Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter, a riverfront hotel with views of the Ohio River and Cincinnati’s downtown skyline, and in proximity to Cincinnati’s eclectic food and beverage scene, has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation.
“We draw inspiration primarily from the local area and community,” said Staci Patton, the design principal/leader of DLR Group’s Hospitality Studio. “We look at the history and ask questions, what created the city and neighborhood, what is the industry, what is the local culture, who are our neighbors and what about the city makes them proud? We visit the site in-person in order to experience the neighborhood and culture first hand and have an opportunity to speak with locals and ask questions.”
In addition to the completed renovations of the property’s 321 guestrooms, meeting spaces and public spaces, the new M Club and Marriot Greatroom are now available to both leisure and business travelers looking to catch up on work, grab a quick bite to eat in between meetings or wind down at the end of an exhausting day.
“The prominent location of the Marriott Cincinnati at RiverCenter on the banks of the Ohio River with stunning views of the Cincinnati skyline and its adjacency to the magnificent Roebling Bridge was very influential in our design,” said Christopher Berenfeld, senior associate at DLR Group, who was also the senior project designer on the project. “The Marriott is the threshold between the City of Covington and the heart of downtown Cincinnati directly connected by an architecturally and historically significant bridge putting the best of both cities within walking distance to guests. We drew heavily from the region’s bourbon-making heritage, skilled industry and the Ohio River.”
The property’s spacious guestrooms have been modernized. Each of the guestrooms has all new case and softgoods, enhanced resilient wood-look flooring, a walk-in shower, an in-room safe, complimentary WiFi, a well-lit desk, a coffee maker, mini-refrigerator and a smart TV. Many of the property’s guestrooms also offer guests balcony views of the not only colorful but vibrant Cincinnati skyline, and the city’s beloved Ohio River.
Conveniently connected to the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, which has 100,000 sq. ft. of event and meeting space, Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter has nearly 13,000 sq. ft. of total event and meeting space. All of the property’s event rooms have been renovated, including the Riverview ballroom, which doubled in size to 4,200 sq. ft., and includes floor-to-ceiling windows and a waterfront private balcony providing panoramic views of the Cincinnati skyline, and the Kentucky room, which expanded to 1,155 sq. ft. and has floor-to-ceiling windows. The events and meeting space has 10 breakout rooms in total.
“The story [of the design] is one of connection, juxtaposition, heritage and optimism with the ultimate goal of creating an authentic sense of place to all guests whether local, national or international,” Berenfeld said.
Also new to the property is the 1,700-sq.-ft. M Club, a 24/7 lounge where Marriott Bonvoy members of all levels can retreat, recharge and refocus; and a reinvented Marriott Greatroom, which offers guests modern and comfortable spaces, food & beverage, technology, guest services and ambiance.
Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter also has an on-site fitness center, a Marriott Health & Fitness Club, a full-service business center, complimentary high-speed internet, an indoor lap pool and other amenities.
“We see strong trends in the hospitality industry that the lines between business and leisure are quickly blurring,” Berenfeld said. “We focus on crafting experiences that support all our guest’s needs. This is done through providing spaces and opportunities for a myriad of interactions and moods and supported by the technology we need to keep us connected including spaces for formal business meetings, large celebrations, casual intimate gatherings and even secluded corners to focus or take a call. We constantly ask ourselves how to best enrich the time our guests have in the place they are and it comes down to caring about the details and ensuring our concept speaks to the guest through all aspects of our design.”
The Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter is only steps away from the Ohio River and within walking distance to Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ballpark.
AWH Development, a full-service real estate development company, renovated the property. Spire Hospitality, a nationally recognized third-party hotel management company manages it. Both companies are owned by AWH Partners LLC, a privately held real estate investment firm that purchased the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter with Opterra Capital in 2018.
“We had an amazing time working on this project with AWH the ownership team, the hotel staff and all the local contractors, tradespeople and artisans that helped bring our design to life,” Patton said. “Cincinnati, Covington and the Northern Kentucky region is a special place with a unique character, and we hope in some way that our design contributes to guests and locals experiencing the best it has to offer. DLR Group finds this project to be a reflection of where the industry will head in a post-COVID era with a return to travel ramping up. It is even more important to refresh as much as a property can to stay competitive in that new marketplace as we all return.”
