PROVIDENCE BILTMORE

The 'Providence Biltmore Hotel' is a luxury hotel that opened in 1922 as part of the Biltmore Hotel chain. It was founded by John McEntee Bowman and Louis Wallick. The Biltmore closed in 1975 and remained out of use until a group of local businesses implemented Federal tax credits to rehabilitate the building, reopening it in 1979. Today, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently owned by Grand Heritage Hotels.
The Biltmore's external glass elevator climbs all 18 floors of the hotel. The elevator was not part of the original building.
Built in the neo-Federal Beaux-arts style and designed by the architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore (who also designed Grand Central Station), the Biltmore was the tallest building in the city until the Industrial Trust CO was finished six years later.^[1] Today (as of 2007), the Biltmore is the 9th-tallest building in the city.
The hotel was originally built with 600 rooms. Later, walls were knocked down and suites were created. The hotel offers over 100 junior suites, the most in Providence. The hotel currently contains one restaurant, Mccormick & Schmicks, a seafood restaurant which features a fresh menu daily. There is also the exclusive Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa. The hotel also has a gift shop and flower shop.
In 1954, when Providence was inundated by Hurricane Carol, much of the lobby of the Biltmore was underwater. Today, a plaque, high up on lobby columns, commemorates the high water mark.^[2]
The hotel contains banquet space of over 19,000 feet². With a Grand Ballroom on the rooftop level that can hold up to 750, it contains space for functions such as wedding receptions or conferences. The hotel also has a Garden Room with a terrace.
For 71 years (until the Westin Hotel was completed in 1993), it was the tallest and largest hotel in Providence, Rhode Island.

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External links

References

External links

★ Providence Biltmore history

★ Omni Biltmore Hotel on emporis.com

References

1. Woodward, Wm McKenzie. Guide to Providence Architecture. '' 1st ed. United States: 2003. ISBN 0-9742847-0-x. p99.
2. http://www.providencebiltmore.com/history.htm