Never having been to the state of Ohio before, it became one of my goals this year to cross the state off my traveled list. The town of Marietta, Ohio came under my radar because of its historical past as the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Terrority and its waterfront location along the Ohio River. In modern days, Marietta has a charming downtown filled with shops, cafes, and restaurants. And thus, with a destination in mind, arrangements were made with the boutique Hackett Hotel for a stay over a long weekend. Here is my experience at the hotel.

The Hotel

Located in the heart of downtown Marietta, Ohio, The Hackett Hotel is in a historic building dating back to 1899 with exposed brick, period features, and high ceilings. The boutique hotel’s rooms are a perfect combination of historic charm mixed with the modern conveniences of today. The hotel’s five rooms are on the third floor of the building, with a restaurant, performance venue, and banquet room comprising the first and second floor. Easy on-site parking and a location walking distance to town attractions make the hotel easily accessible. The intimate feel of a boutique hotel and friendly, courteous service are what makes The Hackett Hotel one of a kind.

The Rooms

Rooms at The Hackett Hotel are each unique in their own right. Each of the five rooms that make up the boutique hotel are named after influential Marietta figures, and a frame with the history of the figure is displayed outside each room. Our room, the Riley Suite, was named after John H. Riley, an oil investor who built the original hotel building in 1899.  The rooms have been meticulously decorated to maintain an austere of the classiness of times past, while providing modern touches like updated bathrooms, plenty of outlets, and flat screen TVs. Beautiful art pieces are adorned in each room and in common areas throughout the hotel.

The Riley Suite has elegant, comfortable furnishings, several large windows, and is very spacious. There’s a large king-size canopy bed decked out with luxurious bedding (a sofa bed is also available for extra guests), a wooden desk with comfy armchair, and seating area to unwind or watch TV. Neutral colors are used for the decor in the room, with creme, brown, and black creating a scheme and the artwork providing brighter touches where needed. The lighting in the room creates a warm ambiance, and classic features like hardwood floors and rugs add to the appeal.

The Riley Suite is a truly relaxing retreat where you can lounge in leisure – in fact, my mom, who stayed in the suite with me, kept proclaiming that it was the “best hotel room she’s ever stayed in”.

Needless to say, in the Riley Suite, we felt like opulent women of the past!

Amenities

Despite being the heart of downtown, The Hackett Hotel has free, easy onsite parking. A common room, central to the hotel’s five rooms, was furnished with a large sectional couch and flat screen TV and had a kitchen with a breakfast pantry stocked with cereal, pop-tarts, oatmeal, and coffee. The fridge also had milk, water bottles, and juice for guests. There’s also a microwave and toaster available for simple meals or to warm up leftovers.

We loved starting our days with a cup of coffee and a simple breakfast!

As a blogger and social media enthusiast, I can also assure that the WiFi in The Hackett Hotel is fast and reliable (whew!), and should anything be needed, the hotel’s friendly staff was just a call away.

The Galley and The Adelphia Music Hall

The Hackett Hotel is on the third floor of a complex that also houses The Galley restaurant and bar and The Adelphia Music Hall on the first floor. A banquet space comprises the second floor.

The Galley restaurant serves up delicious sandwiches, steaks, salads, pastas, and more – and the historic vintage theme continues in the restaurant. The Galley was always lively with locals as well as hotel patrons, and is ideal for hotel guests who don’t even have to leave the hotel to eat there! We really enjoyed an evening of watching college football and eating dinner in the restaurant, and I can vouch that their German chocolate cake is to die for!

What also makes the complex with The Hackett Hotel unique is The Adelphia Music Hall. On weekends, various bands perform and it’s just a hop downstairs from your hotel room to watch them. Entry for both shows during the weekend I stayed was only $7, and famous names like Third Eye Blind, Coolio, and Brantley Gilbert have performed as well. For someone who doesn’t like to travel far at night (I blame old age!), having entertainment at our fingertips was fantastic. As well, if you are attending a function or concert, the hotel is the perfect place to stay afterwards.

I loved hearing renditions of some of my favorite rock and country songs!

The Location

The Hackett Hotel’s location on Second Street is ideal for sightseeing, shopping, and going out to eat in Marietta. We often parked our car at the hotel and walked the less than ten minutes to get anywhere we wanted to go. From the hotel, we explored the Ohio Riverfront Park, shopped at the Antique Mall of Marietta, had coffee and pastries at Jeremiah’s Coffee House, and ate at numerous downtown restaurants.

Just a short drive away, is the Covered Bridge Route in Wayne National Forest and Harmar Lookout Point, where you can overlook Marietta from a hill.

In The Hackett Hotel complex itself, we found it very convenient that The Galley restaurant was downstairs – and that we could partake in The Adelphia Music Hall’s concerts all within the comforts of the building!

Many thanks to The Hackett Hotel for hosting my visit. All views and opinions are, as always, my own.

More Information

• Hotel: The Hackett Hotel
• Location: 203 Second Street, Marietta, Ohio 45750
• Price Range: Mid-range; prices range from $99-$149