It was only a matter of time before Providence, R.I., long a petri dish for eggheads, design wunderkinds and culinary aspirants, would get its very own vintage-y, self-consciously cool hotel. The Dean, 52 rooms housed in a historic building from 1911 that was once a brothel, reflects the state's bookish and somewhat gritty impulses toward homegrown authenticity. The lodging's original mosaic tile flooring is intact, as is the old-timey brick facade, and rooms are furnished mostly with flea market finds. While the hotel's name is an ode to the area's academic community - it's close to R.I.S.D. and Brown University - its arrival signals Providence's continued cultural renaissance outside campus gates.