Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on February 22, 2023.
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The Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel is located in the historic (and architecturally unique) Fulton Building in downtown Pittsburgh.
The building was constructed in 1906, financed by Henry Phipps (namesake of Phipps Conservatory), converted to the Renaissance Hotel in 2001, and named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
From its unique arch on the outside to the beautiful rotunda and luxurious rooms on the inside, it doesn't take long to understand why this particular hotel is one of the most popular in the city.
The Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel is an Elegant, Comfortable Hotel
Within moments of arriving to the hotel you get a welcomed feel that is a bit unlike other hotels we've stayed at in the city.
Doormen great you and usher you inside, the lobby is sophisticated with a beautiful glass rotunda, and the front desk employees will almost assuredly ask you “what brings you to Pittsburgh?”- the kind of welcome we like, even if we only live five minutes away. (That actually got a laugh- yes!)
The building is an impressive sight for its scale and grandeur alone, and that it is enough to change your mood entirely whether you traveled a great distance, were stuck in traffic, or had any other stress on your journey into the city. (Although if any of that lingers, be sure to head over to Braddock's Street Side bar for a cocktail made from their impressive whiskey collection.)
And that is all before getting into your room- something that was the highlight of our stay.
Almost All of the Rooms Have a View
One of the things we love about the Renaissance Pittsburgh is that almost every room has some view- either of the city or the Allegheny River (most of those with views of the bridges, PNC Park, and Acrisure Stadium to a smaller degree).
For most hotels with views, you'd likely want to try your best to get a view of the skyline itself. But at the Renaissance hotel, the best views here look out towards the river and stadiums!
Those want a river view room can opt for a room with river view when booking; however, some of these may also be inside the noticeable arch design in the hotel and have a somewhat obstructed river view. For the best view, a corner king room is your best bet as you'll have a full view of the river as well as a partial city view.
City view rooms have a more pronounced view of the skyline itself, and for these we recommend requesting a room that is on a higher floor (say, eight or above) in order to be above a few of the nearby buildings to see a more unobstructed view.
Going beyond the views, the rooms at the Renaissance Hotel are some of the most comfortable we've been in with pillow-top beds, Pittsburgh decorations abound (including a beautiful lamp featuring Pittsburghese- only visible when turned on!), and more.
We had one of our best night's sleeps here due to this comfort (as well as thick black-out curtains), but do have to note that in being downtown there is the chance that noise will happen. We heard the well known beep of a large truck backing up in the wee hours of the morning, but think it would've been drowned out more if we were on a higher floor as noted above.
Overall, we were impressed with the Renaissance Hotel. The elegance of the hotel is visible inside and out, and offered a relaxing stay with unique character that we always love to see.
Throw in the fact that the hotel is prominently located in the city's Cultural District and is steps away from downtown Pittsburgh's best restaurants, theaters, and bars, and you can see why it is one of the most popular in the city.
The Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel is located at 107 6th Street in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Click here to book your room. We were guests of the hotel for this review. As always, all opinions are our own. To read more reviews of the Renaissance, click here.
