The Best Hotels to Book in Ohio

Out in the countryside southeast of Columbus, Doghouse is part of the Brewdog empire, which means the ales are full-flavoured, and the attitude relaxed and irreverent. A giant alien octopus and monster shark span across the front of this sprawling brewery hotel, but the rooms behind have a restrained industrial vibe, with steel grilles, workshop lights and designer furniture in steely grays. Brewery tours are de rigueur, and there are no prizes for guessing what’s in the in-room beer cooler…

The student buzz of Columbus comes to the fore at these boutique digs, which are part student hall, part downtown hotel. This square-cornered, red, white and grey edifice charges pocket-friendly prices for bright, functional studios with mini kitchens and big flatscreens. But it’s the shared spaces that stand out – guest lounges and dining spaces, a barbecue and firepit on the roof, and a courtyard hangout with a hot tub and barbecue. Think of it as student halls, upgraded.

You’re north of the hustle at Easton, but an easy drive from central Columbus — a prime location to break the journey between Cleveland and Cincinnati. The Easton Hilton looks like a supersized American country house from the outside; inside, rooms are a modern and decorated in a masculine metal grey, with soft armchairs, plump mattresses and bathrooms that get increasingly stylish with different grades of rooms.

You’d have to work to find a better location than the Westin Great Southern, an eye-catching red-brick monument on the edge of German Village — and since you ask, yes, the bakeries are excellent. The hotel opened in 1897, but take the lift up from the column-flanked lobby and you’ll find calm, 21st-century rooms decorated in bold cobalt blue, with interesting abstract artworks on the walls. Best of all, you’re within walking distance of the Center of Science & Industry, Columbus’s top sight.

A powerful art deco vibe infuses this Columbus landmark as it’s set in a classic art moderne skyscraper from 1927 that owes more than a little to the Empire State Building. It’s right in the thick of things downtown, and elevators zip up to rooms that feature eye-catching flashes of gold like gilded mirrors, polished metal shelves and sumptuous chaise longues set against a grey-toned background. You’re across the road from the Ohio Statehouse, and a block from the river and the Center of Science & Industry.

Yep, Columbus is a university town alright. The Graduate Columbus looks in towards downtown, rather than out towards Ohio State University, but rooms are full of cushions in college colours and wallpapers and carpets in school-skirt plaid. Guests don’t check in – they enroll. Armchairs with John Glenn backs and Jesse Owen medals on the walls will get you cheering for the home team. It’s all-American fun, handily located on the edge of Italian Village.

It’s just a block from Le Méridien’s downtown Columbus property to Goodale Park, an island of calm on the edge of downtown — just one of many perks at this Jenga stack-like hotel. A cosy fireplace flickers in reception and upstairs are smart, businesslike rooms with wooden canopies over the beds and sleek, tiled bathrooms. Big, floor-to-ceiling windows look out over Italian Village or across I-670 towards the CBD.

The unusual name is one of many surprises at this upbeat hotel near Italian Village Park. Giant games of Connect 4 and towers of Jenga blocks top tables in the lobby and out on the roof terrace. And rooms have a design theme that finds a sweet spot between Nordic cool and Pendleton blanket. Some rooms have balconies, and some have trundle beds hidden under the main bed that are great for families — as are the toy-filled shared spaces.

If you’d rather escape the city crush, the Granville Inn is a little slice of old England, dropped into the Ohio countryside on the way to small-town Newark. There’s a Tudor country house vibe, and it’s done well, with wood panels and bare stonework in the dining room and lounge, wooden stairways and dignified rooms with stylish – rather than fussy – floral patterns. Come for a 1920s American take on the English country house experience, surrounded by immaculate lawns.