The Dean Hotel

Maybe you’ve heard the rumors that Providence, Rhode Island is the new Portland (weirdly, it’s the one in Oregon they’re talking about, which must be awkward for Maine). But to see the way the one-time “Beehive of Industry” is remaking itself as a hipster-friendly creative capital, you have to admit they’ve got a point — and you could hardly ask for a better illustration than the Dean Hotel, a fifty-two room boutique hotel in the Downcity district.

As the name suggests, the Dean is cool and masculine, with old-school elegance and a contemporary sense of humor — the kind of place that proudly features space-saving (and budget-savvy) bunk beds. Those bunks are custom-built, of course, in rooms with names like “The Kin” and “The Classmates.” (And if you’d prefer not to squabble about who’s on top, they’ve got more standard accommodations like “The Mates,” “The Patron,” and “The Gang.”) Across all rooms, guests enjoy a range of thoughtful — dare we say well-curated — amenities. There’s locally produced artwork and portraits of mustachioed gents hanging in antique frames, conceivably salvaged from a European flea market, alongside crisp modern photography shot by up-and-comers from the Rhode Island School of Design. Beds, bunked or otherwise, are made up with Matouk linens and fluffy white duvets. Bathrooms, lined in black subway-style tile, have rain showers and a range of artisanal bath products (the new Portland, remember?) custom-made for the hotel.

The Dean has its own gourmet coffee bar, naturally: get your fair-trade cortado while it’s hot at Bolt Coffee Company. North is a “non-traditional Rhode Island restaurant,” and cocktails are served in the moody Magdalenae Room, manned by one of the city’s better-known mixologists. You’ll need to shed your inhibitions if you’re going to step up to the mic in The Boombox. Of course, of course, the Dean has the city’s one and only karaoke lounge. Luckily, it’s inspired by the karaoke “boxes” of Tokyo and Seoul, meaning you can rent out a private room by the hour — in case you’re worried your vocal stylings won’t be met by the cool kids’ approval.