Investments holding hospitality woes at bay

Despite the downdraft created by the weakening in the economy and the increase in transportation costs, it appears that the recent investments in the city’s hotels and the improvements to its meeting spaces are buoying the local hospitality industry. Specifically, the city is competing as never before as a vacation destination, a “stay-cation” spot and as a host for business meetings, according to those in the field.

“With the increase of new hotel rooms in the market as well as the upkeep and maintenance of the R.I. Convention Center and the renovations at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, including the connection [between those two properties], it’s allowing Providence to really expand our reach to a new pool of clients and customers that have not been able to consider us before because we simply weren’t able to accommodate the size of groups that we can now,” said Neil Schriever, vice president of sales and services for the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB).

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The hotel-room expansion and rehabilitation has not been insignificant. The 272-room Renaissance Providence Hotel has been open for exactly a year, while the historic Biltmore Hotel downtown recently renovated five luxury guest suites, according to General Manager Michael D. Allen. Under the umbrella of The Procaccianti Group, the Hilton Providence underwent renovations last year, and the Westin Providence – which is connected by a sky-bridge to the Providence Place mall as well as to the convention center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center – expanded with a second tower, which houses 200 additional hotel rooms, bringing its total to 564. These new rooms, in addition to the hotels’ existing convention space, give Providence an edge in competing for both leisure and corporate business, according to Dale Venturini, CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association (RIHTA).

“Competition is tough these days, but we have a great city. … There’s no doubt in my mind that the expansions are paying off and have put us on the map.”

And while Providence is now able to accommodate a larger client base, the competitive advantage it sustains over larger cities – New York and Boston, for example – is its affordability, according to Schriever.

Sam Guedouar, regional director of operations for Procaccianti, concurred, saying that the group’s sales force is working in concert with the PWCVB to make sure that pricing stays competitive, particularly as many customers – including bigger corporations and group business customers – are tightening their belts.

Venturini emphasized the breadth of offerings available to customers, noting that the major facilities present options that cater to various tastes and price ranges. “Each hotel is unique,” she added.

Individual hotels seem to play to not only their unique strengths – such as the brand familiarity and service expectations Guedouar cites when speaking of the Westin, or the historical character Allen invokes with the Biltmore – but they all try to emphasize the strengths of one resource they share: the city itself.

Renaissance General Manager Angelo DePeri said that one way his hotel has held its demand steady is by offering more package deals to attract customers. Allen, too, spoke to this: Spa packages, deals centering around WaterFire and historical tours are some of the Biltmore’s offerings.

PWCVB and RIHTA reps also spoke of a sizeable advertising push in the months ahead. Kristen Adamo, vice president of marketing and communications for the PWCVB, said that, “this summer and fall, we’re targeting leisure visitors within an hour or two drive of Providence. Those people may have flown somewhere or have driven for a few hours to a vacation destination [before], but, because of high gas and economic factors, may be looking a little closer to home.”

Adamo added that the PWCVB has been working with hotels to add packages that pique the interest of certain niche markets, including partnerships with the Rhode Island International Film Festival, gaining press in GLBT publications, and working with the R.I. Sports Council to bring events such as the Amica Ironman 70.3 to Rhode Island. In the meetings and conventions market, the PWCVB has partnered with Baton Rouge, La., Charlotte, N.C., and St. Paul, Minn., to establish the Capital Cities Collection, which “targets busy meeting planners who plan events in different regions of the country,” she said.

Venturini applauded local hotels on their work to comply with “green” standards set forth by the RIHTA and the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, which charts a road map for hospitality and tourism businesses to employ green business practices, according to a RIHTA release. Meeting planners and customers are demanding these sorts of initiatives, she said.

Ralph V. Izzi Jr., marketing communications director for The Procaccianti Group, said he has faith in the company’s investment in the city.

“The Procaccianti Group has made a tremendous investment in Providence, and our efforts are going to continue to bring attention to the city and capitalize on all of the amenities that the city has.” •