Located in the downtown financial district of Providence and across the street from the historic Arcade building, the Hampton Inn & Suites Providence Downtown offers a convenient location combined with family-friendly amenities we’ve grown to love. In fact, our family has become spoiled, and now expects signature Hampton Inn offerings, which include free hot breakfast, 24-hour coffee service and attention to cleanliness, which extends to the duvet covers, consistently washed between each change of guests. With a stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Providence Downtown, your family will likely begin to expect the same, too.

Distinguishing this property from other cookie-cutter hotels is the building’s history. It was built in 1920 as the Old Colony House, home of the original Old Colony Bank. It was also St. Francis Chapel, and the original bronze relief door remains in the lobby.

This property is ideally located for families visiting the city’s colleges, including Brown University, Johnson and Wales University and the Rhode Island School of Design. It’s also one block from the Providence Performing Arts Center and three blocks from the Rhode Island Convention Center and the Dunkin Donuts Center, where professional sports teams play.

The upper floors of this ten-story hotel offer impressive city views, including College Hill and the Providence River, where the Water Fire shows are produced in the summer. From our seventh floor east-facing room, we enjoyed views of the nearby historic buildings, including the Providence County Courthouse and the Old Stone Bank.

This Hampton Inn has 110 standard guestrooms and 37 suites, all of which feature standard amenities, including flat-screen LCD TV's, microwaves, refrigerators, coffee makers, irons and ironing boards, hair dryers, WaterPik showerheads and curved shower rods. The complimentary toiletries provided are Neutrogena brand, in a mild, lightly scented formula.

There are multiple room configurations available, including two queen beds; one king bed; one king bed with a sofabed; studio suites with a king bed and a sofabed; one-bedroom suites with a king bed and sofabed; and accessible rooms. Adjoining rooms are available, and connect rooms with a king bed to rooms with two queen beds.

Our room contained a king bed and a pullout sofabed, and was large enough to also accommodate a cot. We appreciated the bathroom configuration, with the separate sink and vanity area. The granite countertops were attractive, but the modern design meant they were too high for our six-year old daughter to reach the faucet handles.

One of the things to look forward to when staying at a Hampton Inn is the "Hampton Bed," which means the duvet cover is washed between each guest stay. This property covers its comfortable beds with luxury linens, and housekeeping can supply feather or synthetic pillows. Cribs are available at no charge. Rollaway beds cost an extra $10.

The free high-speed Internet access is fast and reliable. There are premium movie channels, in-room movies and kids networks, including the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. An informational guidebook on the desk provides local information, although ours contained outdated TV channel line-ups and restaurant information.

Security measures include floor-key access in the elevators, and peep holes in the door to each guestroom. There are no outlet covers. The thick walls provided great sound insulation between rooms, however, the street noise coming through the windows is typically noticeable.

Energy-saving programs through Hampton's corporate "Take Care" initiative are in place at this property, and include a linen reuse program, smart thermostat systems and LED and fluorescent lighting.

This property caters to business travelers and leisure travelers who are visiting to enjoy what Providence has to offer. As such, there is no formal children's program offered, nor any indoor play areas or pool. The hotel's urban setting means there is no outdoor playground or green space.

This property works well as a home base for a day or more of exploring Providence and the surrounding areas. The Children's Museum is less than a mile away, as is the Providence Performing Arts Center. The riverfront is within walking distance, ideal for summer evenings when Water Fire shows are scheduled. In the winter months, the seasonal outdoor Providence Rink is less than a mile away. Roger Williams Park, which includes the Providence Zoo, Carousel Park and Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, is about a 10-minute drive.

One of the best values included in your stay is the complimentary, self-serve "On the House" hot breakfast, which is served buffet-style from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. There are chafing dishes with two hot items each day, which rotate between sausage patties, bacon, eggs, omelets, and other standards. There is also a DIY waffle iron, and a selection of breads and muffins near the toaster. Healthy selections, like hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal and fruit, are also available.

The breakfast room in the high-ceilinged lobby has plenty of seating at tables for four, a communal bar-height table, and an adjoining seating area near a fireplace. High chairs are available. At the 24-hour coffee service station, you can pick up free newspapers like the Providence Journal and USA Today.

On weekdays, you can alternatively request an "On the Run Breakfast Bag" at the front desk, which includes water, fruit, a muffin and a cereal bar.

For your other meals, you have the option of dining out, having food delivered to the hotel, or preparing food in your room. Both standard rooms and suites contain a mini-fridge and a microwave. The front desk can provide you with menus of local restaurants, which deliver, including Sicilia's Pizzeria and Chef Ho's. You can also order online through Foodler.com. More than 40 local restaurants participate in this service, so you can get nearly any type of food you want, with the expectation of some wait time.

There are many restaurants located within one mile (or a 15-minute walk) of the property, but there's only a few family-friendly eateries within a block of the property. These include Congress Tavern, UMelt, Veggie Fun and Dunkin Donuts.

All About the Extras
Check-in at this 100 percent nonsmoking property is 4 p.m. and check-out is at noon.

This hotel features a small "Suite Shop" off of the front desk, where you can purchase travel-sized toiletries, laundry detergent, snacks and ice cream, drinks and frozen entrees for in-room dining.

There is also a business center on the Mezzanine level, which is open 24 hours a day, where you are free to use the computers and printers to check your e-mail or print boarding passes. This is where you will also find an ATM. Onsite dry cleaning is available, too.

A fitness center is located on the lower level, and is open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily. It contains three treadmills, an elliptical machine and free weights.

The Art of Smart Timing
Special discounted rates are usually available, with a variety of different offers. Discounts are available for seniors, AARP members and AAA members. Family packages, with tickets to local attractions, in-room movies and snacks, are also available often.

The most affordable time of year to secure lower rates at this property is between the cold weather months of November and April.

Getting There
The nearest airport to this hotel is the T.F. Green Airport, less than 10 miles away. The 15-minute taxi ride fare costs approximately $30. I-95 is the main roadway that will take you into Providence if driving to the city.

Getting Around
Downtown Providence is compact and walkable, and parking can be a challenge. Sites such as Park Downtown Providence can help you find parking garages and lots, and tell you where to get the best rates. Public transportation is available in the way of Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) buses, which makes stops at attractions such as the Providence Children's Museum and the Roger Williams Zoo. They also connect Providence with other parts of the state, including the beach communities, such as Narrangansett.

In the summer months, you can also get around the city on the RIPTA gas-powered trolleys. For $6.00, you can purchase an all-day pass for unlimited rides.