The craft beer movement shows no signs of slowing down, and now there's a hotel that embodies it fully. Opened in August 2018, the DogHouse is the first hotel from the Scottish brewery BrewDog. The 32-room property is set on 42 acres that include a brewery and a large pub where you can sip the company’s beers before retiring to your room.
The Basics
Budget Level: Upscale ($150-$300/night)
Lodging Type: Small Hotel (under 50 rooms)
What You Need To Know
The Look
There's an industrial feel to the rooms, with polished concrete floors, steel framed beds, and mod furniture in shades of grey. Most of the rooms are set along a hallway that runs alongside the barrel room, so when you open the door you're greeted by stacks of barrels full of fermenting beer just beyond the railing (some suites have interior windows that look out over them as well).
The Vibe
The guests are mostly young couples, many decked out in gear from nearby Ohio State University, and there's definitely a dorm-like quality to the lobby thanks to the low-slung couches and tables topped with games like Yahtzee and Connect Four. It’s also the kind of place where everyone is your friend, even just for the night. Don’t be surprised if the chef joins in on your ping-pong match after the kitchen closes.
Who Will Love It
Not surprisingly, this is a hotel for beer lovers. There is art made from beer cans and even the chandeliers are made from bottles. The beer-centric decor doesn’t come off as cheesy, though, and the overall feel is more passionate than gimmicky. Every room also has two mini-fridges stocked with bottles and cans from BrewDog as well as favorite beers of the brewery’s founders. One of those fridges is in the bathroom, designed for grabbing a beer for the shower.
Who Might Not
If you're looking for white-glove service, this hotel isn’t for you. The staff members are all as laid back as they are helpful and friendly. The rooms do not have telephones, which means going down to the lobby if you have an issue or a question, meant to encourage human interaction but more of an inconvenience if you just want to be told the wifi password. The hotel is also strictly 21-plus so this is not for a family getaway.
Best Amenity
Every room has a countertop kegerator, and there's something so cool about being able to pour beers right from the tap at your leisure. Arrange for a 64-ounce growler of the brewery’s Punk IPA or grapefruit-infused Elvis Juice to be installed when you book or request one at check-in ($16 each).
Money Matters
What’s Included
The room rates include wifi as well as daily breakfast in the lobby. Expect a spread with a hot dish such as huevos rancheros or mushroom and asparagus strata with roasted potatoes; a yogurt parfait bar with shredded coconut, fresh berries, chocolate chunks, and slivered almonds; plus cereal, croissants, scones, and mini muffins. The hotel also stocks coffee from local roaster Stauf’s both in the rooms and at breakfast.
Fees and Extra Costs You Should Know About
Those shower beers are tempting, but they will cost you between $3 and $12 apiece.
How to Get a Deal
You’ll find the lowest prices if you stay Sunday through Wednesday, with weekend rates going up an additional $20 per room starting Thursday night.
Getting There
In the Neighborhood
The enormous brewpub is literally right outside the lobby door, with tons of seating inside and fire pits and picnic tables outside. BrewDog is on tap, of course, as well as beers from other microbreweries, and the menu has stone-baked pizzas and elevated pub grub; be sure to start with the cauliflower wings (florets covered in spicy Buffalo sauce). There isn’t much else in the direct vicinity, but the hotel is about a 20-minute drive from downtown Columbus. Head to Germantown for plates of bratwurst, knockwurst, and the city’s signature Bahama Mama sausage at Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, which has been clogging arteries since 1886. Then walk it off in the aisles of The Book Loft, a rambling bookstore with 32 rooms of discounted books.
Nearest Airport
The John Glenn Columbus International Airport is a 25-minute drive from the hotel, and a taxi will cost about $45 each way.
The Bottom Line
If craft beer is a passion, or you are looking for a very chill escape, you will feel right at home here.