PROVIDENCE BILTMORE HOTEL

By Trip Tutorial User from Seattle, WA • Disappointing & not worth it

Overall Rating: 2   

My fiance and I, and our families all stayed at the Biltmore for our wedding weekend. Never again. One thing after another went wrong, despite the very friendly staff.
Reservation and rate info differed depending on whether you talked to someone on the phone, the Internet, or in person.
The rooms were downright scary - when my fiance and I arrived a day early to preview the suites ... [more]we had reserved for our families to make sure they were OK, the ones we saw on the 5th floor were dismal, had chipped/peeling paint, holes in the wall, a strange smell, and a decidedly inelegant and non-sumptuous feel that was anything but the "richly appointed and luxurious" feel that the Web site promised. In fact, I told the front desk person that I felt like Jack Nicholson was going to jump out at me any moment and chase me down the collapsing hallway or that I might discover the body of a dead president gone missing under the bed. When our families arrived, they were informed that the air conditioning was broken so their "suites" were stuffy and muggy.
My sister-in-law and my mother-in-law had made 2-day appointments at the spa and then were told only after the first day's appointments were paid for, that their appointments for the next day were for some reason canceled and unavailable.
Dinner in the hotel? Save yourself while you can. Service was generally quite good, but the food was oversauced, with little evidence of seafood that didn't look like it was first chewed by someone (or something) else, burnt burgers (c'mon - it's just a hamburger!), insects in the water and no water refills, very little bread, and French Onion soup that tasted like it had been distilled to the potency of the Dead Sea. Then, the next morning, we noticed that the hallways had big bags of what seemed like rubbish and laundry dumped into the corners.
At that point, I felt more like I was at Motel 6 but being ripped off at very un-motel-like prices.
There were very few other guests in the restaurant and the hotel, so we didn't even have the excuse of a crowded venue to present to our families as an apology for their experience thus far.
Finally, I kept hearing by way of explanation from the staff that "it's an older hotel." I can understand and appreciate the charms that an older hotel has to offer, but charming features are quite different from misleading advertising, poor operational capacity, inconsistent information from phone/Internet/in-person reservations staff, and prices that are much "newer" than the various "older hotel" characteristics might warrant.
Perhaps it is possible to get a nice room at the Biltmore, but after all the advance prep and trouble that I went through, I couldn't figure out the secret to getting one. Perhaps at one time the Biltmore was a grand old place, but I'm afraid that it seemed to be just an old place now. The only thing grand about it is the deception. I was thoroughly embarrassed to have been the one to recommend the Biltmore to the wedding party as a special place to stay for the special event - especially as our other friends and relatives who opted to stay at the nearby Westin, the Marriott, and even the Holiday Inn had much better accommodations and experiences. [less]
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By mlisakelley from Phoenix, AZ • Perfect weekend getaway!

Overall Rating: 10   Location [10] • Room [10] • Service [10] • Value [10]

I went to college in Providence. I walked by the Biltmore everyday, and said to myself that one day I would stay there.

This May my dream came true!

The experience could not have been better. It was like a second honeymoon for my Husband and I. We have a 17m old daughter and this was the first time we were able to have a weekend alone since her birth.... [more]r />
We were booked into a king suite with a beautful city view, a flat screen TV (my Husband was in love) and a very nicely appointed sitting room.

The bed was the most comfortable bed we have ever slept upon, and the staff was warm and professional.

We will never stay any where else when we travel back to Providence! [less]
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By • Biltmore Hotel

Overall Rating: 2   

	none
	Very poor service. Will never recommend this hotel.

When my husband and I went to check in ON OUR WEDDING NIGHT...we were told that our room was no longer available. They gave our room away with no notice. We got engaged there and wanted to stay there for our wedding night. I called the manager and wrote a letter and never received a response. I was very disappointed!
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