Providence Biltmore, Curio Collection by Hilton

I travel to Providence a few times per year and have been wanting to try this hotel. I am so glad that I finally stayed here so that I know never to book this hotel again. I have stayed at another Graduate Hotel in a different city and had a lovely stay and was so looking forward to trying this hotel. I appreciate historic hotels, but this was downright dated and in need of a renovation. First of all, the hotel's lobby and hallways are dark. There is an "old" smell the minute you walk in the hotel and especially in the hallways. While the room was very spacious with large windows, the lighting in the closet and bathroom was so minimal that you could hardly see. The shower had a chipped shelf, a loose faucet. The shelving was chipped, the hinges on the doors were rusty. There was a second sink that had a faucet so loose, it would spin around. The fitness center had no hand sanitizer and no wipes. The location of the hotel is on the other side of the park and Kennedy Square and it feels a bit unsafe. The "security guard" at the entrance of the hotel was on his phone every time we entered.

Let me start by saying I would definitely choose to stay at this hotel again. Everyone in the family loved it. If I could, I would give it a 4.5 rating. Here's why: if you read the other reviews, you'll see that the hotel did not have the renovation overhaul that most Hilton Graduate hotels undergo before they become Hilton Graduates. Instead, the decor to the hotel was changed. New furniture and wallpaper spruced the place up--making the look of the rooms fun and the lobby very chic. But the bathroom fixtures are from the Providence Biltmore. In our room, everything was in perfect working order. And I found that the bathroom fixtures still looked fine. It's just not a brand spanking new bathroom. The hotel was fun and the staff were GREAT. Super friendly and helpful. So 4.5 because it isn't as amazing facility-wise as other Graduate hotels. But also, not a 4 because it wasn't as expensive for us as other Graduate hotels. As a final note, I will add that this hotel has such a cool history. I really valued that as part of my stay.

See that beautiful lobby with the grand staircase? Behind it is MOLD! MOLD! MOLD! Now, we were only in 4 different rooms, but they all had mold. See the pictures I attached. Did I say MOLD? WAY BENEATH your typical Hilton. We are GOLD members.

This hotel has great potential. It’s historic, quirky and in reasonably good condition. I booked because I’m a Hilton Diamond member and have come to appreciate the perks associated with the loyalty program. Sadly, there’s no lounge, no restaurant or any bar that is associated with the hotel. The onsite restaurant and coffee shop are completely separate and frown at the mention of a “room charge”. The hotel does participates in the daily food & beverage program with a $15 coupon per person per day good only at the coffee shop, Poindexter. They don’t do room charges and they are quick to point out that they don’t offer change back. I tried to use the coupon for a water and orange juice. That was quickly rejected by the lady at the counter. We don’t accept that as payment for those items. I simply walked away. I can’t think of a major hotel brand that doesn’t offer breakfast or has some sort of pantry available for their guests. This hotel offers nothing. After being scolded for trying to use the coupon for water and orange juice I let the hotel know via text and email. No response. They simply don’t care and have no intention of even trying to make an effective working relationship with the onsite businesses. For Hilton, this is a text book example of false advertising. It’s called “my way”. This is as far away as my way as it can get. You have to jump through their hoops and buy what they choose for you or you get nothing. It was a joke. I do not recommend this hotel and will never stay again simply because of how these onsite businesses treated us and how management failed to even respond.

The hotel needs to close and renovate. My first room had black mold in the bathroom and smelled musty. I complained and was moved. At the desk, another couple complained a pipe burst in their room! My new room also smelled moldy and the shower head was coming out of the wall. Wallpaper is peeling, etc. Even the lobby feels damp. The finishes are dated and battered. Graduate Hotel in Princeton, NJ was amazing. Sorry, this isn’t pleasant, possibly unhealthy.