Hilton Columbus Downtown Opens

The eco-friendly, 532-room Hilton Columbus Downtown has opened. Surrounded by the Short North Arts District and the Arena District, the $140 million convention center hotel includes a French restaurant, a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, 48 suites, and 31,000 square feet of meeting space connected by a pedestrian skybridge to the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Executive chef William "Bill" Glover heads up the 160-seat Gallerie Bar & Bistro, a French bistro-inspired restaurant that incorporates locally sourced ingredients. Glover, who owns Sage American Bistro in Columbus, Ohio, has been joined by director of food and beverage Michael Mejia, former general manager at Martini Modern Italian in Columbus, Ohio.

"We are eager to get this project off the ground, as we develop a custom menu from scratch for Gallerie Bar & Bistro, which is unique compared to many hotel restaurants," said Glover. "It's a thrilling time for us as we create numerous menu items with fresh, locally sourced food, vendors, and products."

The Hilton Columbus Downtown features a large sky-lit atrium in the lobby and a collection of more than 225 original art pieces from more than 128 local artists.

Lauren Mack is the Travel Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @lmack.