Overview
Located along Highway 378 and under a 1-minute drive from Fort Jackson Army Base, the Comfort Inn Ft. Jackson Maingate is geared towards road travellers who require an economical hotel with easy highway access, an indoor pool and a free continental breakfast.
This hotel has 67 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV with free HBO, a coffeemaker, a microwave, a mini-fridge, a desk, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. Standard rooms offer one king or two queen beds, while some rooms offer additional amenities, including a seating area with a sofabed and a jetted tub.
The hotel also offers an indoor pool, a fitness room, a business centre, free weekday newspapers, guest laundry facilities, a free continental breakfast and free parking.
Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request and pets are not permitted. A 150 USD cash deposit or a 50 USD credit card authorization is required at check-in. Both smoking and non-smoking rooms are available.
There is no on-site restaurant, but Shoney's is located next door, and several other restaurants, including Waffle House, KFC and Pizza Hut, are less than a 5-minute walk away.
Woodhill Mall is approximately a 4-minute drive northwest of the hotel. South Carolina State Fair can be found about 11 minutes westward by car, and Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is a 20-minute drive west. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 4, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's staff, value and rooms.
The hotel's staff received many compliments from reviewers. They were characterized as friendly, professional, helpful and knowledgeable about the area.
Numerous guests commented on the hotel's value. They described the rates as reasonable, budget friendly, great and cheap.
Several lodgers enjoyed their accommodations at the hotel. They described their rooms as clean, well kept and well equipped, with comfortable beds and pillows. It should be noted, however, that some guests had complaints about their rooms (see below).
The hotel's location was also praised, and considered to be close to restaurants, the highway, Fort Jackson Army Base, shopping and the VA Hospital.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the rooms.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with their well-equipped and comfortable rooms, some guests were disappointed with their rooms. They reported some cleaning issues, poor Wi-Fi signals, musty room odours and worn fixtures.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #63 out of 92 Columbia hotels with an average rating of 2.5 out of 5 from 44 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 3.7 out of 5 with an 81% recommendation rate from 42 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviews rated the hotel 3.3 out of 5 from 24 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 4, 2013 to verify some information.