Guest Blog: Joe’s Visit is a Home Run – A Special Venue for a Most Special Event

My first opportunity to guest-blog for Halle’s InnLove adventures coincided with a trip to Cleveland for an all-to-rare event for those of us born and raised in Northeast Ohio – the Indians’ first World Series appearance since 1997.  Having the opportunity to host some life-long friends to the games and to

showcase the city’s amazing hotel properties (some of the best in the world), I showed my friends many of our member locations, but arranged for us to stay at the spectacular new Hilton Cleveland Downtown.

This stunning property opened this summer and became an instant icon of the New Cleveland.  Adjacent to the Cleveland Convention Center, its 600 guest rooms have greatly enhanced the strong hotel package in one of America’s major cities.

Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by some of the most genuinely helpful and friendly valet staff we’ve ever met.  Even with

many high-profile guests staying for the final two games of the series, they treated us with every bit as much care and attention.  The tone that

this can set for one’s experience can’t be underestimated.

The space within the hotel is nothing short of spectacular. The design, quality of materials, and attention to detail are world-class.  The truly comfortable, varied and ample public spaces for meeting, lounging, working, or just taking it all in are among the best all of us had ever experienced.

This level of quality and enjoyment continues into the hotel’s guest floors and rooms.  From the custom map-themed carpeting, to the use of bold graphics in the rooms highlighting the local flavor of this great city, one truly has a sense of locale. Ours featured a mural of one of the 43-foot tall “Guardians of Transportation” on the historic Lorain-Carnegie Bridge.

The crown jewel of the hotel may be its 32nd floor open-air bar, with some of the most breathtaking views in town.  It is the perfect spot to kick off your Cleveland experience, or to wind down while enjoying the sparkling city below.

One of the beautiful things about Cleveland’s resurgence is the walkability of the city.  Just steps away from the hotel, Public Square offers wonderful green space and an unexpected contrast to the hustle and bustle of the urban center.

Our visit was all about the chance to root for the home team. A few short minutes of pleasant walking from the hotel, we arrived at Progressive Field.  No need to worry about parking, car fare or other transportation.  I highly recommend the Hilton and all of Cleveland’s downtown hotel properties to those interested in experiencing not only Cleveland’s sporting events, but also theater, arts, the casino and more.

In the end, we weren’t able to bring home a win on the baseball field.  But the real magic of events like this is the chance to spend time with friends that we may not see as much as we would like, but who we know are always there for us, and will always be part of who we are.  Providing a special experience for those who visit and giving them memories to last a lifetime makes Cleveland and its hospitality community true winners.

“People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck