The newly renamed Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings offers 266 rooms, and many amenities. The Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings, the first in Rhode Island, is expanding operations to meet the growing demand for more hotel and meeting space in the state. Initiated by Carpionato Properties, Johnston, RI, this expansion project will provide leisure and business travelers with top-notch services and facilities, including a meeting and convention site second only to the Rhode Island Convention Center in terms of accommodations for hosting associations, trade groups, local corporate gatherings, and philanthropic events. Phase I of the project, completed last October, involved renovations consistent with Crowne Plaza’s luxury status. Improvements included door persons and concierge services; well-equipped fitness facilities; spacious and attractive guest rooms; large well-lit, in-room work areas with data port and voice mail capabilities; iron, hair dryers, make-up mirrors, and coffee makers in every guest room; and a complimentary weekday newspaper. Remingtons, the hotel’s upscale restaurant, also received a complete remodeling, creating a warm, rich area. Phase II of the project calls for the construction of an additional 21,800 square feet of function space, bringing the hotel’s total to 33,000 square feet. This phase includes the addition of a 7,200 square foot ballroom, three 1,200 square-foot meeting rooms, and 8,000 square feet of pre-function and pre-assembly space as well as support facilities. When finished, the Crowne Plaza will have more meeting space under one roof than any other Rhode Island hotel. The third phase of the expansion involves the construction of an office building and golfing facilities on the property grounds. Expansion of the Crowne Plaza is one of three projects under development by Carpionato Properties, which operates the Rhode Island Crowne Plaza franchise. Carpionato is also developing a Holiday Inn Express and Suites on Jefferson Boulevard and a Staybridge Suites just south of the Crowne Plaza. The four-story Holiday Inn Express and Suites will feature 104 units, with 16 deluxe suites in its first phase. It includes such amenities as two meeting rooms, an executive business center, an indoor pool, and a fitness center. The Holiday Inn Express is designed for travelers seeking comfortable accommodations at an attractive price. Staybridge Suites is an extended stay hotel catering to the needs of travelers staying four nights or more, with the average stay being 10 days. Staybridge offers the comforts of an apartment with the executive conveniences of a hotel suite. Designed to provide guests with a high degree of flexibility and control over their environment, Staybridge encourages guests to arrange the layout in their suites in any configuration, as they would in their own home. All furniture is movable, enabling guests to position their furnishings for the highest degree of comfort and convenience. The operation of the new Holiday Inn Express and Suites and the Staybridge Suites will be overseen by the management team of the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings, under the direction of J. Rudi Heater, the Crowne Plaza’s General Manager. The Director of Sales and Marketing is Colleen Dennis Keating. Staybridge Suites and Holiday Inn Express are brands of Bass Hotels & Resorts, which also owns and franchises the Crowne Plaza hotels.
