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Where to stay in Cleveland

Cleveland stretches along Lake Erie, with its main areas linked by the RTA Red Line and the HealthLine buses on Euclid Avenue. Stay Downtown and in the Flats for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the stadiums and the riverfront; around Playhouse Square and East 4th Street for theatres and restaurants; or in University Circle for the free Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Clinic. The Red Line runs from the airport to downtown.

Find your area, then your hotel

Tap one of our picks, or any area, to see its hotels on the map, what it costs, where we'd book and how long it takes to get around.

In short: our pick for each kind of trip. Tap one to see why.

Should you stay in

Downtown & the Flats?

Rock Hall, stadiums & the riverfront

What a night costs

Budget
$180
Mid-range
$230
Luxury
$265

2nd cheapest of 3 areas, about $75 a night less than University Circle.

Where we'd book

The verdict

The centre of Cleveland, with Public Square, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on the lakefront, the Browns' and Guardians' stadiums, the historic Arcade and the bars of the Flats on the Cuyahoga River.

  • Stay here if
  • First-time visitors
  • Sports fans
  • Convention visitors
  • Look elsewhere if
  • You want leafy, quiet streets
  • You want museums of art and music halls on the doorstep
  • You want lively streets every night

Minutes to the sights

  • Public Square4 minwalk
  • The Arcade9 minwalk
  • Rocket Arena13 minwalk
  • West Side Market13 min
  • Huntington Bank Field16 minwalk
  • Progressive Field17 minwalk

Stations and airports

0 min to Public Square. Tower City station on Public Square is the hub for the Red, Blue and Green Lines, with trains to the airport. The HealthLine runs along Euclid Avenue to Playhouse Square and University Circle.

  • From Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)RTA Red Line from the airport to Tower City25 min
Read the full Downtown & the Flats guide →

Typical rates for a double outside peak events, not live prices. Updated Oct 2026 · How we rate areas · Minutes planned with the Transitous (MOTIS on published GTFS timetables and OpenStreetMap) for a weekday, including walking and waiting · Booking through our links costs you nothing extra and may earn us a commission. Learn more

Cleveland questions

What is the best area to stay in Cleveland for first-timers?

Downtown & the Flats puts the big sights within easy reach and is 0 minutes from Public Square. Playhouse Square & East 4th are good alternatives.

Which area of Cleveland has the cheapest hotels?

Playhouse Square & East 4th and Downtown & the Flats, with budget hotels from around $160 and mid-range around $210–$230 a night.

Where is the best nightlife in Cleveland?

Playhouse Square & East 4th has the most bars, restaurants and late nights.

Is it worth staying outside central Cleveland?

It can save around $0 a night on a mid-range room compared with University Circle, but adds travel time. University Circle is 20 minutes from Public Square.