Northeast Ohio lands two of state’s top three hotels in U.S. News rankings

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Northeast Ohio is home to two of the top three hotels in the state, but the No. 1 spot belongs to a property in Columbus.

Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph, in the city’s Short North neighborhood, ranks as the top hotel in Ohio, according to U.S. News & World Report’s latest Best Hotels ranking.

Inn Walden in Aurora placed second and the Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland ranked third.

Related: How the Ritz-Carlton helped redefine downtown Cleveland

This is the 16^th year for U.S. News’ Best Hotels list, which evaluates properties across the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean. The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawaii’s Big Island was named the best hotel in the United States.

Rankings are based on several factors, including hotel class, guest ratings and industry awards such as AAA and Forbes Travel Guide honors. U.S. News evaluates only luxury properties, which means some highly regarded midrange hotels are not included.

The new Fidelity Hotel, which opened last year in downtown Cleveland, also was not included in the rankings. In October, it received a prestigious Michelin Key, part of the Michelin Guide program.

Related: Downtown Cleveland’s new Fidelity Hotel earns prestigious Michelin award

The top 25 hotels in Ohio, according to U.S. News:

1. Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph
2. Inn Walden, Aurora
3. The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland
4. The Lytle Park Hotel, Autograph Collection, Cincinnati
5. The Hancock Hotel, Findlay
6. The Summit Hotel, Cincinnati
7. Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection, Columbus
8. The Junto, Columbus
9. Hotel Versailles
10. Hilton Columbus Downtown
11. InterContinental Cleveland
12. Hilton Columbus at Easton
13. Hilton Columbus/Polaris
14. Metropolitan at The 9, Autograph Collection, Cleveland
15. 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati
16. Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown
17. Renaissance Toledo Downtown
18. The Welsh Hills Inn, Granville
19. The Cincinnatian Hotel
20. Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris
21. The Blackwell Inn, Columbus
22. AC Hotel by Marriott Cincinnati at The Banks
23. Graduate by Hilton Cincinnati
24. Hilton Cleveland Downtown
25. DoubleTree by Hilton Canton Downtown

Other Northeast Ohio properties listed include the Grand Resort in Warren (28); the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at The Arcade (32); Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower (35); Intercontinental Suites Hotel Cleveland (38); the Kimpton Schofield Hotel, Cleveland (40); the Westin Cleveland Downtown (43); the Tudor Arms Hotel Cleveland (46); and the Hotel Cleveland Autograph Collection (47).

The top 10 hotels in the United States:

1. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii
2. Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Hawaii
3. The Langham Chicago
4. Mandarin Oriental, New York City
5. Mandarin Orient, Boston
6. The Chanler at Cliff Walk, Newport, Rhode Island
7. Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford, California
8. Rancho Valencia Resort, Rancho Sante Fe, California
9. Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Surfside, Florida
10. Montage Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina

For the complete list: travel.usnews.com/hotels