Aloft Cleveland Downtown | Cleveland, Ohio | Hotel Review

This past summer, on our 5-week Austin2Boston road trip, we stayed one night at the Aloft Cleveland Downtown on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio.  This was probably one of the coolest, most modern hotels we stayed in on the entire trip. The location is perfect for site-seeing and affordable for family.

It has always been a goal of mine to take my children on a road trip along the East Coast of the United States when they were learning about American History. I wanted to take them to all the spots where America was born, to allow their classroom learning to come alive.  This trip brought us to a brief overnight stay in Cleveland, Ohio and we found the perfect accommodations while we were there.

The Aloft brand of hotels is a part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts and is a very open & modern hotel with a “loft” like feel.  Walls have been knocked down and everything flows together. It’s a really cool concept.

Aloft Cleveland Downtown: Location

The Aloft Cleveland is a 150-room hotel located in the Flats, a former industrial neighborhood located on the shores of Lake Erie.  The Aloft Cleveland Downtown is just a few blocks down from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center and other fun attractions.

The area it is located in is very industrialized with little parks or green, however, we found this added to the charm of the location.  We sat on the lobby balcony for dinner and watched the sunset over Lake Erie, and loved how quiet the setting was.

Aloft Cleveland Downtown: A Room Tour

The rooms were very modern and sleek in the Aloft Cleveland.  We had 2 queen beds that faced floor-to-ceiling windows (the same sunset view we had for dinner).  And a large desk that stretched along the wall under the windows.

The Bathroom felt just as large as the room, with a large walk in shower (no tub).  Modern touches were everywhere – from the curtain that is the closet “door” to the bowl for the sink.

Being that we were close to the highway and in an industrial area of Downtown Cleveland, I expected the rooms to be noisy.  One thing I was very impressed with how quiet the hotel rooms were.  It gave us a wonderful and much needed night sleep.

Aloft Cleveland Downtown: Camp Aloft

One of my biggest concerns at staying in a modern, boutique hotel is if my kids will fit in or will they be “frowned” upon.  Despite the very cool lobby with XYZ area, that included a bar, computer area, and pool table, we found children to be welcomed there.  And to confirm that, I was impressed to learn about the children’s program that Aloft Hotels offer – Camp Aloft.

Camp Aloft is special program for kids under-12. Child-sized air mattress, kid’s bedding and food faves are offered.

Not to be out-done with special offering for just kids, Aloft has ARF – a pet-friendly program for dogs that features Aloft-branded bed and bowl and complimentary woof-alicious treats and toys. The arf program is free of charge and open to all guests traveling with pets.

What we Liked About Aloft Cleveland Downtown:

• The rooms were large and spacious
• Free WiFi all over the hotel
• Each room faces Lake Erie
• Coffee maker in each room
• Bliss Spa products in the bathrooms
• Camp Aloft (see above)
• ARF: Pet Friendly hotel – providing complimentary pet toys, beds, food and water bowls
• Fitness Center
• Re:Fuel – a 24/7 grab & go snack area – they had a large selection with healthy choices, all reasonably priced.

What You Need to Know About Aloft Cleveland Downtown:

• Valet parking is available. It is $20 per night before tax. Or you can park around the corner but it is outside in a lot.
• The XYZ Bar has a menu – bar food & light meals
• The bottom floor of the hotel has several different restaurant choices.
• You will want to drive to the various attractions in Cleveland or downtown.

We enjoyed our stay at Aloft Cleveland Downtown in downtown Cleveland and fully recommend it as an ideal location to stay with family. I like the fact that it is simple, non-fussy, and very affordable.

Click here to read our recommendations of the 6 Things to Do in Cleveland, Ohio with kids

Disclosure: My family was invited to stay at the Aloft Cleveland Downtown and were provided with a complementary stay.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.