The Cleveland Metroparks is exploring how it might add a themed-hotel to the zoo, possibly offering guests views directly into exhibits.
Sean McDermott, the park system’s chief planning and design director, told the park system’s board Thursday morning that the idea has potential to increase revenue for the zoo and offer visitors a unique experience.
“What we’re really talking about today is an exploratory process,” he said. “We’re asking the market to tell us if they believe that a hotel could be possible at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.”
McDermott said the Metroparks conducted a hotel feasibility study in 2019 that set the stage for the decision to seek proposals.
“That feasibility study did give us some feedback, not a slam dunk, not a no,” he said. “But that it could be a potential for a themed hotel at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, with perhaps different components like water slides, things of that nature.”
The study examined the potential for a hotel with around 135 rooms. McDermott said the Metroparks would not operate the hotel but instead hire an operator and share revenues.
“But again, we really want to hear what the market has to say,” he said.
The zoo has attracted up to 1.4 million visitors, for example in 2024, he said.
The zoo connects with the park system’s Brookside Reservation, one of Cleveland’s oldest neighborhood parks that is home to many soccer and ballfields, which attract tournaments. McDermott said that activity could help support a hotel.
“When you partner that with Brookside and the potential that Brookside has for visitation with youth sports, the baseball complex at Brookside has great upside potential,” he said. “We already have somewhat of a built-in market at the zoo. Does it actually equate to putting heads in beds? We will see.”
McDermott said that there is a potential gap in hotels near the zoo, noting that there are hotels downtown, near the airport and in Independence. He said the Metroparks is hoping to have proposals in hand by the end of next month.
During the presentation, McDermott presented four possible locations for the hotel, including three that would be within the zoo’s footprint, offering guests views of exhibits, including the bear exhibit. (The fourth site would be in the Brookside Reservation.)
“So the idea would be, the tagline would be, sleep with a bear, right?,” joked board member Dan Moore.
“Sleep with the bear, not the fishes,” MeDermott said.
