My Unbelievable Stay at Hotel Ardent in Dayton

For our anniversary, we decided on a luxurious overnight stay at a gorgeous hotel downtown. As luck would have it, there are a few to choose from! For this stay, we went with Hotel Ardent. We had the chance this summer to tour the hotel and I couldn’t wait to get a chance to experience it as a guest.

The Room

Get ready for a plot twist! I booked a deluxe king room facing the Victoria Theatre (I love that they let you book that view!). But when we arrived, some beautiful, magical PR people upgraded us to the Presidential Suite that we toured in this article. It was a dream come true honestly – I loved that room so much when we visited over the summer.

The Presidential Suite is as chic as ever, and I can now confirm it is comfy and relaxing as well. The difference with the suite is that it features a living area with a couch and TV, plus a kitchen area with a sink, coffee maker, and dining table and chairs. The living area has a small fridge, which was perfect for chilling the complimentary water bottles provided.

The bedroom also has a TV as well as a desk with a chair, a bench, and a very comfortable bed. I love that there’s a closet as well so you can hang up things you don’t want wrinkled.

The ensuite bathroom has gorgeous marble tile and the shower head is an oversized rain shower-type. The soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body lotion all smell amazing and coordinate.

In general, all of the rooms are elegant with luxe finishes that made me feel right at home. (Not my home, a better, prettier, calmer, cleaner home than mine.)

The Restaurant

Bistecca is one restaurant we return to again and again and again but this time felt different knowing we could just go right back upstairs when we were done eating. In fact, they let you order a drink to take back to your room if you’d like.

The menu is updating soon, but I was happy to revisit my favorite risotto (made vegan). It’s filling, the mushrooms are savory, and it’s perfect every time. My boyfriend ordered the gnocchi, his favorite. We shared bread as an appetizer and I ordered a Negroni, Bistecca’s specialty (it’s so good).

I was excited to try the breakfast – we never get up and going for breakfast out so this was a very special treat.

My boyfriend ordered the Farmstand Omelette and multigrain toast and I ordered the Tuscan Farmer’s Egg Bowl (made vegan – I love that they didn’t even bat an eye when I said no egg!). Everything was unbelievably yummy – even the coffee was perfect. We’re definitely going to have to drag ourselves out of bed for this again someday.

The Stay

After staying at Hotel Ardent for the first time, I have notes!

• Plan on valet – it’s not only terribly convenient, the lot next door isn’t owned by Hotel Ardent and unfortunately the company that does own it for some reason doesn’t have an overnight option.
• Bistecca is a great option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’re not stuck with a hotel restaurant that’s super stuffy and corporate-y. It’s seriously delicious and the service is so personal. I have loved every visit.
• They have a gym! I didn’t use it but I love that they have a Peloton just in case I just had to get my blue dot for the day.
• You can hear some traffic on the street but by the time I went to bed, there wasn’t a noise factor at all.
• As of my stay (November 2025) check in is 3 p.m. and check out is 11 a.m. with the option to have early/late check in/out with a fee.
• The building is the Barclay building, and it’s neat to see all the little historic details that tell the story of this iconic place.

You may be wondering, ‘Why stay at a fancy hotel in the same town you live in?’ Because Hotel Ardent doesn’t have my laundry, my dishes, my unfinished projects, my messy closet that needs organized, my to do list, or any other reminders of my day-to-day life. It’s just a gorgeous place where my boyfriend and I get to be us, together. Our cats only have one night without us this way. Plus, if we flew off to Paris, I doubt we’d come back.

The Details

Hotel Ardent
137 N Main St, Dayton, Ohio
(326) 213-3300
Book a room or learn more on their website.

Bistecca
Within Hotel Ardent on the first floor. Make a reservation.

See more great places to stay in Dayton.