Providence Biltmore Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Graduate Providence
Graduate Providence, seen in 2017
General information
Type	Hotel
Location	11 Dorrance Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, United States
Completed	June 6, 1922
Height
Roof	220 ft (67 m)
Technical details
Floor count	18
Design and construction
Architect	Warren & Wetmore
Other information
Number of rooms	294


Providence-Biltmore Hotel
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

Location in Rhode Island Show map of Rhode Island Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Providence, Rhode Island
Built	1922
Architect	Warren & Wetmore
Architectural style	Federal, Beaux Arts
Part of	Downtown Providence Historic District (ID84001967)
NRHP reference No.	77000005
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 27, 1977
Designated CP	February 10, 1984

The Graduate Providence is a beautiful hotel in Providence, Rhode Island. It first opened in 1922 as the Providence Biltmore Hotel. You can find it in downtown Providence, right next to Kennedy Plaza. This historic hotel is special because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of Historic Hotels of America.

History
What the hotel is like
In movies and books
Images for kids
See also

History

How it all started

The Providence Biltmore hotel was built by the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels company. It was designed by architects Warren and Wetmore, who also designed the famous Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The hotel opened its doors on June 6, 1922.

When it was built, the Biltmore was the second-tallest building in Providence. Only the Rhode Island State House was taller. Six years later, the Industrial National Bank Building became taller. Today, the Biltmore is the 9th-tallest building in the city.

In 1947, Sheraton Hotels bought the Biltmore and changed its name to the Sheraton-Biltmore Hotel. In 1954, a big storm called Hurricane Carol caused floods in Providence. The hotel's lobby was underwater! There's a plaque in the lobby today that shows how high the water reached, about eight feet up the columns.

Sheraton sold the hotel in 1968, and it became the Biltmore Hotel & Motor Inn.

Saving the hotel

In 1975, the Biltmore hotel closed and stayed empty for four years. It was almost torn down! But the mayor, Buddy Cianci, and a group of local business people worked together to save it. They bought the hotel and fixed it up.

The hotel reopened in 1979 as the Biltmore Plaza Hotel. During this time, a cool glass elevator was added to the outside of the building. It went up all 18 floors, but it doesn't run anymore.

Over the years, the hotel changed names a few more times. It was called Biltmore Plaza, A Dunfey Hotel, then the Omni Biltmore Hotel, and later the Providence Biltmore again.

Graduate Providence today

A small sign above the awning announces the new name.

In 2017, a company called AJ Capital Partners bought the hotel. They spent money to make it new again. On April 2, 2019, the hotel was renamed Graduate Providence. It's now part of a special group of "Graduate" hotels found in college towns across the United States. The hotel still has its famous neon "Biltmore" sign.

What the hotel is like

The hotel was first built with 600 rooms. Over time, some walls were removed to create bigger suites. Now, it has 292 guest rooms.

The hotel also has large spaces for parties and events. The Grand Ballroom on the top floor has amazing views of the city and Kennedy Plaza. It can hold up to 750 guests for things like weddings or conferences.

For 71 years, the Biltmore was the tallest and largest hotel in Providence. That changed in 1993 when The Westin Providence (now called the Omni Providence Hotel) was built.

In movies and books

Cinema backdrop

The Providence Biltmore hotel has been featured in several movies and TV shows:

The 2004 film The Last Shot
The 2007 film 27 Dresses
Episodes of the TV show Brotherhood (2004-2007)

Literature

The hotel is also a setting in the book The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. In the story, a college reunion for Brown University takes place there.