Hotel Cleveland

Hotel Cleveland is the city's grand old hotel reborn. Opened in 1918 as the cornerstone of the Union Terminal complex and long known as the Renaissance Cleveland, it reclaimed its original name in a roughly $90 million renovation and reopened in 2024 as Hotel Cleveland, an Autograph Collection by Marriott. The result pairs restored early-20th-century grandeur with updated rooms and a new lobby bar and restaurant, in the most central location in the city, which is why it sits at the top of downtown Cleveland.

Is Hotel Cleveland worth it?

For a central, historic downtown stay, yes, and it is Cleveland's landmark hotel. The case is strong: a genuinely grand 1918 building, freshly restored in a roughly $90 million renovation and reopened in 2024, updated rooms and suites, the Autograph Collection by Marriott standard with Bonvoy points, a new lobby bar and restaurant, and the single most central location in the city, on Public Square and connected to the Tower City complex. It is a landmark with modern comforts. The honest counterpoint is that it is a large, convention-capable hotel, so it can feel busy and event-driven at times, some of the grandeur lives in the public spaces more than the rooms, and downtown parking is a city add-on. For history, location, and Marriott loyalty, it is the clear pick.

Where is Hotel Cleveland?

The hotel is at 24 Public Square, in the very center of downtown Cleveland, which is its biggest asset. It sits on Public Square opposite the landmark Terminal Tower and is connected to the Tower City complex, so you have shops, dining, and the rapid transit station effectively downstairs, with the airport a quick train ride away. From here you can walk to Rocket Arena and Progressive Field, the Warehouse District, and East 4th Street, and the lakefront, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the theaters of Playhouse Square are all close. For a downtown-based trip built around sports, shows, conventions, or sightseeing, the position is hard to beat.

What are the rooms like?

Updated and comfortable, within a historic frame. The 2024 renovation refreshed the roughly 491 rooms and 50 suites in a clean, modern style while restoring the lobby and grand public spaces, so you get contemporary beds and bathrooms in a hotel that still reads as a landmark. The range of categories, from classic rooms to larger suites, gives options for a business trip or a special weekend. As in any historic hotel of this scale, room sizes and layouts vary, and some overlook the square while others face the interior, so it is worth choosing a category deliberately. The payoff is a sense of place and grandeur that a new-build cannot match.

What about dining and events?

Both are part of the appeal. The renovation added a new lobby bar and restaurant, giving the hotel a fresh social hub under its restored ceilings, and downtown Cleveland's dining, including the well-known East 4th Street strip, is a short walk away. The hotel is also a major events address: it carries extensive meeting and function space and one of the largest ballrooms in Ohio, which makes it a natural choice for weddings, galas, and conferences. That scale is a double-edged sword, delivering grand spaces and full-service capability while also meaning the hotel is often busy with groups, so it helps to know which kind of stay you want when you book.

When should you book, and what will it cost?

Downtown Cleveland demand tracks its calendar, so rates rise around Guardians and Cavaliers games, big concerts and conventions, and peak summer, and those dates reward booking ahead. As a large convention hotel, availability and pricing can swing with group business, so a flexible date can save money. Shoulder seasons and quieter midweek stays tend to offer the best value. Plan for downtown parking as an add-on, and if you want a square-facing room or a suite, reserve early given the historic variation. As Cleveland's grand hotel with a central location and a fresh renovation, it rewards a weekend built around a game, a show, or the lakefront, with the new lobby bar as an easy anchor.