In a building with a strong historical pedigree, the Hotel Cleveland, Autograph Collection by Marriott is set to complete a $90 million full-property renovation by early May.
Opened in 1918 as the Hotel Cleveland, the property had operated as the Renaissance Cleveland for the past two decades. It has 59,000 square feet of meeting space that includes three ballrooms, with the largest at 22,600 square feet and with a 25-foot ceiling. The hotel also has 491 guest rooms, including 50 suites.
The renovation has modernized all the guest rooms, event space, and public spaces while retaining the building’s original architectural features. In addition to free WiFi in all public areas and meeting spaces, one technological feature that might interest business-event planners is the lobby’s near-field communications (NFC) network.
Guests can stand in front of photos on the lobby’s walls and, through their mobile phones, see videos depicting events that transpired at the property over its 106 years. These include visits by Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, Duke Ellington, Harry Truman, the Beatles, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, and others.
The hotel has two new restaurants, including Maker (in photo), with art-deco features, a huge central chandelier, and wide views of Cleveland’s Public Square. There’s also Mowrey’s, named after the site’s original 19th-century tavern, offering New American cuisine along with a few private dining spaces.
The Hotel Cleveland is five blocks from the Huntington Convention Center and 12 miles from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, a 20-minute drive.
