OverviewLocated about a 3-minute drive from Columbia's city centre in The Vista District just off Highway 1, the SpringHill Suites Columbia Downtown is suitable for business or vacation travellers who prefer a centrally located hotel with a free breakfast, a free area shuttle and easy highway access.
Each of this smoke-free hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms comes equipped with free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a microwave, a mini-fridge, a coffeemaker, a living area with a sofabed, a desk, an iron and ironing board, a hair dryer and an iPod dock. The hotel is wheelchair accessible and pets are not permitted.
Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, a fitness room, meeting/banquet facilities, a business centre, guest laundry, a gift shop, free parking and a free breakfast. A free area shuttle to nearby attractions is also offered (please contact the hotel for details).
The University of South Carolina Columbia is within a 5-minute drive or 20-minute walk of the hotel, while Riverbanks Zoo and Garden can be found about 6 minutes away by car. Parkland Plaza offers shopping a 5-minute drive away and Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is roughly a 16-minute drive away. (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: November 2, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, rooms and breakfast.
Many lodgers praised the hotel's location, finding it close to highway access, downtown Columbia, restaurants, bars, museums, the USC Campus, the State Capitol, Fort Jackson, Riverbanks Zoo and a grocery store. One guest noted, "The location of the hotel is great and you can walk to all the restaurants and attractions of The Vista".
The hotel's accommodations were enjoyed by numerous reviewers. They described their rooms as clean, spacious, modern, quiet, beautiful, well equipped, and well maintained, with comfortable beds and linens. A few patrons had complaints about their rooms, however (see below).
Several guests complimented the hotel's free breakfast, describing it as excellent, plentiful, filling and healthy, with several hot and cold options. One lodger remarked, "Breakfast buffet also excellent-both healthy (cereal, yoghurt etc) and "classic" (sausage, eggs, bagels, muffins)".
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about the hotel's rooms.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with their clean and modern accommodations, a few guests had complaints about their rooms. They reported difficulty regulating the in-room air conditioners, as well as rough towels, slow Wi-Fi and some traffic noise.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #11 of 90 Columbia hotels with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 139 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.6 out of 5 with a 96% recommendation rate from 123 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 9.8 out of 10 from 5 reviews.
The author called the hotel on November 2, 2013 to verify some information.
