so from the hotel is even worse.
As to the hotel itself, it's nice. The toiletries are of the fancy sort, an aromatherapy blend that look as if they are from Bath & Body Works. The room was nice, with a king-sized bed overlooking the courtyard area and the pool. Getting to the room from the lobby was a bit of a maze, but there was an exit to the upper parking lot that made this easier. We weren't told that by the desk staff, but we found our way there on our own.
Our first night there we found a martini social in the lobby, though we were told that there would be a seafood appetizer prepared by the person who checked us in. We would have preferred the appetizer (I think), but the martinis were nice. We never went back to the lobby after that first night because of the inconvenient hallway to access it, but I understand that they actually held events each night.
Internet access was obtained through a hardwired connection which is okay, but wireless would have been nicer. It would have been even better if it was free, rather than requiring a $10 per night fee. Another nice surprise was that the rate dropped on Friday and Saturday nights by about one quarter. No idea why, as the hotel seemed to be much busier on the weekend - you would think it would have been priced the other way around.
