Cherry Valley Hotel

The courtyard was lovely, and every meal I tried was delicious. The fireplace was inviting, and there were fresh blankets to get cozy with. I was snowed in on my first visit, with 12-14 inches of snow, but the hotel had staff on hand and seemed prepared. The rooms were clean, the front desk was easy to reach, and the restaurant and pub were right there. Everyone was genuinely kind and tried to make things pleasant during a tough stretch. When it was time to leave, Kobi and Jake even shoveled out a lot of our cars. That felt like going the extra mile.

We’ve held small company meetings at Cherry Valley Hotel and Event Center in Newark, Ohio, and the flexible, well-equipped spaces work well for training, team building, and getting people together. The peaceful courtyard is a great place to take a break. It’s also become our favorite place to stay, whatever the season. There’s greenery and water in the courtyard, and it feels relaxing all year round. Nicole and the friendly staff are always warm and attentive, and they make each visit feel special. The rooms are comfortable and clean, the onsite dining is good, and the service is top-notch. We’ll be back.

Our second visit was a very different experience from the first, and the pool area was the biggest disappointment. The hot tub wasn’t working, though nobody had mentioned that on the website or at check-in. I hope it was closed for a full repair and rebuild. The pool looked grimy, with words and letters showing through all the scum on the walls. Our daughters jumped in before we realized how dirty it was, and they were out again within minutes. I’m convinced it hadn’t been cleaned in many, many months. The double-bed rooms also seemed to fall short on cleanliness. In our first room, there was too much mold in the bathroom, especially in the tub, which also looked unclean. We told the front desk that we’re all allergic to mold, and they moved us with an apology, but the next room wasn’t much better. Staff conversations suggested the other double rooms were kept to similar standards. It didn’t have the clean, fresh smell of our first room, and the bathroom was cramped, with a small tub and toilet in a tiny room and the sink outside. We found lots of crumbs and what looked like an old piece of fruit under the sofa while searching for something we’d misplaced. That’s a sharp contrast with our first stay, which was a lovely two-night getaway for just my husband and me. Ali, the front desk manager, gave us a warm welcome and messaged after check-in to make sure the room was okay. It was very clean, the bed was genuinely comfortable, and the bathroom was spacious with a clean, large soaking tub. I also liked the natural-ingredient toiletries, which included soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash with a light, musky scent. We really enjoyed the onsite Craftsman’s Kitchen both times. The Cali Chicken Sandwich was my favorite, and our daughters liked their breakfast platters and fries. The fruit was overripe, but the meal was good overall. Morgan was a delightful server, attentive and happy to chat, and she even gave the girls a little gift as we left. We arrived later than planned, and I think she may have had to stay past her shift, but she was still so pleasant and made the visit better. We’re giving Cherry Valley Hotel three stars. If we’d reviewed only the first visit, before seeing the pool and the other rooms, it would have been five. It could be a beautiful retreat with a pool and hot tub that have been thoroughly cleaned or updated, and double rooms renovated to the same cleanliness standard as the single-bed rooms. We have family in Columbus and stay several times a year, so we may check back. We’d be happy to return if those changes happen.

Nicole at the front desk helped turn a bar-tender mix-up and delay into a really nice night. My beautiful bride and I had a wonderful time at Cherry Valley Hotel. The pool was also just the right temperature.