The Fidelity Hotel Brings Luxury Boutique Chic to Downtown Cleveland
The new hotel honors its historic setting and offers a central location for optimal downtown Cleveland exploring
A trip to Cleveland might include a visit to see iconic electric guitars at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and or hear symphonies played by Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Music Center. This Ohio city boasts an abundance of sports arenas, waterfront parks, beaches, restaurants and breweries along the southern shore of Lake Eerie. The Fidelity, a new luxury boutique hotel in downtown Cleveland, honors the history of the historic building it inhabits, while celebrating the independent creative spirit of the city.
Opened earlier this year, this 11-story hotel breathes new life into the historic Baker Building, originally built in 1919 for the Fidelity Mortgage Company. The neighborhood, once known as Short Vincent, just east of the Public Square, was originally an entertainment destination for burlesque clubs. With art deco flair, vintage ephemera and a contemporary art collection, the Fidelity Hotel offers 97 guest rooms that include nine suites and two penthouses.
With interior design by Curioso and Looney & Associates, the warm colors, floral wallpaper, hand painted murals and brass details create a cozy and inviting environment. Art Deco-inspired elements thread throughout the interiors, subtly echoing the building’s original era.
Throughout the hotel are tactile reminders of the building’s classic craftsmanship. The reception desk, sculpted from mappa burl wood, has been finished in a soft lacquer. Lauren Pearce’s gorgeous paintings of women flanked by florals hang behind the front desk. Throughout the hotel, layers of fabric and textures are complimented by hardwood floors, marble, stone and antiqued mirrors.
With the challenging demands of preservation and constraints of updating an historic structure, the interior design of the guest rooms embrace the variety of layouts to create custom looks for each one. Each room has been outfitted with vintage and contemporary furniture, Bellino linens and Parachute robes.
The hotel’s eclectic art collection features original works by Ohio artists, including a series of quilted fabric pieces by textile artist Felice Dahlhausen. Her “Buds and Blooms series” are displayed in the guest floor hallways. Delicate glazed ceramic pin flowers by ceramic artist Kristen Cliffel greet guests just inside the front doors while Ryan Jaenke’s vibrant geometric pieces add visual interest to the ground floor elevator lobby. Throughout the space, you’ll find vintage ephemera like restaurant matchbooks, pennants, local publications and giclée reproductions of historic art pieces by Cleveland-based companies and sports teams.
The Club Room features all-day dining with a full bar, classic dishes and regional ingredients. Located just off the bar, The Snug Room is adorned with a hand-painted mural of orchids, red poppies and calla lilies by Cleveland artist Lari Jacobsen. The Vine pattern on the wall and in the ceiling medallion references Severance Hall. Look for Jacobsen’s charming tribute to the city: a meticulously hand-painted piece titled “Iconic Cleveland Mural,” featuring a small purple fruit and the local idiom “New York’s the Big Apple, but Cleveland’s a Plum” in gold letters.
The secluded intersection of 6th Street and Vincent Avenue provides an ideal central location to drive to Ohio City to the west and the Cleveland Museum of Art to the East. In the neighborhood iconic landmarks are easily walkable. The Cleveland Public Library, built in 1925, houses their collections and exhibits. On the third floor, elaborately designed cases house the Special Collections including rap and hip-hop history of the city near the historic Reading Room. Recently in Brett Hall’s grand ground floor entrance, FriendsWithYou installed an interactive art exhibit called “the BAND,” which stands for Biodigital Autonomous Neural Dancers. Its large, mesmerizing furry robots reacted to movement in the space, delighting children and adults alike. Next door, the Louis Stokes Building’s 10th floor offers sweeping views of the city.
Across the street from the library, the landmark The Arcade Cleveland, built in 1890, was the first indoor shopping center in the US and is Cleveland’s first building to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buy a coffee at Rising Star Coffee Roasters on the street level entrance and wander the majestic space that feels like a majestic time capsule.
Back at the Fidelity Hotel, order a cocktail at the Club Room. Sipping an East West Old Fashioned made with rye, Nikka Coffey grain whiskey and house bitters might just be the perfect way to end a day exploring Cleveland.
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