Rhode Island Hospitality Association - Providence Business News

SPECIAL DRINK: Katie Hamilton, bartender at Fleur Providence in the Omni Providence Hotel, serves a mango lemon spritz made with lemonade infused with THC. The restaurant is one of a limited number of the locations in Rhode Island licensed to sell beverages containing hemp-derived THC, and consumer demand is growing, Hamilton said.  PBN PHOTO/CHRISTOPHER ALLEN

R.I. hashing out rules for hemp-infused beverages

Focus 01/02/2026

Derek Gould, chief marketing officer of Monarch Emulsions LLC, says that while craft beer and spirit brands continue to roll out their own hemp-infused...

MAKING AN IMPRESSION: Jennifer Curtin, general manager of The Beatrice on Westminster Street in Providence, stands in the hotel lobby, which is unlike anything guests would see in a traditional chain hotel.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Boutique hotels showing more room for growth

Focus 01/02/2026

At Providence’s The Beatrice, travelers aren’t just booking a room. They’re booking a vibe. That’s according to Jennifer Curtin, the general manager of the...

Human trafficking training mandatory for R.I. hospitality sector starting Jan. 1

Hospitality & Tourism 12/26/2025

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is rolling out new compliance requirements for the hospitality sector that will require annual human‑trafficking awareness training for hotel staff...

READY FOR CHANGES: John Elkhay, co-owner of Chow Fun Inc., stands in the dining room of Ten Prime Seafood, a restaurant the company is preparing to open on Empire Street in Providence. Elkhay says he’s trying to provide clarity to his employees on new federal rules about tax on tips.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

New federal tax rules on tips spark confusion

Economy 11/07/2025

John Elkhay, co-owner of the restaurant company Chow Fun Inc., is no stranger to navigating regulatory curveballs. With his company managing more than 200 employees...

CHECKING IN:  Bella Andolino, background right, front desk agent at Hotel Maria in Westerly, with General Manager Patrick Bowe at her side, helps Skip and Pat Caloia of Yonkers, N.Y. PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

Yes, working in hotels ‘can be a fun career’

Digital Special Editions 10/10/2025

Hotel Maria General Manager Patrick Bowe took a Rhode Island Hospitality Association class for front-of-the-house staff on dealing with guests’ issues. Bowe started as...

Who will pay for World Cup tourism effort?

Hospitality & Tourism 09/26/2025

With seven FIFA World Cup matches coming to Gillette Stadium next summer in nearby Foxborough, Mass., Rhode Island is eyeing an estimated tourism windfall...

State should be first in on soccer tourism

Editorial and Op-Ed 09/26/2025

Rhode Island could see a soccer tourism windfall from FIFA World Cup matches coming to nearby Foxborough, Mass., next year. But the state and...

Hospitality leaders urge sector to proceed with caution at annual outlook...

Economy 09/09/2025

WARWICK – Hotel and restaurant owners will need to balance opportunity with caution in 2026, said National Restaurant Association’s Chief Economist Chad Moutray during...

Kerri Furtado

Hospitality & Tourism 08/29/2025

PBN Leaders & Achievers Awards 2025 KERRI FURTADO Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau Director of national accounts SELLING RHODE ISLAND as a destination she truly...