You’ll Never Believe What’s Hiding in This Ohio Hotel

Cleveland, Ohio may be the most unique city in America, and it is definitely home to some unique hotels. Metropolitan at The 9 invites you to go behind bars in a historic building’s basement, where you can enjoy a hand-crafted cocktail in a former bank vault. 

More than a century after it was built, the Cleveland Trust Company Building still turns heads in downtown Cleveland at East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue. It is no surprise, given that the former bank was designed in 1908 by George Browne Post, the same architect who designed the New York Stock Exchange. The grand white granite building is accented by sculptures by Karl Bitter depicting occupations like agriculture, mining, and industry. In 1966, the building was expanded to include an adjacent Brutalist tower designed by Marcel Breuer. While the complex closed in the 1990s, that wasn’t the end of its story. 

The complex was redeveloped, and today a visit to the majestic Cleveland Trust Company Building rotunda is one of the best things to do in Cleveland. You will be dazzled by the marble interior of the 85-foot high dome covered in shimmering stained glass panels in shades of blue and green. Don’t miss the series of murals by Francis Davis Millet depicting the colonization and development of America. You might be surprised to see locals sizing up produce around you, as the space has been home to a Heinen's grocery store since 2015.

You can now stay, play, and live in the Brutalist tower which was converted to residences and a hotel. With 156 rooms, Metropolitan at The 9 offers a cosmopolitan experience in the heart of downtown. Visitors gather for dining and drinks at the Centro restaurant and Ledger Bar, and admire downtown skyline views from Eden Rooftop Lounge. Yet the real surprise awaits you in the Cleveland Trust Company Building basement. The former bank vaults have been transformed into a stylish cocktail lounge. The safe deposit vault door weighs 17 tons, and the vault was built from 200 tons of metal encased in concrete, so you and your cocktail will be secure.

Step through the massive vault door that still bears the Carnegie Steel Co. imprint to enter a chamber that reportedly once stored the wealth belonging to the likes of John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. You can also examine the original doors and placards of the other three vaults that make up Vault: the York Safe and Lock Company, the Mosler Safe and Lock Company, and the Diebold Vault. Secret passageways, rumored to be haunted, were discovered behind the vaults during the renovation. They may have been used for bank security or even a speakeasy.

Lounge under the tin ceiling on a plush leather or velvet sofa or at the bar studded with safety deposit box doors. The cocktail menu delivers a creative twist on classic libations, many featuring names related to the building and city history. General Moses, named for the city’s founder, features Maker’s Mark, Amaro Nonino, Disaronno, and orange bitters. Millet’s Mural, named for the rotunda paintings upstairs, includes Henrick’s gin, lime, maraschino liquor, and green chartreuse. As you imbibe among their former safety deposit boxes, raise a glass to the titans who helped build Cleveland.