I've been staying at this hotel for business travel for the past 8 years. The staff is fantastic...Morgan at the bar, Regina in the gym, etc. Front desk staff and concierge are problem solvers. Easy walk to Reds and Bengals games. The original Art Deco design is maintained beautifully, almost like stepping back in time. Rooms are clean and comfortable, sticking with a mildly updated reflection of the rest of the building. Hotel restaurant is SUPERB! One of the best in Cincinnati. Lots have been said in these reviews, but I must underscore the fitness facility. This is a regular, commercial gym with plenty of cardio and circuit machines. The real plus is the freeweight room; dumbbells up to 120lbs, multiple bench presses (incline, decline), squat racks, etc. If you find most hotel fitness rooms a little weak, this will make you happy. Full indoor pool, hot tub and steam room. Nice locker room and good offering of healthy snacks and beverages. Exec Lounge is perfect with an outdoor deck. Early check in (noon) has been accommodated for me many times...they just do it all RIGHT here.

Synopsis: I recommend this hotel. It may be too pricey for someone who just needs somewhere to stay overnight, but if you want finer touches on a special trip, stay here. Regarding other reviews of this property I read, you can have a rare bad experience anywhere. The question is, is it the norm or a fluke? At this hotel, it will be a fluke. As Hilton Honors members we've stayed at the Netherland Plaza Hilton 4 times now over the past 7 years. We travel 2 1/2 hours from Toledo, OH. The hotel is beautiful inside. The lobby is not huge, rather well-appointed. The guest rooms are varied in size (sometimes small), and there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to the room you get. If size does matter, you should call ahead and request a larger room. Our first trip we requested a room change because the room did seem rather small. However, on our last three stays our rooms were large and very enjoyable. I do know, however, that on our last stay the manager bumped us up to a larger room because we were HH members and they were slow (we didn't even request it, it was simply done for us). The restaurant is located within visual distance of the front desk and semi-private. The ceiling is open to the 2nd floor. I would rate it 3+ stars, and not your typical Hilton hotel restaurant. It has many plush booths and is classy. The bar is located near the entrance of the restaurant from the front desk, and most nights they have a piano player that takes requests. Breakfast is not free, but if you do pay it is quite a spread for the buffet. There is also a two-level shopping mall "under" the hotel, and it is where you will find the heated pool, jacuzzi spa and sauna. Note: The pool/spa/sauna are inside a privately owned gym that Hilton has a contract with. On our last stay the spa and pool were closed because the gym ran out of chemicals. It also limits the available time they are open. Hilton picked up the tab on our room service since we had 3 disappointed toddler boys who couldn't swim. The room service was impeccable. The downtown location can be a little dicey for those not comfortable driving city streets. You have to park in the garage next to the hotel for a fee, or use valet service for a charge.

I, my wife, and my 2 year old daughter reserved a Junior Suite this past Saturday night. We arrived at 3:45, 45 minutes past the 3pm check-in time. We were told that the hotel had given a substantial number of 2pm check-outs and thus, our room was not ready (and the front desk staff couldn't tell us when it would be ready). We were not alone--there were many people in the same boat. In fact, security was actively asking folks who were sitting on the floor waiting for their rooms to leave the lobby or risk having the police called on them.

At 4:30, it was impossible for us to keep waiting in the lobby with our 2 year old and we left the property for an early dinner. We received a call at 5:45 that our room was ready and we walked back to the hotel.

This delay was really frustrating and was not the experience that I would have expected at a flagship Hilton property and for a room that totaled $284 dollars (bed+breakfast package). We won't be back. Hilton staff, get your acts together and operate that hotel in the way it should be run.

The hotel is very easy to find, the lobby is extremely beautiful, and the staff is first rate! The staff is really one of the best trained and most helpful staff I've encountered in a long time. And it's every person, in every department on every shift. Unfortunately, you eventually have to go to your room. Small, awkwardly laid out, and a bathroom that is indescribably small. The ceilings in my room had boards screwed into them to cover openings of some type and the baseboards looked like the originals, including every coat of paint since this hotel originally opened way back when. How they get a four-star rating totally escapes me!

On a purely personal pet-peeve note: Hilton is about the last major chain to refuse to use fitted sheets on their beds. So you fight with the bed sheet all night. I could have spent less and stayed at a Holiday Inn in a room twice the size of this one and in much better condition. This place drove home the point of why I'm a Marriott loyalist.