It is possible but highly unlikely that you could have seen the coverage of the Liberty Mutual National Cyclocross Championships at Providence Rhode Island and failed to make note of the need for a comfy cozy place to shower and recover from hours of snow mud and rain, a place where you can stretch out your damaged knees and salve your sagging ego, a place where you can sit and enjoy a nice drink, tasty dinner and rehash your brilliant race strategy. The Providence Biltmore Hotel, billed as the "Lodging-Race Headquarters" turned out to be precisely such a place!
Beginning with the most courteous reception I have ever gotten... to a really wonderful Beefeater Gimlet, our stay in the Biltmore was delightful! Truly a Grande Damme in the victorian sense of the term, this high ceilinged classic hotel was constructed in 1922 and the historic influence of the period drips off of the walls and echoes from the 12 foot ceilings! The ghosts of the Biltmore are Cool Jazz, Flappers and speakeasies. But the realities are a dedication to that era's plush elegance and courtesies.
The beds are overstuffed pillow tops, and the chair in our suite was the widest thing I have seen since Lilly Tomlin's little girl act. All guest amenities are provided with a smile and room service is expedient, accurate and pleasant. An unexpected treat for those of who hail from urban New York.
Historically the Biltmore was a local hotspot as well as a remote New York Tourist destination. Through the 1930's and 40's the Big Bands of Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman played over dance floors which were transformed alternatively into stocked aquaria, or solid blocks of ice for Sonia Henie ice shows. Its roof tops survived gardens and chicken coops, and the Lobby still has a high water mark on its pillars to note the incursion of flood waters from hurricanes in 1938 and 1954.
Closed in 1974, the Biltmore re-opened in 1979 and it has undergone 7.5 million dollars in renovations since that time. Of particular note is the recent opening of McCormick and Schmick's an originally West Coast Seafood chain that serves anything but chain resturant food. Of particular note is their dedication to locally obtained fresh seafoods. Merely sample the oysters if you want to define fresh, we did and we will again next year. The warm hearth of McCormick and Schmick's certainly helped chase the chill from the bones of both spectator and competitor alike. There were no shivers as athletes could be heard planning strategies from tables in every direction.
Placed upon the National Registry of Historic Places, The Providence Biltmore is a fine and affordable place to rest your weary head, restore your exhausted energy stores, and connect with one of the best wireless networks anywhere. Did I mention Bicycle Friendly? If not, just spend a minute imagining hundreds of Cyclocross competitors, returning from the race with their muddy bikes in tow, Now imagine them walking through your living room and up your stairs.... enough said? The Biltmore will be visited again by us next year for the Cross Nats Redux, and there is an excellent chance we will darken its doors before then as well.
It is possible but highly unlikely that you could have seen the coverage of the Liberty Mutual National Cyclocross Championships at Providence Rhode Island and failed to make note of the need for a comfy cozy place to shower and recover from hours of snow mud and rain, a place where you can stretch out your damaged knees and salve your sagging ego, a place where you can sit and enjoy a nice drink, tasty dinner and rehash your brilliant race strategy. The Providence Biltmore Hotel, billed as the "Lodging-Race Headquarters" turned out to be precisely such a place!
Beginning with the most courteous reception I have ever gotten... to a really wonderful Beefeater Gimlet, our stay in the Biltmore was delightful! Truly a Grande Damme in the victorian sense of the term, this high ceilinged classic hotel was constructed in 1922 and the historic influence of the period drips off of the walls and echoes from the 12 foot ceilings! The ghosts of the Biltmore are Cool Jazz, Flappers and speakeasies. But the realities are a dedication to that era's plush elegance and courtesies.
The beds are overstuffed pillow tops, and the chair in our suite was the widest thing I have seen since Lilly Tomlin's little girl act. All guest amenities are provided with a smile and room service is expedient, accurate and pleasant. An unexpected treat for those of who hail from urban New York.
Historically the Biltmore was a local hotspot as well as a remote New York Tourist destination. Through the 1930's and 40's the Big Bands of Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman played over dance floors which were transformed alternatively into stocked aquaria, or solid blocks of ice for Sonia Henie ice shows. Its roof tops survived gardens and chicken coops, and the Lobby still has a high water mark on its pillars to note the incursion of flood waters from hurricanes in 1938 and 1954.
Closed in 1974, the Biltmore re-opened in 1979 and it has undergone 7.5 million dollars in renovations since that time. Of particular note is the recent opening of McCormick and Schmick's an originally West Coast Seafood chain that serves anything but chain resturant food. Of particular note is their dedication to locally obtained fresh seafoods. Merely sample the oysters if you want to define fresh, we did and we will again next year. The warm hearth of McCormick and Schmick's certainly helped chase the chill from the bones of both spectator and competitor alike. There were no shivers as athletes could be heard planning strategies from tables in every direction.
Placed upon the National Registry of Historic Places, The Providence Biltmore is a fine and affordable place to rest your weary head, restore your exhausted energy stores, and connect with one of the best wireless networks anywhere. Did I mention Bicycle Friendly? If not, just spend a minute imagining hundreds of Cyclocross competitors, returning from the race with their muddy bikes in tow, Now imagine them walking through your living room and up your stairs.... enough said? The Biltmore will be visited again by us next year for the Cross Nats Redux, and there is an excellent chance we will darken its doors before then as well.
