I originally start to write this report for the Marriott forum, but then decided to morph it into a normal (but non-chronological) trip report.

RENAISSANCE CLEVELAND HOTEL 03APR – 05APR
All in all, I was pretty pleased with the hotel, and very happy with the value we received. We stayed on the $119 Rock and Roll Package, which included room, breakfast for two, and two tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I used my Marriott Elite Exclusive Offers “buy one, get one free” coupon for the second night, so this worked out to be an excellent deal.

We received a larger than average outside room with a westward view that included Lake Erie in the distance. The room was nice and seemed to have been partially renovated within the past few years (with new carpet, bathroom, comforter, and wallpaper), but it was nothing spectacular. There was no high-speed Internet access.

We used another Elite Exclusive Offers coupon to receive a free entrée in the Sans Souci restaurant, which is reportedly one of the finest restaurants in Cleveland. My opinion: sure, it was one of the better meals that I’ve had in a Marriott family hotel, but it really didn’t knock my socks off. I wouldn’t eat there again. Here’s a little adventure into our orders:

Cocktails
--Partner: Sidecar – nicely mixed
--Me: Citron Soda – fine, but no lemon (kind of odd)

Appetizers
--Partner: Lobster Gouda thing wrapped in phyllo dough – he liked it, but said “they could have put turkey in it and it would have tasted the same.”
--Me: Wood fired mussels – nice flavor, but overdone.

Main Dishes
--Partner: Filet Mignon - He enjoyed it. Prepared properly.
--Me: Bouillabaisse - Bounty of seafood included, but no real “wow” factor.

Desserts
--Partner: Feta Cheesecake – intriguing idea, horrible taste.
--Me: Vanilla bean custard with some port based sauce – decent, but sauce was way too sweet.

Coffee/Tea
--Partner - Mint tea, the usual Bigelow stuff
--Me: Coffee – aged, but not to perfection.

Total, reflecting tax, tip, and free entrée: $110.

On Sunday morning, we headed down to The Brasserie to take advantage of our free breakfast. The small buffet spread was perfectly adequate, but probably a hair below the usual Marriott standard. And, in my opinion, the facility itself is a pretty sorry excuse for a Renaissance Hotel restaurant – with the stained drop ceilings, basement location, and loud atmosphere, it felt more like “Quality Inn coffeshop” than “Renaissance Brasserie.” That said, breakfast was included in the rate and was perfectly decent, so I wasn’t about to complain.

On Sunday evening, we headed up to the nicely appointed two-level Concierge Lounge a little too late and missed the appetizer spread, but sat down for a dessert snack. Nothing spectacular – just a few mini-dessert/cookie items.

This morning, we ordered breakfast through room service rather than venture to the basement Brasserie. The food arrived in a timely fashion, and tasted fine...I don’t really expect anything earth shattering when I eat at a Marriott family hotel.

When we left (and on other occasions when we accessed our car), the valet staff were very helpful, polite, and professional. If you stay at this hotel, you should be aware that self parking is available as well (even though I was advised otherwise.)

OTHER DINING

Guarino’s Italian Restaurant, lunch, 04APR
After getting lost on the East Side of Cleveland for half an hour, we were in “let’s eat anywhere” mode. A place like Guarino’s wouldn’t normally be on my radar (since it has a certain “we advertise in WHERE Cleveland" sort-of feel), but my partner’s growling stomach overruled our usual selection criteria. The Victorian atmosphere was quaint, and the food was certainly above average, but I found it a bit expensive for lunch (in Cleveland, no less.) $13 for lunch-time Lasagna seems a little out of whack to me.

Century, Ritz Carlton Hotel, snack, 04APR
While it feels a bit odd to have a drink in a Ritz Carlton bar that faces a mall interior, consider walking through Tower City Center for a cocktail and a couple pieces of sushi. The RC’s sushi was the first we’ve had since leaving California, and we both thought it was very good, and fairly priced. The bartender was professional and polite.

Mallorca Restaurant, dinner, 04APR
This “Spanish” restaurant in the Warehouse district gets a ton of recognition from the local media, but I really can’t endorse it. I don’t know if they have had to “Clevelandize” their offering to appeal to locals (no offense), but the food tasted more Slavic than Spanish, and many of the items on the menu did not seem remotely Spanish. The chorizo a la plancha (grilled sausage) was strikingly kielbasa-like, and the chuletas de cerdo en salsa de ajo (pork chops in garlic sauce) tasted like a poor rendition of something my Czech grandmother used to make. I never recall gravy being an integral part of Spanish cooking, and didn’t know that “Spanish potatoes” were the equivalent of kettle-style potato chips. On top of it all, the non-Spanish, Spanish food wasn’t even well prepared – my partner’s duck was ordered medium/medium rare and delivered well done, and my pork chops were very overcooked.

I had high expectations for the restaurant, and was seriously disappointed. The staff were very professional and polite, but the food was lousy. I can say with confidence that this was the worst Spanish meal I have eaten in the United States.

I usually give a place a second or third chance if I think it was a bad night, but I feel confident that the restaurant’s food doesn’t cut the mostaza on other nights as well.


ACTIVITIES

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
We enjoyed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but were sad that the special exhibits were closed. I could see how some people might be unhappy if they had paid the $20 admission fee for each ticket, but I’m glad that we were able to go. If you’re interested in going, I’d suggest that you do what we did – see if you can find a favorable hotel rate that includes the tickets.

Art Museums
We were in turbo mode on Sunday after the Hall of Fame, but we managed to go to the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Contemporary Art Museum. The first museum didn’t really trip my trigger (since I’m more interested in modern art), but I can see why the museum is widely acclaimed – it seems to have an impressive collection. (I’m not an expert in this area, just making an amateur observation.) The Contemporary Art Museum was small, but enjoyable.

West Side Market
On the way out of town, we stopped by the market in the Ohio City section of Cleveland. (One can easily take the RTA train as well.) We were in turbo mode yet again (so I could get into work by noon), but we thought the market was fantastic. It was nice to see such a wide variety of fresh and reasonably priced produce when compared with what usually appears in Ann Arbor area stores. (Don’t get me wrong, Ann Arbor has good produce…it just comes at significant cost.)

All in all, while we didn’t leave Cleveland with any great dining memories, we did enjoy the trip, and we hope to return sometime during the coming year.

Snorkmaster,

I'm glad that you enjoyed your trip to my former home town. Years ago I interned at what is now the Renaissance Hotel (it was formerly Stouffer's). The Sans Souci is a comfortable, friendly restaurant. Certainly some odd choices on the menu, but I've always liked it.

Guarinos is indeed a blast from the past and it's sort of an "event" to eat there. Even if the food isn't the best on earth, it's like going back in time.

The Mallorca is nothing other than vile. Not much of a Spanish community in Cleveland, I'm afraid. There are other good restaurants on the same block--perhaps you can try them on your next trip.

Drop us a line on FlyerTalk before your next trip--we can recommend some more activities and restaurants.

Mats.

Hi Mats, I'll drop you a line next time re CLE.

That said, do you have any Columbus recommendations? My partner and I are aiming to hit "all of the cities we probably wouldn't visit if we lived somewhere else," and Columbus is next on the list. (I hope you don't take offense to my comment -- it's just unlikely that we'd make a special trip to Columbus, etc. if we lived back in San Francisco.)

Of course I can offer travel advice for Columbus. It's not a particularly glamorous holiday destination, but it's not hell on earth.

Drop me an email when you're planning to come down.

(I would suggest that you remove any "Go Blue!" bumper stickers from your car before you come here!)

I grew up in Cleveland and my first job was parking cars at night at Guarino’s Italian Restaurant in Little Italy in the early 70's. . It was an odd job for a 16 year old scrawny little jewish kid but the tips were good. I knew I was "in-trouble" when patrons would greet the owner by kissing his ring and the night I damaged a car trying to park it in the tiny narrow spaces I knew I had to disappear...actually the owner was pretty good about it... he plied the patron whose car I had damaged with free drinks and knew that once he drove off the lot without noticing the damage to the car his liability was over....I quit the next day.

On a business trip to Cleveland a few months ago we we met my coworker's aunt and uncle. Cleveland locals, they suggested we meet at Empress Taytu, an Ethiopean restaurant just east of downtown. Really wonderful.