The Best Hotels to Book in Ohio

Ohio is home to a variety of architecture, from Tudor-inspired country houses to modern skyscrapers | Courtesy of Granville Inn / Expedia

Joe Bindloss

7 October 2021

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Ohio is the Midwest writ large, with big, IPA-sipping, sport-loving cities, as well as endless miles of laid-back farming country. Columbus sits right in the middle, with remarkable museums such as the Center of Science & Industry to tempt you away from Cincinnati or Cleveland and the lakeshore. Our handy list includes both hotels in the historic heart of downtown and calm escapes on the outskirts — all bookable with Culture Trip.

DogHouse Hotel and Brewery

Courtesy of DogHouse Hotel and Brewery / Expedia

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 Urban Stay

Hotel

Inside The Urban with red and beige sofas and armchairs and a view over the city

Courtesy of The Urban / Expedia

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.

Hilton Columbus at Easton

Courtesy of Hilton Columbus at Easton / Expedia

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.

The Westin Great Southern Columbus

Courtesy of The Westin Great Southern Columbus / Expedia

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.

Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection

Seating area at Hotel LeVeque with marble pillars and maroon soft furnishings

Courtesy of Hotel LeVeque / Expedia

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.

Graduate Columbus

Courtesy of Graduate Columbus / Expedia

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.

Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph

Stylish and dimly lit dining area of Le Méridien Columbus with a bar and leather padded seats

Courtesy of Le Méridien Columbus / Expedia

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.

Moxy Columbus Short North

Courtesy of Moxy Columbus Short North / Expedia

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.

Granville Inn

Courtesy of Granville Inn / Expedia

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.

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