I will be escorting my daughter to Providence to take a look at the Brown/RISD campuses. I would like to stay very close to the universities to give her a feel for college life in the area. I need accomodations for one night. Any specific suggestions? I have already looked at Fodors list and the posts on the chat line. Brown's Inn is booked and the school gave me the Radisson but it does not look very inviting. Thanks

There's a new Westin downtown attached to the Providence Place shopping center. It's easily the best in town and a very short trip over to Brown (about a half mile or so). There's a new Courtyard adjacent to the Westin.

Agree with Mr. Turner. The 3 major hotels in downtown are very close to each other and they are all a short drive/walk ( up the hill) to RISD and Brown. The Westin, the Biltmore and the new Courtyard Marriott are the choices that you should pick from. They are all in a good location and have easy access to the new Providence Place Mall and a wide variety of fabulous restaurants. The Radisson is not a good location and neither is the Marriott. You can't go wrong with any of the above 3 choices.

I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott (don't confuse with regular Marrriott -bad location) and highly recommend it. Large, clean rooms and really good prices. Convenient to everything.

Enjoy Providence - it's hard not to.

Double check me, but the Holiday Inn is close to Brown (from memory, within a mile). I stayed there in November of 2002, and on a scale of 1 to 10, I rate it a 7. It was clean and within walking distance to Federal Hill. The price was around $100 a night, and while it was beside I95, I found it quiet.

Holiday Inn Downtown
21 Atwells Ave
(401)831-3900

The Westin is a much classier place though.

Mike Honeycutt

Yes, the Holiday Inn may be a better deal, however, I didn't mention it because of the seedy crowd that hangs out there at night. I would not walk out in this area at nite.

I was only there for several days, but I walk to the mall and to Federal Hill at night. I never saw anything that looked questionable.

Mike Honeycutt

The Old Court B&B (401) 751-2002 is *much* closer and *much* more charming than any of the commercial hotels previously suggested.