Kentucky
Several Greater Cincinnati hotels named among best in Ohio, Kentucky
Three Greater Cincinnati hotels have cracked either Ohio’s or Kentucky’s top 10 list for best hotels in the state.
Lytle Park Hotel, located at 311 Pike St., is ranked No. 4 among the best hotels in Ohio, according to a 2026 list from U.S. News & World Report. The Summit Hotel, located at 5345 Medpace Way, is ranked No. 6. Both hotels are four-star establishments with ratings at about 9 out of 10.
But Lytle Park and The Summit aren’t the only Cincinnati-area hotels among Ohio’s best. Just outside the top 10, downtown Cincinnati’s 21c Museum Hotel (No. 15), Renaissance Cincinnati (No. 16), The Cincinnatian Hotel (No.19) were also featured among the top 20 hotels in Ohio this year.
On the Kentucky, Hotel Covington, located at 638 Madison Ave., is listed at No. 7 among the Bluegrass State’s best hotels. Hotel Covington has a 9.5 out of 10 rating, according to public reviews.
Hilton Cincinnati Airport Hotel in Florence is No. 17 with an 8.5 out of 10 rating, and Doubletree by Hilton, also near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, is ranked No. 20 with an 8.2 out of 10 rating.
To put together its 2026 rankings, the U.S. News & World Report analyzed over 31,000 hotels across more than 400 destinations. The media company, which publishes news, consumer advice, rankings, and analysis, then ranked hotels based on the following components: industry awards and recognition, hotel class and guest review ratings.
Best hotels in Cincinnati 2026
- The Lytle Park Hotel, Autograph Collection (No. 4)
- The Summit Hotel (No. 6)
- 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati (No. 15)
- Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel (No. 16)
- The Cincinnati Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton (No. 19)
- AC Hotel by Marriott Cincinnati at The Banks (No. 22)
- Graduate by Hilton Cincinnati (No. 23)
- Hyatt Regency Cincinnati (No. 31)
- Kinley Cincinnati Downtown, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (No. 39)
- The Westin Cincinnati (No. 42)
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Cincinnati – Blue Ash (No. 44)
- Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza (No. 48)
Enquirer Reporter Haadiza Ogwude contributed to this report.
Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky
Kentucky football spring game offers early look at Will Stein’s Cats
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
Kentucky
Kentucky has reportedly moved on from top-10 transfer Paulius Murauskas

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