The Junto Brings New Hotel Experience to Columbus

The Junto hotel opened in summer 2023 as the centerpiece of Columbus’ Scioto Peninsula development. It’s named after Benjamin Franklin’s intellectual club formed in 1727 and extends that theme throughout the space. Billed as the first “independent lifestyle hotel” in Columbus, The Junto offers multiple restaurants, hosts educational events and seeks to integrate visitors with the surrounding city.

“For us, we have the flexibility to be a hotel of the local community,” says general manager Jason Delcamp. “It’s not about just staying within our four walls and sleeping but getting out and exploring what Columbus has to offer.”

The Junto features a Gear Garage with equipment like bikes, kayaks, scooters and pickleball gear for guests, and the hotel offers easy access to the Franklinton Arts District, COSI and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

Instead of the traditional hotel lobby, The Junto’s check-in desk is positioned around a corner, so guests are greeted instead by the Trade Room lobby bar.

“We call it genuine hospitality. It’s not supposed to be transactional,” Delcamp says. “It’s meant to feel like your living room. It’s comfortable. What I’ve really enjoyed is the diversity and number of people in the space and how everyone’s using it differently.”

One section of the Trade Room is centered around a fireplace, with comfortable couches and tables, while the next room offers long tables for workspaces. In addition to a full bar with drinks and snacks, the lobby connects to Maudine’s, the in-house coffee shop named for the Holstein cow that was voted Ohio State University’s 1926 homecoming queen.

The Junto also features a ground-floor eatery, Little West Tavern, built around an open-hearth kitchen. On the top floor of the hotel sits the Brass Eye, which offers drinks, snacks, weekend brunch and patios with outstanding views of Columbus.

77 Belle St., Columbus 43215, 888/976-2106, thejuntohotel.com