Cincinnati's hotels cluster in two places: downtown on the Ohio side of the river, and the riverfront towns of Covington and Newport on the Kentucky side, which are only a few minutes away across the bridges. Over-the-Rhine, the city's best neighborhood for eating and drinking, has few hotels, so most visitors sleep downtown and ride the free streetcar up for dinner. Your choice comes down to whether you want to walk to the city sights or set yourself up for the Kentucky attractions.
Downtown around Fountain Square: best for first-timers
The center of downtown puts you within walking distance of almost everything, with the streetcar a few blocks away for the riverfront and Over-the-Rhine. Our featured pick is the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, a 1931 Art Deco grand hotel in the Carew Tower complex a block from Fountain Square, where the public rooms are among the finest Art Deco interiors in America and the rates are often surprisingly reasonable. It suits first-timers, families and history lovers, and parking is in a covered garage on site.
The arts district on Walnut Street: best for couples and theatregoers
A few blocks east, the Aronoff Center and the Contemporary Arts Center anchor a lively corner of downtown. 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati, in the former Metropole hotel, is a boutique hotel with a free contemporary art museum in its public spaces, 156 design-led rooms and Metropole on Walnut for brunch and dinner. It is the pick for couples and art lovers, and it welcomes pets.
Lytle Park: best for a quiet luxury stay
At the eastern edge of downtown, Lytle Park is the city's most peaceful corner, with the Taft Museum of Art across the green and the riverfront at Sawyer Point a short walk away. The Lytle Park Hotel, Autograph Collection, our splurge, fills a 1909 landmark with Subito's Northern Italian cooking, a jazz piano lobby bar and the glass-walled Vista rooftop. It suits special occasions and travellers who want calm evenings, and its car service covers most of downtown and Over-the-Rhine.
Covington, Kentucky: best for food lovers and the Kentucky day trips
Just across the river, Covington has historic streets, good restaurants and the best boutique hotel in the region, Hotel Covington, in a former department store with 114 rooms, Coppin's restaurant and bar, and apartment-style suites at North by Hotel Covington. It is a short drive from downtown Cincinnati and the natural base for the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter, and the airport is about fifteen minutes away.
Newport, Kentucky: best for families on a budget
Newport's riverfront holds the Newport Aquarium, Newport on the Levee and the riverboat landing. The Hampton Inn & Suites Newport/Cincinnati is our value pick, with free hot breakfast, an indoor pool and on-site parking at about ten dollars a day, far less than downtown. Families can walk to the aquarium and cross to the stadiums and the Freedom Center by car or over the Purple People Bridge.
How to choose
On a first visit without a car, stay downtown near Fountain Square or Walnut Street so you can walk and use the streetcar. For a romantic or celebratory trip, choose Lytle Park. If the Ark Encounter or the Creation Museum is high on your list, or you will have a car anyway, stay in Covington or Newport and save on parking. Whatever you choose, check the Bengals, Reds and convention calendars before booking, because big weekends push prices up across the city.
