Hyatt Regency Cleveland @ The Arcade- Cleveland, OH

The Cleveland Arcade is nothing short of magnificent. Delicate and airy, it remains largely unchanged from its 1890s appearance. One change, however, is the addition of several floors of hotel rooms above the Arcade’s storefronts, just under its fabulous soaring skylight.

Funded by heavy hitters like John D. Rockefeller, and modeled after Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Cleveland’s Arcade is one of the last remaining Victorian shopping structures in the United States. Delicate iron balconies and vintage lamps decorate the five story space, which is topped by an 1800 pane skylight. Although the Arcade originally housed shops and offices, in 2001 Hyatt redeveloped the top three floors of the atrium into hotel space.

The result is probably what you would imagine. Leaving no original interior architectural details, save the high ceilings, the rooms are fairly sterile, modern spaces. Very comfortable and clean, but largely lacking any historical character. The addition of a sitting room in the space closest to the atrium is an interesting touch, however. Rather, the magic here is all outside the rooms. Every bit as beautiful as when it was built, the Arcade itself largely retains its original design and features.

Although the first two floors are accessible to the public during the day, the entire space becomes a private sanctuary at night. It feels like a true return to the Victorian era, albeit much cleaner. An almost sacred space, the common areas will impress any architectural aficionado. The central location and comfortable rooms will impress everyone else.