After a $50 million renovation, Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown opens in 1901 Bartlett Building by Daniel Burnham. The historic office building is now a Marriott brand Renaissance hotel featuring 283 guest rooms and 40 executive suites in the 19-floor hotel. The hotel restaurant is named D. Burnham’s. The grand opening ceremony was held August 26, 2014.
Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel is Marriott Rewards category 6.
Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown
The hotel is within walking distance of downtown Cincinnati’s major Fortune 500 firms such as Procter & Gamble, Fifth Third Bank, Great American Insurance and Kroger, as well as international data company dunnhumby. It also is conveniently located a block from the heart of the city, Fountain Square, and is near Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park. It is 15 minutes away from the Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, ten minutes from the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University and 15 minutes from Northern Kentucky University.
Cincinnati-based FRCH Design Worldwide was responsible for the hotel’s architectural renovation. The 1901 office building, also known as the U.S. Trust Building, was designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham as the tallest building in Cincinnati and Ohio when built. The 1901 Bartlett Building is listed on the U.S.Register of National Historic Places. The Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel involved a $50 million redesign of the historic building space, vacant since 2010.
Daniel Burnham Architect
As a frequent visitor to Chicago over the past four years, Daniel Burnham is a prominent name in Chicago’s architectural history. Several Burnham buildings are featured on the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise on the First Lady.
Earlier this summer I read The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson.
The book is set in Chicago, circa 1893, intertwining the true tales of Daniel H. Burnham, the architect behind the 1893 World’s Fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, the serial killer who lured his victims to their deaths in his elaborately constructed “Murder Castle.”
The book is based on real characters and events. Leonardo DiCaprio purchased the film rights in 2010.
I love to read about historic buildings being repurposed into hotels. These older buildings have architectural style and spaces with an interior design elegance not seen in modern hotel buildings. And of course, modern features to make a guest room comfortable.
FRCH said it was careful to pay homage to the history of the building and to preserve its heritage in the midst of the renovation.
Company officials said they also paid specifically employed environmentally friendly practices and products to earn a LEED certification for the project.
WCPO News Cincinnati (better hotel photos than Marriott site)
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Ric Garrido of Monterey, California is writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler.
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