The Blu Hotel Blue Ash Cincinnati, an Ascend Collection Hotel

The pics online definitely made it look better than real life.. while the room was large, it lacked good lighting and set up flow. The LED backlit mirror didn’t work and we asked for repair but it wasn’t fixed. It was dim and hard to get ready with that lighting. The room water was only hot - no cold in the bathroom. The pool was dirty and no clean areas to sit. The breakfast area did not have a/c and the food options were not great. Our room key didn’t work after being out late on our last evening which was very inconvenient since we parked in the back and couldn’t get in the rear access door. Guests were also loud in the lobby which echos through the building.. not the best stay for us.

Staff was very friendly and room was wonderful Water was very hot

When we arrived, the front parking was full, so we went to the back, which was poorly lit and did not feel safe for two women. The entrance was unkempt, with very dirty-looking rugs. At check-in, the manager immediately charged my card for the full stay. Our room was disappointing from the start. The first light we turned on barely worked, and the room felt like a horror movie. When I asked for another room, the manager said they were completely booked, although two other guests were checked in after us. The bathroom was the biggest issue. There were small bugs on the floor, no hot water in the shower, rusted areas, and visible water damage on the walls and ceiling. The Heat/Air did not work correctly and some of the outlets did not work to charge our phones. The breakfast area was decent but stifling hot you could not sit in there to enjoy the free breakfast or the so/so coffee. We did not unpack and checked out the next morning, moving to another hotel. The hotel did refund the two nights we did not stay, but we were still charged $197 for the first night. Based on our experience, I would not recommend this hotel. The condition of the property did not come close to matching the rating and reviews that led us to book it.

Pool was green the entire time and never cleaned or fixed after notifying front desk. Bathrooms definitely need to be remodeled and fixed up. Stains on carpeting and couches. If you just need a bed to sleep, this hotel is fine but if you are looking for anything more, especially if trying to make a vaca while attending theme park or cincy open, don’t stay here

There was no cold water in the sink or shower. There was no soap at the sink. Breakfast had run out of some food.

EV charging onsite :) only con was the back of the hotel parking area could use a little clean up. We loved our stay!

Clean room, nice breakfast with some hot items, nice stay.

The property was clean but needed updated.

The breakfast attendant kept everything filled and warm! Front desk female was very welcoming!

The rooms need to be refreshed! Staff was helpful but they can’t improve a room that has cigarette burns on the carpet, a dirty sofa and a bathroom that looks like it hasn’t been renovated in decades. I would stay there again if rooms are renovated.

Staff was so friendly and helpful. The breakfast area and lobby were nice Rooms were outdated and not the cleanest. There were big stains all over the carpet and there were no outlet covers on the outlets thankfully our kids were old enough to know not to touch. The bathroom didn’t look like it was cleaned and the towels had holes.

Large room and it was clean Tv choice was limited

Thinking about going back to the 70’s. This is your hotel. The pictures that they provided on the site are misleading. Looks great but in person - not so much. 1st thing I noticed is the textured wall which dates the place. The room I stayed in saw much better days. They tried to update it but only did it incompletely (newer vanity with faucet but likely the same cabinets). Carpet was dark and unsure how clean it was. Musty smell in the room. Bathroom had the bath walls redone but the tub is likely the original. Dirt/grime was in the corners. There was hair everywhere. Not sure it was cleaned recently. Only thing that was positive is the free on site EV charger that worked (2 of them). Didn’t use any of the amenities or breakfast. If the room was bad, I was not going to risk it. Ended up paying $160 and couldn’t wait to check out.

My best advice would be to keep searching for a different hotel. Some of the pics online are AI…total bait and switch. When we left home one of my daughters said the hotel looked cute/fancy. When we pulled in they were sure we were at the wrong hotel. Pool looked nasty, rooms smelled musty, and the outside doors were all left open for anyone to walk in. The only positive was our room was spacious.

Bad

Everything from check in to checkout was amazing. All of the staff was so pleasant to deal with. They all went out of their way to accommodate us. The cafe staff made my daughter cheese omelets every morning because she loved them so much. The front desk staff was friendly and very helpful. We have an electric vehicle and needed the charger and there was a gas car parked in the spot. They went out of their way to find out who parked there to have them move for me so I could charge my car. We will definitely be back.

Serves its purpose. Clean and inexpensive. Nothing fancy but for price fine.

Exceptional

The staff was friendly and helpful. The entire building was very outdated. The rooms were outdated. There was rust in and around the bathtub and ants in the bathroom. Pillows were completely flat and the beds were hard as a rock.

Not impressed at all. First, the bad... Our rooms door barely worked. I had to throw my shoulder into it at least 5 times any time I was entering with my key card to finally get in. Multiple lamps had their lightbulbs burned out. There was a prior tenants hair on the upper walls of the shower. No plugs near the bed to plug phones into. Now the good... The staff was incredible and all the common areas were really well maintained. The bed was very comfortable and the breakfast was tasty. Overall, wouldn't recommend the room.