I must say that I am giving this joint the benefit of the doubt and moving this up from a 3 1/2 star...partially because I grew up in the area and am biased and partially because this place really does have a lot of soul. The building has grande, worldly charm and history, serving as a backdrop for speeches by Bill Clinton, Harry S. Truman, Margaret Thatcher, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Charles Lindbergh!
The lobby is huge and grandiose. The hotel is attached to Tower City, a shopping/restaurant are...although not very impressive at all anymore. It is in walking distance to great restaurants, including E. 4th St. The hotel is old and feels old. But I like it. They still have great Renaissance beds and great water pressure and Aveda products, etc. etc. But it also has the feeling of an old hotel with character.