Hotel berhampiran Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden, Columbia

I sent the below to the Hotel directly in May and received no response whatsoever. I found my e-mail to the hotel and decided to post it Where do I begin? I booked my stay (4/27/24-4/29/24) at the Embassy Suites in Columbia, SC approximately 3 weeks in advance (confirmation #XXXXXXXXXXX). I booked a suite with 2 double beds. I called the hotel 4 days in advance to confirm the reservation, and to advise the front desk that I would be arriving late (approximately between 9:00-10:00 p.m.. I was told that would not be an issue. On 4/27/2024, sometime between 6:00-7:00 p.m., I called (what I thought was) the front desk, and was told that I did not have a suite, but only one king size bed, and no suite. I later learned that I was routed to the main Hilton number. Given that I was traveling with a friend, that was unacceptable. I told the representative that, and was told that the hotel was completely booked, and that she would have to ”adjust” my reservation. I told her that I wanted to speak to her manager. Instead, she transferred me to the front desk of the hotel in Columbia, who also told me that she did not have my room, and that she only had a king and not a suite. At that point, I was very irate, given that I paid for a suite with 2 double beds. At that point, I explained that I paid for a suite, and would like to be transferred to her manager or a Hilton customer service representative. Thereafter, I was told she would move someone, and gave me my suite. . I am speculating that that hotel gave my room to someone else earlier in the evening. Later that night, there was a large party in the lobby, kids were running around the lobby and blasting loud music. Other residents started yelling down (given that it was 11:00 at night). Frankly, it appeared that the hotel manager had lost complete control of the situation, and was allowing certain guests to run rampant throughout the hotel lobby. By 12:00, the lobby finally settled down. There was one positive; in that, the cook making the omelets on Sunday morning 4/28/2024, did a great job managing the crowd. However, the bartender on duty (both nights I stayed) should really learn about customer engagement. I bartended for 3 years, and I think I remember the importance of making someone feel comfortable at the bar. She definitely did not do that. (If you don't like your job - find something else). For that matter, I did not feel comfortable (or safe for that matter) at the hotel, which is why I initially picked a Hilton Embassy Suites over the competition. This is supposed to be a flagship hotel for the chain – very disappointing. Frankly, this was one of the most unprofessionally run hotels in which I have ever stayed. I don't think I will stay at the Embassy Suites again and I will question staying at a Hilton again.

I couldn’t ask for a better place to stay to bring in the new years … or in general ! I will deff be back !! The views. The location. The inside is the hotel. Beyond perfect. Great for walking. Great for walking with little ones. Everything worth seeing is soooo close. My daughter and I truly enjoyed it and still are enjoying ourselves.

My daughter and I visited UofSC for a college tour on a very busy weekend in COLA, so accommodations were very limited. I hesitantly booked the Sheraton after reading several poor reviews and rude responses from management. After some research and confirmation on site, I learned that this hotel has a new, and very well liked General Manager as of Dec. 2022. It showed, and I highly recommend a stay at the “new and improved” Sheraton Columbia. The staff was excellent, friendly and helpful (Hannah went above and beyond), charmingly old rooms were fresh and very clean, our request for a quiet room (14th floor) was met without hesitation, the location was perfect for walking all over the city and to campus (Uber for longer distance). It would be nice to upgrade offerings in Club Lounge (decent food, wine/beer), but disregard former reviews and give this hotel a fresh start!

Difficult review to write as I think I got them on a bad day, firstly the facility is in a great location just off main, lots of super restaurants all within walking distance from the hotel. Check in was a disaster, we were given the wrong room number on our key card, I was just about to go back to reception when the lady who checked is appeared on the floor to correct the room number. The room was great, I suspect it was an upgrade as I am a Diamond member although this was not acknowledged at check in. I was not asked about a welcome bonus points and never received any. I went then to park the car, I found it ok (pretty straight forward so not sure why it is commented on so much here) but the key card had not been properly activated- meaning backing up and apologising to the people in cars behind me waiting to get in. The key was recut and all worked well after that. Breakfast was average at best, after a mix up about whether I had to pay or not what was served was more Holiday Inn Express than Holiday Inn. We were leaving very early on our final day so I tried to settle up and complete all payments the night before as there was customers in reception- they would not allow me to do that and assured me someone would be there when we were departing. The receptionist on when we left seemed to be having a bad night, no interaction at all, I requested the invoice be emailed to me but it never arrived. All in all the location is great, service was poor for me - but as I say I got the feeling I got them on a bad day, I think there are other better options in the area.

Thank you to each of the incredible staff who made our vacation comfortable and inviting. We received a very warm Hilton welcome the moment we walked through the door by the young lady who checked us in. She was also at the front desk throughout the weekend to answer questions and guide us with local places to go and fun things to do, which was extremely helpful. Our room was everything we expected and more! It was clean, roomy and homey. The bed and pillows were comfortable and the room itself was bright and cheery. It was very quiet and we were able to have a great nights sleep. The room had a little kitchen in it, as well, which was perfect for us! There was plenty of parking around the back of the hotel and the parking lot was well lit and we felt safe. The hotel is located in a perfect place. It’s within walking distance to a coffee shop across the street and Soda City Market, which is several blocks away. Next time you’re in Columbia, and looking for a nice place to stay, we would recommend that you stay here! We sincerely appreciate having had the opportunity to have stayed here and hope to be back again sometime in the future. Thanks again to all of you at Hilton Garden Inn! Keep being awesome!

This property did a nice job at doing everything it set out to do, but not trying to be more and instead focus on getting the important stuff right. As a whole, I left very satisfied, and please look below for a more detailed outline. Location: 5 Stars It’s super close to a mall, tons of restaurants, a grocery store, gas stations, and is easily accessible from I26. Curb Appeal: 5 Stars The outside is in fantastic shape and looks nice no matter how close or far you are. The landscaping is also well done, and parking is plentiful and well lit. Common Areas: 5 Stars While I didn’t make use of the pool, I can vouch for the business and fitness center being perfectly adequate, and all of the sitting areas, hallways, plus elevators were well appointed, and were kept clean throughout my stay. Customer Service: 6 Stars I couldn’t help but give a bit of a bonus here, this is seriously one of the best managed hotel, and probably the friendliest people I’ve encountered in the industry. Jessica specifically was fantastic, she’s definitely in the right industry. The Room Itself: 4.5 Stars I had room 407 which was a 1 Queen Studio Suite and was nearly perfect. The entry way was well lit, and had a spacious closet with tons of clever storage solutions (a theme that continues throughout the room) and all the amenities a good hotel would have. There was also a galley kitchen across from it that did everything you’d expect with nice and clean dishware. Past this was a rather nice desk area that was well lit and had plenty of outlets and a ton of built in storage. Beyond this is the sofa which was pretty comfy and featured some tables. The view was nothing special but the drapes where in good shape and the HVAC worked well. The bed was also nice and had plenty of storage and plugs around it. Last but not least is the spacious and spotless restroom with tons of storage and a functional sink and toilet. The only complaint about my stay would be the fact that the shower had a few rough patches in the caulk and the curtain was every so slightly too long and proved a nuisance when trying to shower. Neither of these are big deals though. Value: 5 Stars Considering this was the cheapest mid scale hotel in the neighborhood, and included an above average free breakfast, I consider it an excellent value. Summary: If you’re coming to the Columbiana area, I think I found your hotel!

A great replacement for a bad hotel down the road. I had a reservation at the Fairfied on Blarney. I arrived to a loud and rowdy gathering in the parking lot. I immediately called Marriott and booked this hotel. This property has undergone a fairly recent reservation. The staff was courteous and responsive. I was amazed by coffee available at the lounge. It was as good as fresh coffee at a Starbucks store. The room was clean and quiet. A great stay after a bad experience. The property had the feel of a much higher priced hotel.

Everyone was courteous and Mary (housekeeping)was the best she helped with what ever we needed , thank you for a pleasant visit. The food was great, and the people running the kitchen were excellent. We’d like to thank everybody for making us feel at home. Thank you all.