Renaissance Providence Hotel
A historic Providence landmark converted into a Marriott-affiliated Renaissance hotel.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Renaissance Providence Hotel is a hotel in central Providence, Rhode Island, operating under Marriott International's Renaissance Hotels brand. The property occupies a monumental Greek Revival building that was originally conceived as a meeting hall for the Freemasons. Historically identified as the Mason Building and listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the name Masonic Temple, the structure is one of two major central Providence buildings whose construction was interrupted and left incomplete for decades. Construction began in 1927, but work stopped in 1929 amid the financial crisis and was never resumed after the United States entered World War II. The unfinished building stood prominently on Francis Street, opposite the Rhode Island State House, and formed part of a larger complex associated with the adjacent Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The auditorium was completed during the 1950s, while the temple structure remained substantially unfinished for much longer. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 together with the adjacent auditorium. A major redevelopment began after Sage Hospitality Resources purchased the building in 2004. The project rehabilitated the long-abandoned structure and adapted it for hospitality use while retaining its historic identity and prominent exterior. The hotel opened in June 2007, giving the building a new commercial role in Providence's downtown and capital-city district. Its location was further enhanced by the development of Providence Place Mall across Hayes Street. The hotel provides lodging and event-oriented services for business, leisure, and group travelers. Its principal offer consists of guest rooms and suites, food-and-beverage services, meeting spaces, and banquet facilities. The property's architectural history and position opposite the State House distinguish it from a conventional newly built business hotel, while its Renaissance affiliation places it within Marriott's upscale, design-conscious full-service hotel portfolio. The property also became the focus of a prominent labor controversy. In 2011, hotel workers seeking to unionize drew public attention to working conditions, including through a widely circulated online video showing a worker leaving employment while accompanied by a marching band. Many of the workers involved were of Dominican origin, and supporters called for a boycott. The Procaccianti Group, which acquired the hotel in late 2012, denied wrongdoing and characterized the boycott as misguided. The dispute continued after Omni Hotels acquired the property in 2015. Available reference material does not establish the final legal or labor outcome. The building's preservation history, adaptive reuse, and labor dispute together make Renaissance Providence Hotel notable both as a hospitality property and as a Providence architectural landmark.
History
Renaissance Providence Hotel occupies a building with a long and unusual history in central Providence. The structure was designed in the Greek Revival style and intended to serve as a meeting hall for the Freemasons. Construction began in 1927, when the project formed part of a substantial civic and fraternal development opposite the Rhode Island State House on Francis Street. Work stopped in 1929 as a consequence of the financial crisis of that year. The building was not completed before the outbreak of World War II, after which construction was permanently abandoned. For decades, the unfinished structure remained a conspicuous feature of Providence's central city. It was historically referred to as the Mason Building and was later associated with the name Masonic Temple. The adjoining Veterans Memorial Auditorium was part of the same overall complex and was linked to the unfinished temple by a small ground-level structure. Unlike the temple, the auditorium was completed in the 1950s. The historic significance of the complex was formally recognized in 1993, when the Masonic Temple and the adjacent Veterans Memorial Auditorium were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site later gained additional development value from the opening of Providence Place Mall across Hayes Street, making the long-vacant property attractive for adaptive reuse. Sage Hospitality Resources purchased the building in 2004 and undertook a rehabilitation project that converted the historic structure into a hotel. The redevelopment gave the building a new function while preserving its role as a recognizable Providence landmark. The hotel opened in June 2007 as the Renaissance Providence Hotel, joining the Renaissance Hotels system associated with Marriott International. Its location, historic architecture, guest accommodation, meeting facilities, and event spaces positioned it as an upscale full-service property serving both business and leisure demand. The hotel's labor history became an important part of its public profile. In 2011, employees attempting to organize a union raised concerns about working conditions. The dispute received broad attention after a video of a worker resigning while accompanied by a marching band spread online. A substantial number of the workers involved were of Dominican origin, and supporters urged customers to boycott the hotel. The Procaccianti Group purchased the hotel in late 2012 and denied wrongdoing, describing the boycott as misguided. Omni Hotels later acquired the property in 2015, but the reference material indicates that the labor dispute continued after the acquisition. The available sources do not provide a definitive account of the dispute's final resolution. The property's history therefore combines interrupted early-twentieth-century construction, historic-register recognition, preservation-led redevelopment, and subsequent operation as a full-service hotel. Its significance is not limited to the Renaissance brand: the hotel is also an example of adaptive reuse in Providence and a surviving component of the city's civic and architectural landscape.
- 2015
Omni Hotels acquires the property
[1]Omni Hotels acquired the property, after which the labor dispute was reported to continue.
- 2012
Procaccianti Group acquires the property
[1]The Procaccianti Group purchased the hotel in late 2012 amid the continuing labor controversy.
- 2011
Labor organizing dispute becomes widely publicized
[1]Workers seeking to unionize publicized working-condition concerns, prompting a boycott campaign and widespread online attention.
- 2007
Hotel opens
[1]The rehabilitated property opened as Renaissance Providence Hotel in June 2007.
- 2004
Sage Hospitality Resources purchases and rehabilitates the building
[1]Sage Hospitality Resources acquired the property and began converting the historic structure into a hotel.
- 1993
Masonic Temple complex is listed on the National Register
[1]The building, under the name Masonic Temple, was listed together with the adjacent Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
- 1941
Completion becomes permanently abandoned during the World War II era
[1]With the outbreak of World War II, the project was not restarted and the unfinished structure remained abandoned for decades.
- 1929
Construction is halted
[1]The financial crisis of 1929 stopped construction, leaving the building incomplete.
- 1927
Construction begins on the Masonic meeting hall
[1]Work began on the Greek Revival building that was intended to serve as a meeting hall for the Freemasons.
Products and positioning
Upscale full-service business and leisure hotel with a preserved historic architectural setting
Hotel accommodation · 2007
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel's core offering is overnight accommodation in a rehabilitated historic building in central Providence. The lodging proposition combines the practical needs of business and leisure travelers with the architectural character of the former Masonic Temple.
Events and conferences · 2007
Meeting and banquet facilities
The property offers event-oriented hospitality through meeting rooms, group functions, and banquet services. These facilities support business gatherings, social events, and other organized occasions within the hotel's full-service operating model.
Hotel dining · 2007
Food and beverage service
Food and beverage service forms part of the hotel's broader lodging and events offer, supporting resident guests, meetings, banquets, and other functions. Specific restaurant names and menus are not identified in the supplied reference material.
Controversies
2011
Labor organizing and boycott controversy
Workers seeking to unionize raised concerns about working conditions. A viral video showing a worker quitting with a marching band intensified public attention, and supporters called for a boycott. The Procaccianti Group later denied wrongdoing; the reference material does not establish the dispute's final outcome.
Brand decisions
2007
Launch of Renaissance Providence HotelProduct launchBackground
A rehabilitated former Masonic meeting hall was ready for a new commercial use after decades as an unfinished structure.
Action taken
The property opened in June 2007 as a Renaissance hotel.
Aftermath
The site became an operating full-service hotel serving lodging, meetings, and events in central Providence.
2004
Convert the unfinished historic temple into a hotelStrategyBackground
The building had remained incomplete and abandoned for decades, despite its prominent location opposite the Rhode Island State House.
Action taken
Sage Hospitality Resources purchased the property and undertook a rehabilitation and adaptive-reuse project.
Aftermath
The building reopened as a hotel in June 2007, preserving its role as a Providence landmark while adding a hospitality use.
Sources2 sources
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