The long fight over legalizing same-sex marriage in the Ocean State has a host of social, moral, political and even religious consequences that inevitably enflames the debate. more

A survey of nearly 17,500 brides from TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com found that Rhode Island is the fifth most-expensive place in the United States to get married. more

The Westerly-based Ocean House hotel and Oh! Spa earned slots on Forbes Travel Guide’s 2013 Star Awards, Forbes announced Tuesday. more

PROVIDENCE – The Johnson & Wales University Culinary Arts Museum will close for more than year beginning May 20 for a comprehensive inventory, the university announced Monday. The museum will … more

“We’ll take a booth, please.” According to restaurant designers, one of the appeals of booths is that they can create perceived barriers between us and the rest of the diners in the restaurant. A booth can give at least the perception of privacy. The conventional wisdom from the other side of the table is that restaurant guests want to be able to carry on private conversations and enjoy their own personal space, even when they’re out in public. more

“We brought home a silver but it should have been gold,” lamented Joseph Leonardi, executive chef of the Somerset Club in Boston. The competitor was reflecting on a successful performance, but the memory of finishing second overrode his triumph. Leonardi was back at his alma mater, Johnson & Wales University, on Jan. 16 to be honored as a distinguished visiting chef. But what everyone wanted to talk to Leonardi about was his stint as captain of Team USA. The team competed in the Culinary Olympics last summer in Erfurt, Germany, that was held just after those London athletic games, which received just a bit more media coverage. more

Roughly 130 Fulbright Scholar Program participants from across 60 countries will call the city of Providence home for the weekend in a move to create interaction and dialogue with local residents. more

If you want to pamper someone special this Valentine’s Day season, you might consider a weekend in Newport, where one hotel has turned the evening bath into something straight out of a romance novel. more

Providence hotels’ 2012 occupancy rate was higher than the national average and showed a 4.3 percent gain over the city’s 2011 occupancy rate, according to the Smith Travel Research, a global hotel data firm. more

Rhode Island’s seaside offerings, art and cultural activities and preservation of history bring $5 billion a year into state coffers from tourism. A relatively small, but critical, part of Rhode Island’s hospitality industry is the colorful palette of bed-and-breakfasts, said state Tourism Director Mark Brodeur. more