21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati

Character and identity

Set in a 100-year-old building on the National Register of Historic Places, formerly the Metropole Hotel, this 156-room downtown property is equal parts boutique stay, contemporary art museum and serious restaurant. The original grand staircase and mosaic tile floors survive alongside two floors of free public galleries showing rotating local and international work. Rooms layer custom modern furniture against the building's bones, with Rookwood Pottery subway tiles in the bathrooms hiding surrealist ears, noses and lips. Metropole, led by chef Vanessa Miller, draws non-guests for seasonal cooking, and a warm-weather rooftop terrace pulls in locals. A small spa rounds out the amenities.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for is the art-meets-architecture concept and Metropole's kitchen, not flawless housekeeping. Book it if you want a downtown base with genuine creative texture and a restaurant worth the trip on its own; ask for a king room and time a stay around a Reds homestand or a gallery opening to get the full effect.