Historic Hotels & Inns in Cincinnati

The neighborhoods

Where to stay, by area

Downtown & Fountain Square

The central business district grew around Fountain Square, where the Tyler Davidson Fountain was dedicated in 1871, and the free Connector streetcar runs through it. Five of the eight historic hotels are here: the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Carew Tower on Fifth Street, a National Historic Landmark one block from the convention center; The Cincinnatian and the Hampton Inn & Homewood Suites in the former Enquirer Building, side by side at Sixth and Vine; 21c Museum Hotel in the 1912 Hotel Metropole on Walnut Street, opposite the Aronoff Center; and the Renaissance in the 1901 Union Trust Building at Fourth and Walnut.

Lytle Park

On the quieter east side of downtown, along East Fourth and Pike streets, the Lytle Park Historic District centers on a park rebuilt over the I-71 tunnel, with a Lincoln statue that William Howard Taft unveiled in 1917. The Lytle Park Hotel, whose guest rooms are in the 1909 Anna Louise Inn, and the Residence Inn at The Phelps, a 1926 apartment building put up by Charles Phelps Taft, are both here; the Taft Museum of Art, a house built around 1820, is next to The Phelps.

Over-the-Rhine

North of Central Parkway, Over-the-Rhine is a 362-acre neighborhood of 19th-century buildings shaped by German and Italian immigrants, with Music Hall (1878), Washington Park and Findlay Market, which calls itself Ohio’s oldest continuously operated public market. Its one historic hotel is The Symphony Hotel, a nine-room 1871 Italianate house directly across from Music Hall, with rooms up stairs only; the Connector’s 14th and Elm stop is near Music Hall.

The Banks & the riverfront

Between Great American Ball Park and Paycor Stadium, The Banks holds the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Smale Riverfront Park, and the 1867 Roebling Suspension Bridge is a walking route to Covington, Kentucky. No verified historic hotel stands at The Banks; the nearest are downtown, where the Hampton Inn & Homewood Suites lists the ballpark within half a mile and the Netherland Plaza calls itself three blocks from the Bengals’ stadium. Across the river, Hotel Covington is in our Kentucky guide.

Before you book

Planning your stay

Getting around

CVG, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, is across the river in Kentucky, about 14 miles from downtown. TANK’s Route 2X Airporter leaves the baggage-claim level about every 30 minutes, from roughly 4:30 a.m. until after 1 a.m., and reaches Fifth and Elm downtown in about 24 minutes; TANK’s local cash fare is $2, and TANK has announced service changes from November 7, 2026, so check the schedule. Rideshare and taxis load at Ground Transport East. Downtown, the Connector streetcar is free, a 3.6-mile loop from The Banks to just north of Findlay Market that runs until 11:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9:30 p.m. on Sundays, and Metro buses charge $2.20 on local routes.

Parking

Most of the historic hotels are valet-only, at published rates around $42 to $49 a night; the Netherland Plaza has also listed self-parking at about $35 at 410 Race Street, 21c’s Park & Stay rate includes valet, and The Symphony Hotel uses the gated Mozart Garage at $25 a night. To park yourself, the 600-space Fountain Square North Garage charges $30 for a full day or a $9 flat rate on weekday evenings after 4 p.m. and on weekends, City garages and lots charge $1.50 to $15 a day, and downtown meters are enforced until 9 p.m. most days (11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday at The Banks and in southern Over-the-Rhine).

When to go

Reds Opening Day, which Visit Cincy calls the city’s unofficial holiday, falls on Thursday, March 25 in 2027, when the Reds host the Cardinals, the same day as the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade. Summer brings the Cincinnati Music Festival to Paycor Stadium in late July (July 23 to 25 in 2026), and the free Oktoberfest Zinzinnati fills Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove in September (September 17 to 20 in 2026). For the holidays, Winterhaus opens on Fountain Square on October 31, 2026 and runs through March, and the Elm Street Plaza ice rink opens November 7, 2026 ($12 with skates).

Accessibility

Hills surround the city’s central basin, and Cincinnati has 399 public stairways. The Connector’s low-floor cars board level with the curb, and Metro’s buses kneel and deploy ramps. The Symphony Hotel has no elevator, and all nine rooms are up stairs on the second and third floors; The Lytle Park Hotel, The Phelps and the Renaissance list elevators, mobility-accessible rooms and roll-in showers. We didn’t find accessibility details for the three Hilton hotels or 21c, so ask before you book.

Before you book

Book early for Opening Day, when the parade closes roads, Music Festival weekend in late July and Oktoberfest weekend in September, and look for 21c’s Park & Stay rate, which includes valet. Check pet and age rules: the Netherland Plaza takes pets up to 25 lb, The Lytle Park Hotel up to 50 lb and The Phelps dogs up to 75 lb, while The Cincinnatian and the Renaissance take no pets, and The Phelps lists a minimum check-in age of 21.