Recently I attended a press trip to Marietta, Ohio and I was totally blown away with how many things there are to do there! The area was established in 1788 and I have found that some of the oldest areas of our country are the most intriguing! It’s simply a gorgeous area with a fascinating history. If you love talking to people just walk up and down the streets in Marietta stopping in the shops and spend the day chatting with the locals – you’ll dive into a culture all of it’s own! You can check out our first post, Incredible History Captured and Created Right Now in Marietta, Ohio, for just a few ideas of fascinating places to stop.

If you are planning a visit to Marietta, Ohio I’d like to recommend 2 great places for you to stay!

The Historic Lafeyette Hotel

Before The Lafayette Hotel stood here the Bellvue Hotel was built in 1892 – it was just $2 a day to stay there! In 1916, however, a fire destroyed the Bellvue Hotel which you can see photos of in the Gunroom Restaurant of the Lafayette Hotel. The Lafayette opened in 1918 and has allowing visitors to enjoy the surrounding area….with perhaps a few ghosts mixed in. You can learn more about this historic hotel, it’s floods, fire and haunts on the Hidden Marietta Tour which I highly recommend.

The hotel is right off of the river so it’s a gorgeous walk and view at night. Plus the architecture of the building is pretty cool!

What I love about this hotel, aside from the fact that it has a gorgeous view, is that it is right on the main street in town. If you love boutique shops and just browsing you absolutely must stay in The Lafayette Hotel.

As you would imagine with a historic hotel, the inside is older but nicely decorated with time period replicas and history from the past.

Right near the front desk is an awesome “time capsule” where you can still walk into an old phone booth. But instead of making a call to someone you can listen into the phone for a historical account of the hotel! It was pretty cool!

I had a fabulous room right off of the elevator which had a nice river view off of the parking lot. Look how ornate the bed frame, lamp, and desk/mirror are! Although I didn’t spend much time in the room it was a great cozy spot to work in!

As you get lost wandering down elegant hallways you’ll find a vast collection of historical photos, replicas, and artifacts from Marietta’s past.

These were two of my favorite signs!

I wish my kids were with me because they would have loved seeing all of the old steamboat pieces displayed.

Down in the Gunroom Restaurant on the main level of the hotel you can find a Comedy Club and all sorts of events to participate in – even if you’re just passing through! The food was great too! We started our first day on a walking tour with Hidden Marietta and it was such a treat! Although I have to admit, if you get a little spooky about ghosts I would leave that tour until the end of your trip!

As we learned during our visit Marietta has had some pretty terrible floods come through town and you can see the markers on local businesses to see where the waters hit. In fact the original town was built a level lower than it currently is. It was raised in hopes to decrease damage from flood waters. While exploring The Lafayette Hotel one night I came across this spooky locked steel door in the basement – so you never know what you will find in town!

You can follow The Lafayette Hotel on Facebook here. 

The House on Harmar Hill

If you prefer to stay out of the heart of town and in a more quieter homey location then stop in to stay with Judy at The House on Harmar Hill. You absolutely will not be disappointed – and you won’t find a better view in town! Located on 300 Bellevue Street in Marietta this is a fully restore 1901 Queen Anne Victorian home with a rich history. Please take full advantage of the gorgeous wrap around porch that overlooks the town of Marietta.

Intricately carved woodwork, elegant decor and incredible molding are just a few of the beauties you’ll discover here. The Innkeeper is incredibly friendly and made some AMAZING fresh scones for us! Her dog Cooper is extremely well-behaved and helps keep the bed and breakfast homey.

My in-laws love bed and breakfast locations and I’ve already recommended this one to them!

When you first walk in you’ll just gasp WOW! It’s simply exquisite.

Would you believe that this bathroom upstairs still holds the ORIGINAL bathtub AND toilet! YES – running water and an indoor toilet – talk about futuristic for 1901! It was just beautiful!

The old maid’s quarters has been turned into an elegant spacious bathroom – look at the size of this!

Thankfully we had a little bit of time to wander around inside and throughout the entire place I found delicate touches of an earlier time like these small shoes.

Or this ancient Bible with metal hinges still in tact! This by far was my favorite photo!

Surrounding the estate you’ll find a lovely cast iron fence next to the old brick sidewalk.

Book a room now at The House on Harmar Hill!

Don’t forget to check out our first post packed with tips to see the Mortuary Museum,  a haunted brothel, an old steamboat, a fort inside of a building, an old sanatorium and so much more! 

Below are a few great books on the history of Marietta and other fun quirks in Ohio!