Rhode Island remains second in the New England region for hotel occupancy rates and has seen a 6 percent revenue per room growth for 2012 so far, according to numbers from Smith Travel Research presented at Wednesday’s hospitality industry outlook summit. more

One year after sounding alarms that it was teetering on the brink of insolvency, WaterFire Providence reports that it has surmounted past issues and is looking to resurrect plans to consolidate operations in a single location. more

Rachael Wright had culinary training, a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and a dream of putting her education to work. After a couple of years waiting tables and trying to launch her career, Wright finally went where the jobs are: quick-service food. more

When HP Hood, the dairy company based in Lynnfield, Mass., started looking to relocate its annual amateur cooking competition from Portland, Maine, after three years there, there were lots of reasons to consider Providence. more

The Procaccianti Group has agreed to sell the Westin Providence Hotel to Omni Hotels & Resorts in a deal that is expected to close in December. more

My interest in the Italian food-and-wine cultural exchange that was held in Providence early in October was piqued when an interview guest brought it up on my radio show. more

When Nora Alexander was a student at Rhode Island School of Design 10 years ago, the only things that routinely drew her and her classmates into downtown Providence were live music and “dive” bars. more

Often a challenging and even intimidating part of dining out is reading a restaurant’s wine list. Selecting the right wine to accompany a great meal should be, and for the most part is, one of life’s pleasures. We are fortunate to have some excellent wine experts at our local restaurants and in the beverage industry in the state. more

With Connecticut’s casinos struggling and competition from Massachusetts on the way, Rhode Island gambling opponents say the state should cash in its chips on gaming revenue. more

Like many Rhode Island businesses, The NYLO Providence/Warwick Hotel has learned from the string of storms that have caused flooding, power outages and other damage in recent years. This year the Warwick hotel posted warnings, including the one pictured above, cleared and sandbagged its deck and put in place an emergency-communication system for guests that included evacuation plans. Staff members also stayed in rooms there to limit unnecessary travel. more