A Historic Downtown Parkersburg Stay With Dinner, Drinks and a Speakeasy

Ornate trim, period-style furnishings and fine woodworking set the tone at this historic downtown Parkersburg hotel. The lobby and bar give visitors a chance to linger among the building’s old-world details before heading upstairs, settling in for dinner or making an evening of the basement speakeasy.

It is a property with enough going on that an overnight stay need not be only an overnight stay. A guest can arrive, explore the public rooms, eat well without leaving the building, have a drink downstairs and still be close enough to walk through downtown toward the river.

The hotel’s appeal starts with the craftsmanship. Woodwork and decorative trim give the interior a sense of age and permanence, while the furnishings keep the public spaces from reading like a generic business hotel.

The lobby is an inviting place to get oriented after check-in, and the bar carries the same historic character in a more social setting. It works nicely for a traveler passing through in the afternoon as well as for guests easing into an evening.

During the Christmas season, the lobby has also hosted decorated tree displays tied to local businesses and community organizations. That is a particularly pleasant fit for a hotel already connected to the life of its downtown.

Guest rooms are designed for comfort rather than a quick, bare-bones stop. Spacious layouts, clean surroundings and useful everyday pieces such as desks, dressers and televisions make the rooms workable for a road-trip overnight, a solo visit or a longer downtown stay.

Some rooms have two queen beds, and details mentioned by past guests include comfortable beds, soft robes and carpeting in certain accommodations. Historic hotels naturally have room-to-room variation, so the precise layout and features are not identical throughout the building.

The Blennerhassett Suite is the place to look for a more expansive setup. Its larger layout includes a whirlpool tub and a separate shower, giving the suite a more indulgent feel without suggesting that every room follows the same bathroom plan.

A small practical note: at least one room has had a secondary shower control for hotter water, with an in-room explanation of how to use it. It is the sort of old-building-meets-modern-room detail that can be handy to notice.

The on-site restaurant serves breakfast, brunch and dinner, making it useful well beyond the usual hotel dining room role. It has handled breakfast meetings, overnight guests’ meals and meals for travelers who simply stop in while passing through Parkersburg.

Service is a strong part of the restaurant’s appeal, and the menu gives a stay a natural rhythm: coffee and breakfast in the morning, an unhurried brunch, or dinner before heading out for a downtown walk. An afternoon salad and a seat near the historic bar can be just as satisfying as a full evening meal.

Outdoor dining provides another option when available, with a quieter, more serene setting for a meal. It is a nice contrast to the more enclosed character of the lobby, bar and dining rooms.

The hotel bar is more than a convenient place for a nightcap. Its historic surroundings and personable bartenders make it a comfortable gathering spot, especially for visitors who want an evening out without adding another drive to the schedule.

Then there is the basement speakeasy, a recurring favorite within the building. Its separate setting gives the hotel another gear after dinner: more tucked-away, more atmospheric and decidedly different from simply having a drink in the lobby bar.

The speakeasy is best approached as a distinct room to enjoy, not merely an extra hotel amenity checked off on the way upstairs. For a couple on a getaway or friends sharing a road-trip stop, it can easily become the evening’s destination.

Historic buildings invite stories, and this one has a well-developed collection of paranormal lore. Staff and management have shared those tales with guests, adding a conversational layer to a walk through the older corridors and public spaces.

Room 332 comes up in some of the hotel’s ghost-story conversation. Treat it as local hotel lore rather than proof of anything supernatural, but it does give curious guests a specific thread to ask about while they are there.

The hotel has offered pre-arrival check-in, a simple convenience that can make getting through the door and into the room pleasantly quick. Behind the building, a hotel parking lot has provided free parking for guests.

A self-checkout micro-mart inside the hotel adds access to snacks and small necessities without requiring another outing. There have also been reasonably priced room add-ons, including a chilled bottle of champagne delivered to the room, though available extras are worth confirming when booking.

Hospitality here can show up in smaller gestures, too. A thoughtful thank-you note after a stay is a modest thing, but it suits a property where the service aims to feel personal rather than mechanical.

Dogs, including large dogs, have been welcomed at the hotel, a useful consideration for travelers who do not want to leave a four-legged companion behind. The property has also accommodated a visiting musician at its piano, another sign that the public spaces can feel comfortably lived in rather than purely formal.

The hotel sits amid other historic buildings in downtown Parkersburg, and the surrounding streets are pleasant for a walk. The river is within a short walk, giving a stay an easy outdoor counterpart to all that interior woodwork and old-time atmosphere.

For travelers planning to ride the North Bend Rail Trail, Parkersburg can serve as a practical starting point, with the hotel used as a lodging base before or after a bicycle trip. It also fits simpler itineraries nicely: a downtown stroll, dinner in the restaurant, a drink downstairs and a comfortable room waiting upstairs.