Providence Biltmore
| Providence Biltmore | |
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| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Location | 11 Dorrance Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, United States |
| Completed | June 6, 1922 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 220 ft (67 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 18 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Warren & Wetmore |
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Providence-Biltmore Hotel
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| Location | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Coordinates | 41°49′27″N 71°24′49″W / 41.82417°N 71.41361°WCoordinates: 41°49′27″N 71°24′49″W / 41.82417°N 71.41361°W |
| Built | 1922 |
| Architect | Warren & Whetmore |
| Architectural style | Federal, Beaux Arts |
| Part of | Downtown Providence Historic District (#84001967) |
| NRHP Reference # | 77000005 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 27, 1977 |
| Designated CP | February 10, 1984 |
The Providence Biltmore Hotel is an upscale hotel that opened in 1922 as part of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels chain. It is located on the southern corner of Kennedy Plaza at 11 Dorrance Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Biltmore was constructed by the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels chain, founded by John McEntee Bowman and Louis Wallick. It was built in the neo-Federal Beaux-arts style and designed by the architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore, who also designed Grand Central Terminal. The hotel opened on June 6, 1922, and was the second-tallest building in the city after the Rhode Island State House, until the Industrial Trust Tower was finished six years later. Today, the Biltmore is the 9th-tallest building in the city.
The hotel was bought by Sheraton Hotels in 1947 and renamed the Sheraton-Biltmore Hotel. Providence was inundated by Hurricane Carol in 1954, and much of the lobby of the Sheraton-Biltmore was underwater; a plaque commemorates the high water mark today, eight feet up on lobby columns. Sheraton sold the hotel in 1968 and it regained its original name.
In 1975, the Biltmore closed and remained vacant for four years. At one point, it was facing demolition; Mayor Buddy Cianci helped with efforts to designate the hotel a landmark. A group of local businesses implemented Federal tax credits to rehabilitate the building, reopening it in 1979 as the Biltmore Plaza Hotel. The Biltmore's external glass elevator was added during this rehabilitation, and serves all 18 floors of the hotel. In 1983, it was acquired by Dunfey Hotels, and renamed Biltmore Plaza, A Dunfey Hotel. Soon after, Dunfey's owner, Aer Lingus, purchased the Omni Hotels chain. They renamed the hotel the Omni Biltmore Hotel. The hotel was later sold to the Grand Heritage Hotels chain, becoming the Providence Biltmore. The hotel was sold out of receivership on May 31, 2012 to Finard Coventry Hotel Management, for $16 million. Finard Coventry invested a further $10 million in renovations, and the hotel joined Curio - A Collection by Hilton, on December 16, 2014.
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