This is probably the quirkiest hotel I've ever visited. The decor is so odd and escentric. From monkey star wallpaper to a ground made of an old gym floor to the tiger lamps and so much more. The rooms are comfortable and large. I've stayed here twice now and the 2nd time, I got a corner room and it was HUGE. It had a comfy bed and a large lounge chair and plenty of floor space. I was very comfortable throughout my stay. The restaraunt in the hotel serves very good breakfast too. I have tried almost all of their options and they were all yummy. I like their tater tots and sandwiches and breakfast plates. I come here for a few days every year and I am glad this is the hotel I stay at. read more

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Pluses: the rate was reasonable, the cleaning staff and front desk were effective and personable (a special thank you to the front desk worker who printed an article for me), and the rooms were well-equipped and clean. On the other hand, the coffee shop and bar staff were impossibly slow and indifferent and well...the daily parking rate thing just rubs me entirely the wrong way. It's $20 for all-day, in-out access, but...you aren't given the opportunity to decline it, and, wait for it...it's otherwise only $10 to park your car in the garage for 24 hours! Given that I was at a conference on campus snd didn't need to drive anywhere, this effectively means that you're punushed for staying in the hotel by paying twice the parking rate on a non-resident. There are enough good things that I'd likely stay there again, but there's room for improvement. read more

We stayed at Graduate Cincinnati for a night because of its distance to a concert venue and of course because of its unique style and decor. We checked in on a Sunday afternoon, hoping to grab some food and drinks at the hotel bar but to our dismay, it was closed. Our room was a balcony suite and it was adorably decorated, spacious and came with a wicked view. Even though the bar was closed, we came prepared with our own booze. After settling in we were ready to get some ice and wind down with some cocktails but we couldn't find an ice bucket anywhere. I called down to the front desk but it just rang and rang until I gave up and hung up the phone. I was going to walk down to the front desk when I ran into one of the housekeepers who informed the ice buckets were placed inside the clothes dresser. Super obvious, right? The balcony suite made up for the couple disappointments we had and it was a great room to come back to after the concert we attended. read more

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Clean rooms, friendly staff. Definitely an experience with the ambience. $20 for parking garage. Breakfast isn't free but we're not into hotel food. Will be coming back read more

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The Graduate Cincinnati was a very pleasant stay! It is located on the University of Cincinnati's campus. Has access to the Children's hospital and all the other hospitals in the area. A very busy area, however, it's nestled off the super busy main road. The hotel staff was composed of students, and check-in for me was pretty smooth. The decor of the hotel is very artistic! Cool art and photography! The huge pencil coming from the ground was dope and the big green hippo was cool too. I believe the hippo is a famous one located at the Zoo that is literally, up the street. In walking distance, if you'd like. She may be named Fionna, but don't "come for me" if I got that incorrect. Lol Pool tables, and outdoor seating area, bar, coffee/bistro and food, this place was the perfect stay for seven full days. Guess what?!? Skyline restaurant is right around the corner. Say about 3-5 minutes, driving! Winning for an authentic 5 way chili spaghetti! I loved the room keys that featured past students who were athletes! Very cool concept here and I would definitely stay another week. read more

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Clean, quirky decor, really good food at Cafe Poindexter and restaurant Fiona's.. But it's the staff that's so surprisingly accommodating and helpful, ready to help, not on their phones, knowledgeable and provide services (like a list of recommended/ available outside restaurants). read more

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Some of us stayed at Graduate Cincinnati for 4 nights for a recent conference. The hotel is cute and quirky...and sort of retro style looking. This hotel reminded me why sometimes it's good to steer away from hotel chain Mxxxtt that I usually frequented. It had its own charm for sure. I liked that the hotel staff from front desk and coffee shop to room attendant and bar were all very pleasant to interact with, so I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again. While it's not the closest hotel to the main conference center at UC, it's only around 20 min walk...and many people at the conference actually walked there! The only thing that could have made my stay a bit better way, being further away from the ice vending machine (gosh..the machine could be loud if someone used the ice bucket that the hotel provided). Ok...maybe larger menu / longer opening hours for food/drinks, too. Overall, though, a nice stay and I was pleasantly happy to have stayed here! read more

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This is a FUN place to stay. The unique decor is very pleasing and entertaining. We really enjoyed our visit there.

I love staying at the Graduate hotels but the service here was exceptional! Normally I stay for business but this stay was unplanned as my grandson was admitted to children's Hospital. The staff was so accommodating and made this experience as less stressful as possible. read more

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Stayed here for a night over the weekend. The room was clean and very spacious - double queen room. The person at the check in desk was helpful and friendly. So much so that we reserved a room to stay again in a couple weeks for another night out! The decorations in the rooms are pretty cool. I've been in a room visiting a friend before, but this was my first time having a personal reservation. So it was neat to see the similarities and differences across rooms. Love the fixtures, furniture, and artwork! We stopped at the bar to grab a drink before heading out for the evening. The bartender was conversing with other patrons and we had to get her attention twice before she came over to get our drink orders. It was not what I would consider busy, so the wait was hard to excuse. Will likely skip drinks at the hotel if it's the same person next time. read more

I stayed at the Graduate for two nights and it was great! Parking was easy in/easy out in their garage, the room was whimsical and fun (it was my first time in Cincinnati so the themed room was delightful), the bed was beyond comfortable, and the coffee shop and restaurant in the lobby were very convenient. I didn't eat on site but one evening I did get a cocktail at the bar and took it to the lovely patio outside to sip while doing a bit of work. The coffee shop was pricey and service was fairly slow the morning I was there. Cold brew was great, tho! Also it's a great location, too! Right by the university and the zoo. I ended up going to the zoo the day I checked out so I took my car from the garage but if you're staying here I'd highly recommend leaving your car there and just walking or taking an uber over since the parking lot there was a huge pain to exit. They also have bikes you can borrow but alas I wasn't there long enough to enjoy that particular perk. Lobby is spacious and very colorful. Lots of photo ops here and spaces to co-work or meet up with folks in or outside. read more

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My boyfriend and I were in town for only one night and after a coworker said this hotel was reasonably priced and a little quirky, I decided to stop looking elsewhere and to just book online to say I completed that to-do item for the day. I didn't think about it again until we were on our way. We arrived to find a hotel near campus, check-in was easy, but parking and getting to our room was a little confusing. It could have used more signage. That being said, our room was on the seventh floor and it was just what we needed. The bed was comfy, the room was clean, it had a nice view, and it wasn't tiny. We had plenty of space. We were in town for a concert and didn't get back to our room until late that night, but the time we did spend there was nice. If you're into funky wallpaper, Cincinnati memorabilia, a central location, and a coffee shop in the lobby, this hotel will do you right. read more

Graduate by Hilton Cincinnati - View from Our room - Hotels Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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What a neat place with a lot of character! We stayed here one night because we had concert tickets down the road. My husband picked the place. I wasn't too thrilled about it at first when I looked it up online but changed my mind when I got there. I loved the decor and atmosphere. It was really fun and appropriate for a college campus. I didn't get any pictures and really regret it. There is a coffee shop/counter downstairs where you can also order food. It IA really convenient. We will definitely be back next time we are in town! read more

Fun fun fun Hotel.... Deco is quirky, bright and still feels welcoming. Room was clean, large with very nice bathroom. I have only one problem with my stay which really frustrated me. At night there is a wonderful bar with fantastic service. The next morning we came down for breakfast and it really soured my morning. Two of us ordered, waited for our food getting several items including coffee, OJ, fruit cup..etc...I asked for some kind of tray since we are in our 70's and they had nothing.. she gave me a plate..Really!! After several trips back and forth to our table, I watched as I ate.... I was not the only one more than frustrated with the situation, mom with two small children, woman with a walker...no help at all with staff, no thoughts of reading the room. This needs to be fixed. Being Starbucks type area, is fine, expensive, with so many wrongs. Someone needs to change this quickly.. read more

This is a super cute hotel with great design though I'm still not sure what demographic it's aimed at. It has close proximity to the zoo and aquarium. The restaurant downstairs is decent. We stayed in the executive suite, which was huge and equipped with two bathrooms and a spacious dining table. Would stay again. read more

This hotel is a short 10 minute drive from downtown Cincinnati and the Great American Ball Park. We chose this hotel primarily based on cost, but we were pleasantly surprised by how clean and new everything appeared. This hotel is a fun, artistic twist compared to most hotel chains in that they include local history and art in their public spaces and hotel rooms. The beds were very comfortable and the room and bathroom were clean. Daily Housekeeping services are temporarily suspended during the pandemic, but we had everything we needed for our weekend stay. The shower was a big walk in shower (without a tub) with great water pressure. The bathroom counter was large and both my husband and I could get ready at the same time. There are ice machines on several floors, but no vending machines. Parking is provided in the sub-level parking garage for $10/day. Hotel guests can use their room keys to enter and exit the garage as many times as needed during the stay. We were visiting in August and had no issues finding a parking space in the garage. The only confusing item is that the hotel check-in is on the 2nd floor and not the ground/first floor; the first level has conference rooms. There's also a coffee shop called Poindexters on the 2nd floor that has coffee and breakfast items available for purchase. My husband and I ordered two breakfast burritos and they were large and filling! They appeared homemade and not a frozen, microwaved breakfast burrito. We used Uber and Lyft to get to the ball park one night and had no issues with either service getting us to and from the hotel. My husband and I would stay here again in the future. I would recommend this hotel for families and couples. read more

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We stayed here after I had a surgery, so we booked an ADA room. All of the accessible features were extremely well thought out and helpful. We did not wait too long to check in, and the place is just absolutely kooky and adorable. They theme the hotel around Cincinnati specific things (Coneys, flying pigs, reds gear), but do it in just such a unique and kitschy way. There are lots of communal spaces and options for entertaining yourself (games, books, pool table) and the food options were good and affordable. The first night I had a bartender be kinda rude to me, but her coworker saved the day (realized I was fresh out of surgery and just really wanted to grab quick takeout and go to my room). The next day when we went down, the bartender in question was incredibly nice and attentive so I think maybe just a bad day or a misscommunication. There were lots of families staying there but somehow it remained un-rowdy and we enjoyed peaceful nights in our room. Did I mention room was the cheapest hotel in the area those nights? The quality was worth twice what we paid, for sure. read more

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One of the best hotel experiences I have had. Beautiful views of parks and gardens from both main sides, easy undercover (and included in fees) parking, kind and helpful staff, convenient restaurant and coffee stand, all centrally located. I am looking forward to returning for pleasure next time. Really solid value, for the money. read more

Positive experience, cute hotel, kind staff. I doubt I'll come back because it's by the university and so far from downtown, but otherwise I would recommend it! read more

We only stayed for one night, but I could've spent a week here very comfortably. The room had a separate living room space with its own door (this is where the mini fridge was). The bedroom had a big bed, desk, plush chair, and very modern bathroom. Quirky decor touches made it all stand out, and lots of them were local references (like Coney dogs or The Beast from Kings Island). The hotel lobby itself was very well-themed. Friendly staff provided good service. Hope that we just saw it on an off-day, as it wasn't busy at all - this place is a hipster paradise. Definitely with your time. read more

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I really enjoyed my stay! The front desk staff are on point Kari (not sure of spelling) was super nice and the guy late night when we checked out was too! The quirky atmosphere and friendly staff helped make this stay fun! read more

Graduate by Hilton Cincinnati - Hotels Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Loved the vibe of this hotel. Fun, friendly place in such a great location near the University and hospitals. Only complaint is that the conditioner bottle in the shower was empty, and never refilled in the 3 days we were there, despite my request. The beds were a little soft for our taste, but I'm sure others would love them. All in all a great experience and I would stay there again. read more

What a unique place to stay for a weekend in Cincinnati! On UC campus, parking is pretty easy-- all good things, but the best part is the fun decor in the lobbies and in the hotel room! AirBnB charm with the amenities of a hotel! Love it! read more

Came here Mother's Day Weekend to surprise my mom with a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo and I was pleasantly surprised! They are super affordable and a completely one of a kind hotel experience. Geared clearly towards UC alum and potential students visiting campus but it totally works. Floor to ceiling this entire place it one enormous art exhibit. You're even able to scan pictures of the artwork from their app on your phone to get more details about different pieces. Their room keys are a mix of famous UC alum and I don't know what I did right in a past life but Travis Kelce was on mine, excuse me while I pass away. The place was fun and different then any place I've stayed at before as well as the staff were incredibly attentive and we were able to text them with anything we needed! read more

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So much fun! Great location! Friendly staff! Fun retro feel! My 3 young kids had so much fun exploring. Setting up our reservation was quick and easy. Highly recommend! Parking is $10/night read more

Awesome decorations and bar and pool table area! My fave is the bootsy collins bathroom wallpaper. Free garage parking, that is not a locked secure building. My only real complaint is for this fancy hotel there is no free breakfast. Any hotel over $100 should offer that. They have a café to order breakfast from, and everything is a la cart. With Expedia we were told free breakfast and we went to the front desk and complained and they gave us a free $10 ticket for breakfast café. However $10 doesn't even get you nothing at the café. It was so cute enough for me to take some pics though which I'm posting... read more

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I. LOVE. THIS. PLACE! Most of the decor is based on the fact that Kenner Toys was founded here in Cincinnati, OH and the design is spot on and adorable. The most kind attendants welcomed me in - Zee and Collin (spelling?) - and made me feel right at home. When I come to cincy, I'll be back here. read more

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The hotel itself just makes me happy walking in, the carpet, walls, floors ect are just so eclectic and fun! Even the room keys are fabulous. The room is fabulous, the beds are a bit firm for my personal taste but they're comfy enough. The room itself is clean and comfortable and a good spot to land after a day of exploring. The employees so far have been kind and helpful. read more

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Fantastic experience & such quiet rooms!! Stayed here for Halloween with two couples & a dog. - Everyone working there was so nice. - Check-in and check-out were seamless. - Room was clean & comfortable - Parking was easy. Most importantly: the rooms were insanely well insulated from noise. When we opened the room door we realized you could hear people down the hallway and some far-off dog barking but you couldn't here ANYTHING from inside the room. Slept so well. 100% would stay there again! read more

Great place and perfect area close to downtown We will be back !! Wish they offered free brewed coffee read more

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Nothing nasty about the 'Nati! Came down to Cincinnati for a disc golf tournament with my fiance, the Graduate was close by to one of the locations he was playing at. The hotel is so fun! And the staff is even better. I love the crazy decor you wouldn't see anywhere else. Well, maybe at the Sign Museum you would get a similar look. The hotel fits right into Cincinnati and I loved everyone who worked there, they made me feel like I was down visiting old friends. read more

We have stayed here twice now, and it's our favorite spot to stay as a couple in Cincinnati. The location is near the zoo and UC campus with reasonable $10 per night parking. The hotel theming is fun and kitschy and retro while being extremely clean. The rooms feel open and spacious and have large TVs and nice bathrooms. The beds are slightly too firm for me personally, but they are still comfortable. The bar/restaurant named after Fiona the hippo has great food and drinks. It's a perfect spot for a quick weekend getaway. read more

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Yuck, my room was filthy. Dust everywhere, hair, sticky floors, urine smell. Door to the hallway had almost an inch gap so you could hear everything going on all night. Windows have very little noise insulation and you could hear ambulances all night next to the hospital. Bathroom door was broken and shower is a glass box the is apparently hard to clean. Staff was friendly but it's the dirtiest hotel I've stayed in in years. Reminds me of a motel 6. read more

We needed a place to stay after our first hotel over booked and didn't have a place for us to stay. We finally found this place after calling around to several different places. We loved this hotel! It was so unique and had such cool features that you wouldn't expect from your typical hotel stay. The front desk staff were very accommodating. We loved the Fiona bar, unfortunately it was not open when we were there. We will definitely be returning to this hotel the next time we are in the area!! read more

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I stayed again; this time because of impending inclement weather. While the hotel offered a reduced rate for hospital workers, they didn't cut any corners in terms of comfortability, cleanliness, or customer service. From the minute I checked in, I felt valued. I love that you can just text the front desk and get a rapid response to whatever your question or need might be. The free Showtime perk is great as I had been wanting to watch the series, "Your Honor," but definitely do not need to subscribe to yet another streaming service! I can't wait til they reopen their restaurant and I want to come back, spend the day at the zoo, and then stay in one of their suites. read more

The Graduate Cincinnati hotel is packed with colors and unique decor. Aesthetically, we loved this hotel. The rooms are decorated very nicely and the lobby and lower level common areas are tastefully decorated with several opportunities for a photo-op. There is plenty of seating in the common areas, plus a small cafe with coffee and "Fiona's" restaurant. We loved the homages to Fiona the hippo throughout the hotel. We stayed for one night and had a pleasant experience with the employees working at the hotel. The parking situation was also easy; they offer parking for an additional $10 per night in the parking garage attached to the hotel. The hotel is also located in the University of Cincinnati campus, allowing a safe atmosphere with an interesting drive through campus. The Cincinnati Zoo is also only .5 miles away, and you can easily walk there in 10 minutes or less. Unfortunately, our night of sleep was not as great as we would have liked it to be. Although the room temperature was comfortable, the mattress was very, very hard and we both had difficulty getting comfortable. The bed itself was just not as high of a standard as we would have expected for the quality and price of this hotel. The ceiling and walls were also very thin: we could hear every single noise outside of the room in the hallway, and we could also hear our upstairs neighbor very clearly all throughout the night. Unfortunately even at 1AM on a Saturday evening, we had hallway neighbors making noise and preventing us from falling asleep. Another "iffy" moment was the unnecessarily large "authorization charge" placed on my credit card. We stayed for one night and paid approximately $240 including taxes. However, an authorization charge of approximately $540 was placed on my credit card. I am still waiting to receive a refund of from this authorization charge two days later, and am dissatisfied with how large this amount was; I have never seen such a high authorization charge compared to the total charge. Overall, because we know that we did not like the hard mattresses and had a poor night of sleep, we probably would not return here. However, the hotel is beautiful, unique, and "fun". read more

The staff is friendly, and the location is convenient to a lot of things. The hotel also has bikes they'll lend you free of charge, so that's pretty cool considering how close you are to so much. The room is kitschy and the decor is fun. Now the downside. We had a huge roach in our room, which is extremely off putting to anyone. The desk staff let us change rooms and gave us some vouchers for the breakfast restaurant in the lobby. Roaches get to places, it happens. I don't think that means the hotel has a general problem with pests since I've not read any reviews anywhere that mentions this issue. Nonetheless it's disgusting, but the staff was very friendly and prompt to respond. Our second room had a dirty Kleenex in plain site on the floor by the bed. Smudges on the glass on the end tables, and the tray where the coffee stuff is held is an indicator the housekeeping is anything but thorough. The floors did not seem to have been vacuumed well, if at all. The bathroom had several hairs on the sink. The bathroom floor also seemed to have been swept for all of two seconds. A lot left behind. While I don't think bugs are an issue here, it does seem to have a general problem with cleanliness. It's not a crap hole, but it also doesn't live up to a reasonable expectation for the price point. Housekeeping is a big weakness for this place. TLDR: Staff is friendly, hotel is conveniently located, but the rooms are a little on the gross side. read more

What I love most about Graduate hotels is that every one is decorated uniquely to their city. After intense googling, I could not figure out the quirky toy theme going on, but luckily I found out with another yelp review! Even if I did not understand the origin of the theme, I loved it regardless because it was different from your run-of-the-mill bland hotel chain. The staff was extremely friendly (even when going down to the lobby to get my morning coffee when I was not yet fully awake... but I appreciate you!!). The desk was perfect to do my studying for my online classes and provided ample lighting. The blue sofa/lounge chair in the room? I wish I could take it home with me! I could have easily fell asleep in it. Also, parking was a breeze which I really appreciated. 10/10 recommend. read more

Stayed here for our Cincinnati Zoo trip and so glad we did. What a funky, cool, amazing hotel. This will be our go-to from now on when coming to Cincinnati! The decor is fantastic and such friendly and amazing staff. Our room was so cool. Ate at the Fiona restaurant (but of course!) and it was so tasty! Great drinks too. Had coffee in the morning at Poindexter's and wonderful service and yummy coffee. We just can't say enough great things about the Graduate. Love it!! read more

This hotel is amazing! The theme is so fun and colorful -- a feast for the eyes. Take time to explore. Spend some time in the lobby leafing through the art books on the table. Play some pool, visit the bar, order some food. Our room was stylish and so much fun, not to mention clean and comfortable. Free parking underneath the hotel. Friendly staff. Easy walking distance to U of Cincy campus, and easily accessible from Over-the Rhine/Findlay Market. It's a popular place, so book early. A definite must-see! It will ruin you for all those boring hotels you're used to staying in. read more

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