Newly renovated, the Crowne Plaza Cleveland Airport in Middleburg Heights, just south of Cleveland, Ohio is a comfortable stay with convenient access to downtown Cleveland and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The breakfast included with our rate, the restaurant/bar, the swimming pool, and the exercise room make the Crowne Plaza a formidable contender among the other lodging options in the area.
We arrived in the middle of the afternoon to a friendly welcome from the reception staff who give out travel advice, smiles and, in my case, toothpaste. The Crowne Plaza’s updates turned the lobby into a space of varying textures and earth tones. The stone accent wall and wood counters are visually interesting focal points of this large space that includes places for lounging and the business center.
Although this is one of the older hotels in the area, updates place it firmly in the contemporary zone. Mixed in with the earth tones are splashes of color in the modern art and accent chairs. Amenities have the modern traveler in mind.
Our king bed room. for example, had an armchair of a gorgeous eggplant shade that was complimented by the framed abstract art. Other aesthetically pleasing pluses, were the well-placed light fixtures and the textured white comforter cover. Rooms are equipped with 32 inch flat screen TVs, a refrigerator, coffee maker, and free WiFi.
Although the hotel caters to the traveler in transit, attention to details and offerings allude to courting folks for a repeat visit. The hotel’s restaurant bar combo Tavolo 72 focus’s on Italian cuisine that incorporates local flavors like Ohio City Pasta and Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold beer. Unfortunately, I was full when I stopped in the restaurant to see the offerings, but was pleased to see the breakfast spread in the morning.
The bounty included a variety of breakfast meats, eggs, sausage and gravy, yogurt, fresh baked pastries, fresh fruit and more. The waiter who served coffee and juice was attentive and interested in making sure we ended up with whatever item we needed.
Other hotel standouts were the pool and the exercise room. The pool is large enough to accommodate several people including frolicking children. In addition to the elliptical machines, exercise bikes, treadmills, free weights and exercise balls, the fitness center has maps that give runners and walkers an idea of where to head outside.
Airline crews, students on college visits to Baldwin Wallace University and folks visiting family are among the travelers who we met during our stay.
For anyone looking for a breakfast buffet or an Italian meal, I’d give Tavalo 72 a try. Crowne Plaza has free parking which makes another bonus. If you’re heading to the airport, the shuttle is free. You can leave your car up to 15 days.
Of the 238 guestrooms, the mix includes rooms with two queen beds and suites. We booked our room at Hotels.com. Our king room was $116.51 including tax. We did pick the option for the included buffet breakfast. I would definitely stay here again. Check out the hotel’s website for deals.
Post and photos by Jamie Rhein
