My wife and I were recently in Cleveland for a long weekend to catch a Cavs-Celtics game and see the sights. Before I review this hotel, I'd just like to say that a lot of the bad stuff people say is totally unfounded. The people were friendly, there was tons to do, and I never felt unsafe.
That being said, I have to give kudos to the Drury Plaza in downtown Cleveland. Taking every factor into consideration (price, location, quality of room, amenities), this hotel is pretty close to perfect. Let me outline the good and bad for easy reference.
The Good
- The price of our room was great, especially considering the hotel offered free breakfast and free evening "kick back," with finger food stuff like nachos and hot dogs.
- The location was nearly perfect. The RNR HOF, science center, Cleveland Browns stadium, convention center, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (Cavs arena), and a bunch of restaurants and things to do (go visit Heinen's, a cool grocery store in an amazing old building) are within a half mile of the hotel. Plenty of museums and other things to do are within a short Uber ride.
- The quality of the room was just fine. Nothing super special, but our room was comfortable and large enough for the two of us.
- The valets were all friendly and efficient. We only valeted a car one night, but our interactions there were good.
- The quality of the free breakfast was better than most free buffet breakfasts.
- Finally, the hotel is in an old education building. The architecture outside and in the lobby is absolutely amazing.
The Bad
There's nothing really earth-shattering wrong with this hotel, but there are a couple nits I could pick:
- If this hotel had a shuttle, it would be an A+. There are some things in Cleveland that are just outside of a good walking distance (like the botanical garden and Cleveland history museum). If there was a shuttle, this hotel would be close to nearly everything!
- Our hotel was only slightly off the elevators, and the area around the elevators have floors and ceilings that really carry sound. When people would get out of the elevators, it would be a little loud. Just ask to be further off the elevators.
- We interacted with two front desk clerks. One was awesome, but the other seemed kind of put out by my questions...not BAD service, but more indifferent.
That's about it. I can't recommend this hotel highly enough. The minor bads were barely a blemish compared to the goods. This hotel gets a solid A.
