Portman and a group of public and private partners have selected Marriott Hotels to operate the future convention headquarters hotel in downtown Cincinnati. The 700-key hotel will anchor the city’s $828-million Convention District investment and connect to the Duke Energy Convention Center via skybridge.
The hotel will include more than 62,000 square feet of meeting space, a 17,445-square-foot events terrace, multiple ballrooms, ground-floor retail, and an outdoor terrace overlooking 5th Street. It is expected to be one of the largest hotel developments in the region.
“Marriott Hotels is an iconic brand that brings global recognition, best-in-class service and a strong customer loyalty network,” said Kaunteya Chitnis, managing director of hospitality at Portman Holdings. “Marriott’s involvement will help deliver a world-class hospitality experience in the heart of Cincinnati’s Convention District. This transformative project will catalyze economic growth and revitalization in the city, county, state and region.”
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Portman on the Cincinnati Downtown Marriott,” said Lisa Sexton, senior vice president of full-service brands U.S. East Region & Canada at Marriott International. “Not only are we proud to expand hospitality offerings for guests and visitors of this iconic city, but we are immensely proud to be part of the revitalization of this district and Cincinnati’s continued growth.”
The project is part of the broader Convention District Revitalization Plan, which includes $264 million in convention center renovations and public space improvements. The adjacent Convention Center Garage is undergoing a $12 million renovation and will serve hotel guests and convention traffic.
The hotel is being developed through a public-private partnership that includes support from the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, the State of Ohio, 3CDC, The Port, and Visit Cincy.
“Officially naming Marriott Hotels as the brand for the Convention Headquarters Hotel is a significant step forward in our overall effort to reimagine the Convention District,” said Katie Westbrook, senior vice president of development for 3CDC. “We’re grateful to Mayor Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati City Council, the Hamilton County Commissioners, the administrations of the City and County and all other project partners for helping us get to this point, and we look forward to our continued collaboration to bring this project to fruition.”
Early sitework has started, with full-scale construction expected later this year. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2028.
“We look forward to working alongside Marriott, Portman and our local partners to showcase everything Cincinnati has to offer,” said Julie Calvert, president and CEO at Visit Cincy. “This collaboration will help elevate the city’s profile as a premier destination for large-scale events and create a meaningful economic impact for our community.”
