Hilton Plants $272M Flag in Cleveland

By Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor

Hilton Cleveland Downtown

Cleveland—Hilton Worldwide brings its Hilton flagship brand to Cleveland, Ohio, for the very first time with the opening of Hilton Cleveland Downtown, a towering 600-key convention center hotel. Owned by Cuyahoga County, the premier property cost $272 million to develop.

Cleveland may not be at the top of the list of secondary markets right now, but Hilton had good reason for raising its flagship flag in the Buckeye State’s second-largest city. “Cleveland is in the midst of a renaissance. It’s become a destination for food, travel, arts and culture,” Teri Agosta, general manager, Hilton Cleveland Downtown, told Commercial Property Executive. “Hilton saw this project as an opportunity to participate in a booming market.”

Hilton Cleveland is in a hot spot. Located on the former site of the Cuyahoga County Administration Building at 100 Lakeside Ave. E., the 32-story hotel is connected to the new Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, which provides direct access to the first-of-its-kind Global Center for Health Innovation. Already, all eyes are on the hotel—which has 50,000 square feet of its own meeting space—as it will play host to attendees of the Republican National Convention in July.

Hilton Cleveland Downtown

Visitors to Hilton Cleveland will get more than just the accommodations that come with a premier full-service lodging destination; they will also get an eyeful. A product of the imagination of architectural firm Cooper Carry, the hotel is a modern industrial high-rise sheathed in reflective glass. “The building itself boasts a spectacular new contemporary architectural design that changes, and enhances, the existing Cleveland skyline with floor to ceiling windows throughout, showcasing the water front, Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland, providing a new perspective on this changing city,” Agosta said. The property, she added, “in design and architecture, marries art and science in a building bursting with natural light, and open airy spaces.” The LEED Silver certified tower is also marked by a bevy of green features, including smart thermometers and occupancy sensors.

Hilton Cleveland is just one of many Hiltons debuting in 2016. The 196-key Hilton Brooklyn New York will open in the fourth quarter, as will Hilton Jinan South, China, Hilton Sanqingshan Resort, China, and Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa, Jordan.