My cousin and Iattended a convention held at the Netherland. An added allure was that Cincinnati was her hometown and as a teen she had attended many proms and other events at the hotel.

The redo is absolutely excellent -- and I was viewing it with a pro!

We had read the tripadvisor.com reviews and were a bit worried about the parking. However, because of our event discount, the valet parking cost less than the self park, so we decided to take a chance. Calling ahead to the number on our ticket, we had absolutely no problems getting our car in a timely fashion.

The elevators are a bit slow -- rather than being "dedicated" to a specific set of floors, each goes to all floors. However, one just learns to factor this in. The only time we found it to be a problem was at check-out: doors opened and we were faced with an elevator full of people and luggage.

It took us five passes before we were able to squeeze in: the lower your floor, the more time you should allow. And, it's not the people, it's the luggage: remember that when the hotel was built, no guest would have considered hauling his or her own bags!

Because I am a gold-level Hilton Honors member, we were given concierge privileges. There was a very nice continental breakfast each morning; in the evening, there were very hearty appetizers and reasonably priced drinks ($5 for a glass of wine ... and that included tax and tip). The Lounge also had computers with internet access, several wide-screen TVs, and complimentary newspapers.

The group dinners were acceptable for convention food; and, again, were quite reasonably priced for this type of affair. The meeting rooms were very nice; and the staff was very accommodating.

Our room was lovely -- the bath was a bit small but it had been redone in the original style of the hotel, so we didn't mind. The water was hot and the towels were soft (in fact, all the linens were super).

My only complaint was with the Hilton central reservations service. I could not book through the internet because the service did not recognize my event code. I called the 800 number and made my reservation; however, when I got internet confirmation, I found I had been given a queen bed (I was never given a choice but had said that we were now one but might be two .. the clerk apparently assumed that the two of us were a couple when, in fact, we are female cousins). When my cousin indicated that she was indeed coming, I immediately called and was told that I should order a roll-away, at an additional charge of $30 per night; I placed a provisional request and called the hotel directly.

The hotel told me they could not give me a guarantee of two beds but would note it on my reservation. I am happy to say we were accommodated -- but I feel strongly that when I first called I should have been asked for my preference. This was, of course, not the fault of the hotel.

All in all, staying at the Netherland was a treat -- if you're going to Cincinnati, don't pass this by.

We are a couple in our mid-30s, and we stayed here for a wedding recently. We are well-traveled, but not snooty (we've stayed in every place from 1-star to 5-star places).

Pros: The lobby is beautiful with its art deco style. The front desk clerks were very helpful and friendly. Check-in was easy. Brunch at the Palms Court is tasty, albeit small. The hotel is in a primo location - across the street is Macy's and Saks in case you need a last-minute dress, gift, or tie. You're in walking distance from the sports stadiums and you're in the heart of downtown. There's even a mall in the lower level of the hotel. Very convenient. The bathrooms are very clean with Crabtree & Evelyn bath products. The bed is awesome - we had a king bed with a nice striped comforter, and it was very comfortable. The A/C ran well, and no problems technically. Alarm clock was nifty and even had an MP3 hookup.

Cons: Slow like molasses elevators, thin walls (we could hear everything our neighbors said), night construction noises (who does construction at 3 am?), tiny standard rooms (the suites with 2 queen beds are gigantic, however), closets were tiny, too - not a lot of storage space. If you're in a room near the elevator, you can always hear the BING! when the door opens. On wedding weekends, elevators take a long time, valet takes 45 minutes to an hour, crowds of people horde the lobby, and people run screaming up and down the hallways drunk at 3-4 am. Hotel needs to take better control of loud, unruly guests. I didn't sleep at all that night.

It's not a bad place. For location and a good bed and clean room (if you don't care about it being tiny), it's primo. For a place to relax and feel pampered, not really. If you stay here when it's not overrun with people attending a softball tourney or multiple wedding, it might actually be a great place to stay.