Designed by Joseph G. Steinkamp & Brother, the Neoclassical-styled[2] Hotel Metropole opened in 1912 in downtown Cincinnati as a 10-story hotel.

In 1924 an 11th floor penthouse apartment was added.

In 1971 the building was converted to low-income housing with retail and restaurants on the first floor.

[3] In June 2009 the building was added to the NRHP and later that year it was announced that it would be converted into a 21c Museum Hotel[3] with "156 guest rooms, a contemporary art museum with more than 8,000 square feet of exhibition space, a restaurant, and meeting space.

"[2] The renovated hotel was later inducted into Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in 2019, and it remains a member in 2022.