Best Western Providence-Seekonk Inn

Families on vacation, sports teams on a weekend trip for a tournament, and plenty of business travelers -- those are the target demographics of the Seekonk Inn. The hotel offers the basics: an uninspired lobby with vending machines, a daily breakfast buffet featuring standard fare, a basic-use business center and fitness center, and a heated indoor pool. The drab (and sometimes stained) hospitality-style carpeting throughout the property, and the plastic-covered chairs in the breakfast room definitely cheapen the place, but for the price this hotel does its job.

Smack dab on Route 6, you’ll find nearly every big-box shopping store on this stretch of road (Target, Walmart, Kohls) along with just about every fast food and chain restaurant you can imagine. While it’s actually located in a suburb of Providence, (technically in Massachusetts), Seekonk is just a quick drive to downtown Providence. Plus, by staying outside of the city, you can enjoy room rates that are much cheaper.

Providence has always been a bit like Boston's little sister. When it came to East Coast cities, it was always a question of "Boston or New York?" for travelers. However, that has started to change over the years, and Providence is coming into its own. The capital of the smallest state in the country, Providence is densely populated and chock full of interesting things to see and do, such as the Riverwalk, historic buildings dating back to pre-revolutionary times, and the oldest Baptist church in America. Not to mention, it's an easily walkable city. Of course, those used to a grid system may get a little lost walking the streets of Providence, which seem to have no rhyme or reason to the way they run.

Downtown, there are plenty of galleries, shops, restaurants, clubs, and bars to keep the average vacationer happy. Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel and the Providence Performing Arts Center are a couple notable spots. Every summer, don’t miss the spectacle of WaterFire -- 100 bonfires are lit just above the surface of the water on the three rivers that pass through downtown.

And for prospective college students, Brown, Johnson and Wales, and RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) are right in the downtown area.

• 25-minute drive to T.F. Green Airport
• 65-minute drive to Boston Logan Airport
• 2-minute drive to Seekonk Grand Prix and Seekonk Plaza Shopping Center
• 12-minute drive to downtown Providence
• 12-minute drive to the Providence Performing Arts Center
• 40-minute drive to Newport, RI

There’s nothing extraordinary or unique about the rooms, but for a mid-range hotel chain, that’s to be expected. No luxurious linens or bedding here, but at least the beds have duvets instead of old, dated bedspreads. Above all, the rooms are clean (although a few of the rooms had the smell of cigarette smoke, even though the hotel itself is a non-smoking property). The microwaves and mini-fridges are a nice bonus.

• Down comforters
• Microwaves, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers with free tea and coffee
• LCD flat-screen TVs
• Free Wi-Fi
• Air-conditioning
• AM/FM alarm clocks (some rooms have iPod docks)

• Free full breakfast buffet daily
• Free Wi-Fi
• Small fitness center with weights and cardio equipment
• Nice heated indoor pool and Jacuzzi
• Small business center
• Free parking
• View Full List of Amenities