The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland is the city's classic splurge, and it sits right at the center of things. Its address is 1515 West Third Street, in the Tower City complex on Public Square, so the downtown core, the riverfront Flats and the sports venues are all within an easy walk. The hotel has 206 guest rooms and suites and describes itself as renewed and reimagined, with rooms that look out over Lake Erie or across the downtown skyline from well above street level. Dining runs from TURN Bar and Kitchen, the all-day restaurant and bar, to Sushi by Bou, a small omakase counter that makes an unusual special-occasion dinner. There is a well-equipped fitness center, on-site valet parking and electric car charging, and the hotel welcomes well-behaved dogs for a fee. Service is in the polished Ritz-Carlton style, and the concierge can arrange theatre tickets and restaurant reservations across the city.

Location and getting around: Tower City is Cleveland's transit hub, and the RTA rapid transit station beneath it runs trains to the airport, to Ohio City for the West Side Market and east to University Circle for the art museum. That makes the Ritz one of the few places in the city where you can manage a whole stay without a car. Public Square, the historic Arcade, East 4th Street's restaurants and the Museum of Illusions are a few minutes away on foot, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a walk of about twenty minutes or a short taxi ride. The hotel does not run a shuttle.

Rooms and who it suits: ask for a lake-view room when you book; on a clear day the view north across Lake Erie is the reason to stay here. Suites suit families or longer stays. The hotel fits couples on a special trip, business travellers who want a reliable top-end base, and sports fans heading to a game who want to walk to the stadium and arena. It is busy around big events and holiday weekends, so book early for those dates.

Good to know: overnight valet parking is expensive, around sixty dollars a night at the time of writing, so arriving by rapid transit from the airport saves money. Dogs up to 50 pounds are welcome with a one-time fee, with a limit of two per room. Reserve Sushi by Bou ahead, as seats are limited, and expect top-of-market rates, especially on event weekends.