The Junto, which opened earlier this year, is an independent lifestyle hotel offering its guests cozy accommodations, public gathering spaces and dynamic programming.
Nestled in the “little west” area of downtown Columbus, OH, The Junto brings the community together, with ample opportunities to connect, dine and experience elevated design.
Jim Merkel, Rockbridge CEO/founder, assembled the team that brought The Junto to life: Makeready, RBHD and RBHM, who came together to develop, concept, design and operate the hotel and its restaurants.
The hotel’s public spaces were designed to encourage areas of connection and comfort—a feeling of escape without losing residential warmth. Guests are greeted by a bar as the focal point in the hotel lobby, also known as The Trade Room, with ample places to wind down with a craft cocktail.
Just off the lobby is the hotel’s library, serving as a fireside retreat. Guests are encouraged to work and socialize in the library space and to also take advantage of its carefully selected literary collection. In fact, every element of the hotel’s design, from the materials to the artwork, works in harmony to create spaces that spark creativity in its guests. The public spaces feature deep, rich hues and soothing blue tones meant to engage and inspire.
The hotel also features 13,000 sq. ft. of meeting space with oversized windows opening to a large, wrapped balcony overlooking the surrounding greenspace and downtown city views.
As for guests’ personal quarters, The Junto has 198 guestrooms and suites designed to accommodate any trip, from a couple’s getaway to a family outing to a business trip.
The rooms include oversized custom-built window benches overlooking the redeveloped Scioto River for versatile dining or workspace. Suite options include one-bedroom suites with extended terraces known as The City Escape; The Apartment, a 1,200-sq.-ft. suite with a separate living area and a set of custom bunk bedrooms; and The Loft, a spacious accommodation situated for entertaining.
For F&B offerings, the property’s Little West Tavern is a wood-hearth neighborhood tavern that offers wood-fired select cuts and a range of classic pours. And on the hotel’s rooftop is Brass Eye, a bar inspired by Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, inviting guests to indulge and enjoy.
—Abby Elyssa
