Residence Inn By Marriott Columbia

“Great place for a siblings' reunion”

My siblings and I had a reunion in Columbia this month, and we chose the Residence Inn for our stay. We were VERY impressed with the entire staff; every single person we dealt with was excellent and went out of their way to assist us. Special thanks to Stacy in the breakfast area; every morning, … more

My siblings and I had a reunion in Columbia this month, and we chose the Residence Inn for our stay. We were VERY impressed with the entire staff; every single person we dealt with was excellent and went out of their way to assist us. Special thanks to Stacy in the breakfast area; every morning, she greeted us warmly and was right there with whatever we needed, whether it was fresh coffee or more of those amazing breakfast quiches or simply a smile and “great to see you!” She was a ray of sunshine to start our day. Paul at the front desk was SO helpful during the reservation process; I called three different times to verify details as I was comparing facilities, and he was unfailingly pleasant and informative. He was on duty when we arrived and got us checked into our room earlier than we expected! Many thanks for that, as we were travelling with our dogs, and it was good to get them in an air-conditioned suite with plenty of water and their food as soon as we got off the road. Randy (also at the front desk) was a hoot; he was always smiling and asking us about our plans for the day. He was extremely helpful in guiding me in the use of the business area, and in providing all of us with tourist information and recommendations from a native’s point of view. The entire housekeeping staff was amazing! Because of the dogs, we opted for no housekeeping services during our stay. But any time we needed anything—more linens, toilet paper, soap, etc.—it was so convenient to talk with the housekeepers and they’d bring us the items right away. We did have some issues with the facility. The upholstered chairs in the lobby were quite dirty; the armrests were sticky and obviously hadn’t been cleaned in a while. Some of the furniture in our suite was not level, and canted forward; the cabinet drawers in the sitting room slid open of their own accord repeatedly, even after stuffing a washcloth under the front bottom edge of the cabinet. This created a traffic hazard, as we’d run into the drawers if we weren’t careful as we walked around the coffee table. The garbage disposal in the kitchen sink was having difficulties; it was very loud and sounded like something metal was caught in it. The hallway carpets were stained and wrinkled, and could be refreshed or replaced. We were really looking forward to the pool, and were EXTREMELY disappointed that it was not operational (and apparently has not been for some time). The website needs to be updated, as it still lists the pool and hot tub as amenities; we weren’t aware that the pool wasn’t available until the hotel sent us a travel advisory about a week before our arrival. Overall, we did enjoy our suite, as it was very spacious. There were two sizeable bedrooms (with full closet and a bathroom in each) and a large sitting area (with fold-out couch, TV/cabinet, coffee table and fireplace) next to the kitchen. We liked the large kitchen area with a full fridge/freezer, sink, dishwasher, and all necessities provided (plates, cups, glasses, silverware and even dish soap and dishwashing soap). The table had seating for four and was perfect for our needs, and there was adequate lighting throughout our suite. The beds were very comfortable, and the couch pull-out was serviceable. There was plenty of storage space for all our things, given two full closets, three dressers/cabinets, and multiple kitchen cabinets. The bathrooms were clean and well-stocked with towels, soaps, and lotion; the shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispensers in the shower were very convenient. We liked the European layout with the toilet and tub/shower combo separate from the vanity area. It was very nice to have a large, grassy dog area next to the tree line with stocked pet waste bags and a trash can. Unfortunately, the walls, ceilings and windows seem thin; we could easily hear traffic noise from the interstate which seemed quite loud at night, and we could hear guests walking in the room above us. The breakfasts were awesome! There was always good variety every morning. We LOVED the spinach and cheese quiches, as well as the sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches. They had a variety of pastries, cereals, and juices as well as fresh fruit, and of course the necessary teas and coffee. The waffle station was offered only on the weekend. We do appreciate the Residence Inn because it has a unique floor plan (2 bedrooms plus a sitting room) that allows 3 adults their own space, and they are very pet friendly. We feel that, if the facility issues were attended to, this could easily become a 5-star property. With a little attention to detail and TLC, it could be a place that travelers like us definitely want to return to. They certainly have the 5-star staff to make it worthwhile!

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“Okay for one night only”

I have mixed feelings about this hotel. It is conveniently located to 70. The staff (Serah) provided excellent customer service. It is very clean. But it is so run down compared to other RIs. The appliances looked to be from the 90s and were all dinged. The bathroom had toiletry dispensers ripped f… more

I have mixed feelings about this hotel. It is conveniently located to 70. The staff (Serah) provided excellent customer service. It is very clean. But it is so run down compared to other RIs. The appliances looked to be from the 90s and were all dinged. The bathroom had toiletry dispensers ripped from the wall. The bathroom light flickered and buzzed like in a horror movie. The window wouldn't go down, allowing cold air in at night. The couch was uncomfortable. But again, since it was clean and the front desk staff so friendly, it was fine for one night. But I wouldn't necessarily recommend.

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