Arrival
I arrived on a Sunday evening in January after driving in from Pittsburgh. I’ve stayed at this hotel probably 4 other times and enjoy it for its convenient location. Upon pulling up front, the valet immediately met me.
Upon entering the lobby, you immediately notice a split staircase to go up to the main lobby, which is on floor 2. If you have a lot of luggage, you can take the elevators off to the right-hand side. Upon ascending the stairs, you’re met with the elevator bank right in front of you. The check in desk is to your left.
Check in was quick as there was no line at 9pm. The front desk agent was very helpful in orienting me to the hotel. Immediately across from the check in area is the bar and around the corner is a restaurant which has breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The lobby area is very much a long hallway, adorned with crystal chandeliers. Down the other end of the hallway are some restrooms, which require room key access, as well as the conference rooms. There is also an escalator back down to the main level parking garage if self-parked. The hotel is vintage, from the decor to the architecture.
Room
I was assigned a 12th floor, club level room (1214) with a view of the public square. Of note, the club level is both levels 12 and 14 (there is no 13th floor). When entering the room, the bathroom is immediately on the right. I can only describe this as one of the most oddly retro/gaudy bathrooms I’ve ever had in a hotel. The stone flooring, with a diamond checkered pattern against a dark brown background was a bit disorienting. Couple the tile with the brass finishings and I felt that I had entered a rich great grandparent’s home.
In the bathroom is a separate tub opposite the double sink vanity. One of the sinks had a slight drip and the brass was worn and green. Immediately beyond the vanity/bathtub area was a toilet “room” that was bigger than the shower stall. The toilet was oddly perched at a 45 degree angle which allowed anyone using it to proudly view themselves in the large mirrors opposite 😊. The shower was small but efficient, although I felt the water didn’t get terribly hot (and I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to hot water).
The bathroom was stocked with Aveda toiletries on the vanity, bathtub, and in the shower. There were multiple bars of soap, body lotion, a vanity kit, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The towels were not soft. In fact, they were much more rough than one would expect for the brand of hotel.
Opposite the bathroom is the closet with safe, an attached bar (sink), coffee machine, a couple cabinets, and a mini-fridge. Past the bar is the main part of the room, which contained a chair with a lamp behind it that was not only not plugged in but there wasn’t even a plug nearby to plug it in. A bureau and TV were adjacent to the chair. I did appreciate that the TV connected to streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, or could be used to watch regular TV. There was also a desk with lamp, phone, and two chairs.
The king-sized bed rounded out the room. There were four soft pillows on the bed. Next to the bed was a bed stand with a lamp on each side with an alarm clock to the right and a phone to the left. The alarm clock had a dock for a older 30 pin style iPod. I don’t know why hotels don’t get rid of these things. I have no idea who still charges with a 30 pin adapter. Each lamp had a single plug available. Behind the bedside tables were also plugins. The room had a lovely view of Public Square, which was frozen as it was about 10 degrees outside.
Other Amenities
The gym was located on the fourth (or fifth) floor of the hotel. I was disappointed in the gym. If I’m being extra picky, the canary yellow color on the wall does not inspire me to stay and work out and there’s an odd separation between the cardio and free weights.
The gym has a single treadmill, which I could see as an issue during busy times. There are also two ellipticals and two stationary bikes. In the cardio room is also a Life Fitness Universal gym, which also had a bench. The universal was functional and had all of the required attachments and pins, something I find hotels tend to neglect. Also in the cardio room was a single TV (facing the treadmill), a cabinet with towels, a refrigerator with small towels, a water machine, some apples, and some magazines. I do find it odd that Cigar Aficionado is a magazine one would promote in the gym. The cardio room was well chilled (frankly, I was a little cold, even when on the treadmill).
There are a set of double doors leading to the free weights, which also has a few mats, wedges, and Spri balls. There are also restrooms with showers in this room. Entering this room is a complete departure from the cardio room as the temperature was at least 10 degrees warmer and the humidity was much higher. Also, this room opens to a general atrium, where I assume that careless lifters dropping weights would annoy those in the rooms facing the center.
The gym disappointed me due to it’s poor layout, lack of more equipment, and its general upkeep. Many of the drop ceiling tiles have visible water damage and mold on them which does not make for a great workout when breathing deeply right below them.
I was told by a staff member there was no pool.
Lounge
The lounge is located on the 14th floor. However, there is an odd entry on the 12th floor. Entry does require a keycard for either floor. When entering on the 12th floor, you are immediately presented with a staircase in front of you but the room is overall very tiny and dark.
Upon ascending the stairs, you enter the main lounge which is large with plenty of windows. The décor is that of an old library with dark woods and books abound. There are several different seating areas and multiple TVs. A nice touch for the lounge is a bathroom, which isn’t present in most hotel lounges.
The breakfast spread was fairly good and included an assortment of fresh fruit, pastries, bread/toast and bagels, milks and juices, water and Pepsi products, assorted cereals, scrambled eggs, bacon (which was actually crispy), and oatmeal. There was also a tea and coffee service.
Lounge hours are as follows:
Breakfast 6:30am – 9:30am Mon-Fri
Hors D’oeuvres 5:30pm – 7:30pm Sun-Thurs
Evening Snack 7:30pm – 10pm Sun – Thurs
Beverage Service 5:30pm – 10pm Sun-Thurs
Given that the lounge isn’t open on the weekends (except in the evening Sunday), I wouldn’t consider this hotel for a weekend stay.
Location
The location of the Renaissance Cleveland is fantastic if you are wanting to explore downtown by foot. There is an adjacent area accessible indoors with food and activities (cinema, casino). The hotel is right across from Public Square and within easy walking distance of some of the best restaurants in Cleveland, as well as the baseball and basketball stadiums.
Overall
Renaissance Cleveland is a classic hotel which needs some updating. The staff are superb and the location is excellent but the gym is subpar for the hotel type and the lounge is closed on weekends. While I’ve always had great service, I’ll likely look for another option next time I’m in Cleveland.
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