Kinley Cincinnati Downtown Hotel

The Kinley Cincinnati Hotel is sometimes called by its full and proper name: The Kinley, Cincinnati Downtown, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel.

A warm welcome and speedy check in helped make a positive first impression after my transatlantic flight direct to nearby Cincinnati/North Kentucky International Airport. That was reinforced by the spacious lobby, which features a bar with a wall-mounted television, on which sports are shown.

I was allocated room 301, an Executive Corner King Room on the third floor of the city centre hotel. Thanks to its high ceiling the room felt very spacious.

With a wood-patterned laminate floor, it featured a grey corner couch with cushions which was an ideal spot to read. A black coffee table was arranged in front of the L-shaped seating.

A cushioned bench with space for storing luggage beneath it was at the foot of the room’s very comfortable king-sized bed. The wall behind the bed had two wall-mounted reading lamps and contemporary artworks. That added a dash of colour to an otherwise grey-and-white colour scheme and white wallpaper patterned with black stripes.

The bedside drawer held the New Testament of the Bible and the Book of Mormon along with an eye mask. I had no need to use the latter thanks to the effective blackout effect provided by the room’s curtains. Both bedside tables had two USB charging ports while the one nearest to the door also featured two plugs for charging devices.

The wardrobe held two dressing gowns and a steamer for removing creases from clothing. An easy-to-use Keurig coffeemaker, disposable cups and ice bucket and were on the shelf above a cupboard holding a safe and refrigerator. So too were two complimentary bottles of water, two coffee pods plus milk and sugar – all of which were replaced on a daily basis.

The bathroom had a walk-in shower with wall-mounted body wash, shampoo and hair conditioner. The well-stocked bottles showed the hotel name, so I was unable to learn which company produced the pleasantly fragranced toiletries.

A large circular mirror was on the wall behind the marble-topped wash basin that had fluffy white facecloths, gentle face soap and a tube of moisturiser. Inside a ceramic jar, I found a vanity kit and earplugs.

Unfortunately, those were much needed in what I thought was a loud bedroom. The air-conditioning system was the first thing that struck me as being quite noisy, perhaps because of the irritation provided by street noises that caused significant vibrations.

The four-star hotel’s central location is both a blessing and a curse. It’s easy to walk to attractions, restaurants and bars in a city whose downtown streets feel as safe as any in North America. However, what I considered to be a downside of making this hotel my base was intermittent noise from the surrounding streets. That came from the engines and throbbing exhausts of people parading in souped-up cars, tricycles and motorbikes. As I lay in bed, well after midnight, I was intermittently disturbed by the unwelcome traffic noise. At times it sounded like people were racing.

I think that addressing the need for improved soundproofing would make staying at The Kinley a lot more pleasant, particularly over the weekend.

Despite that, this hotel’s charm and location made it a good base for exploring the many attractions of what is an underrated city.

More than 300 murals adorn the city’s buildings, many of which can be viewed after a short walk from The Kinley. In fact, the exterior of the hotel features an enormous painting: Allegro by Barron Krody. The work dates from the early 1970s and was part of the Urban Walls Project, a public art project that commissioned works in Cincinnati’s Downtown. It is the only work that still survives from that era in a city that has taken notable strides to regenerate its core and image in recent years.

You can learn more about Cincinnati and the surrounding region on the Visit Cincy website and Visit Northern Kentucky website.

The Details

Kinley, Cincinnati Downtown, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, 636 Race Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, United States.

Tel: +1(513) 381-1100

Website: www.kinleycincinnati.com

Email: guestservices@kinleycincinnati.com

The hotel is on the corner of Race and West 7th Street. That puts the property less than a 5-minute walk from Fountain Square, the de facto heart of Cincinnati. Cincinnati/North Kentucky International Airport is approximately a 20 to 25-minute drive from downtown Cincinnati. British Airways operates a direct service between the airport and London Heathrow.

Type of Hotel: 4-Star Boutique Hotel

Number of Rooms: 94 guestrooms over nine floors. The hotel offers complimentary Wi-Fi and has a fitness centre, a spacious and comfortable lobby with a bar in addition to a restaurant that serves breakfasts and operates as a lounge from evenings from Thursday to Sunday. The hotel has valet parking.

Price Band: High

Insider Tip: Take the opportunity to visit The Banks. Overlooking the Ohio River, the riverside area is a 10-minute stroll from the hotel and is the location of the attractively landscaped Smale Riverfront Park. Sports enthusiasts can visit the Paycor Stadium, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals football team, and the Great American Ball Park, the home of the Cincinnati Reds baseball club, which has an outstanding museum. It’s also the site of the Cincinnati Black Museum Walk of Fame and well-placed for visiting the National Underground Freedom Center.

Consider bringing noise-cancelling earbuds if you are sensitive to traffic noise as the streets outside of the hotel can vibrate with the din of engine noise into the small hours of the morning.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7.5/10

Author Bio:

Stuart Forster is an award-winning freelance travel writer based in North East England.

Photographs by Stuart Forster