DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cleveland Downtown - Lakeside

The garage elevator was broken, and the elevator had no security lock, so anyone could walk in off the street and go up to the rooms. Handy if you're getting Uber Eats delivered, I guess. The breakfast buffet costs $25 plus tax and tip, even though other hotels offer one for free. The staff were busy, and check-in was a mess. We had to wait about an hour from our first check-in point to get moved into the adjoining rooms we'd been promised. The rooms looked rundown and needed deeper cleaning, with peeling wallpaper, missing tiles, and bleached spots on the wallpaper. They may have been surface-cleaned, but that's about it.

The wallpaper was peeling from the walls and ceilings, there was hair all over the room and bathroom, the shower stayed lukewarm even on its hottest setting, and the microwave was unplugged. We won't be back. My husband and I visit Cleveland a couple of times a year, and we'll choose another hotel from now on. Don't waste your money. There was also confusion about the garage exit. At check-in, the front desk asked if I'd parked in the garage, and I said yes, but gave me no further information. When we left, we asked whether to leave the room keys at the desk, and were told yes. Only as we were leaving the garage did a passing staff member tell us we needed those keys to exit because the charge was already on our room. We said no one had told us, and he insisted someone must have. We definitely weren't told.

The lake and city view was nice, but that's about the only good thing I can say. On my second stay, I found the hotel still old, dirty, neglected, and carrying the same stale smell as before. I gave it another chance after the first visit, thinking maybe I'd been unlucky or they were renovating, but nothing seems to have improved. At these rates, the property is absolutely not worth it, and I won't be back or recommend it unless location is all that matters and you have no other choice. The room had grime and dust built up on the window frames and sills, and the sticky, worn carpet had cables running across it in a way that felt unsafe and improvised. Walls and doors were scuffed and stained, with hand marks and scratches, especially near the bathroom. The musty old carpet smell mixed with cleaning product that didn't cover it. In the bathroom, the chipped tub looked badly repainted and was peeling again, the caulk around the tub and tiles was discolored, and the drain and fixtures felt worn out, like a budget roadside motel. This isn't about expecting a new building. I travel and understand older properties, but this room's poor maintenance and cleanliness made me uncomfortable. I stayed last week and can't understand the rates for the condition of the hotel. I'm adding photos so people can see it for themselves.

I booked three nights last week but left after one because I couldn't handle the property's smell and filth, or the staff's lack of care. My first stay a few years ago was almost as bad. They seem not to have fixed anything since then, just tried to take as much money as possible before leaving. Typical hotel ownership groups. Crescent Hotels should be ashamed. A couple of staff members I encountered were good, and it's awful that all the staff will now be laid off. I saw in the news today that the hotel is closing at the end of this month. In my opinion, about five years too late. The closure report says DoubleTree by Hilton in Downtown Cleveland, at 1111 Lakeside Ave E, is to shut permanently on January 30, 2026, laying off about 66 employees, according to a notice sent to the city, county, and state of Ohio. The company cited business reasons beyond its control and said it couldn't take remedial steps to avoid closing. Built in 1973, the 17-story, 378-room hotel used to operate as a Holiday Inn. Cami Hotel Investments bought it in 2007 for $10.7 million, followed by a $15 million renovation completed the next year, according to a Hotel Online press release. Despite its location near Lake Erie, Huntington Bank Field, home of the NFL's Cleveland Browns, and several museums, the hotel has struggled financially in recent years.