nevansm

One additional update. The club lounge has improved greatly. There is now an attendant and complimentary beer and wine!! Yes, you read that right. Complimentary beer and wine in a US club lounge! ^^^^^

Gamecock

I see things are getting better with this property, has the PLT recognition improved? I will be staying there next weekend while looking for a place to live as I prepare to move back "home." ^

EDIT: So I stayed here and REALLY liked it. Got upgraded to a two room suite, with a very spacious bath. The rooms themselves are kind of small, but I found it to be very European. The lobby staff was great. Lounge was very nice. Loved the Roof Top Bar.

(Sorry to be so late in getting back and updating.)

Gamecock

OK, I just stayed here again, this time as a Gold. Thursday night check-in, three rooms reserved. All three reservations were upgraded to Club Level. (paid Government rate) My room had a house keeping issue and we were upgraded to a two room accessible suite. The club rooms had single tubs with a whirlpool tub. Very cool. My mother-in-law reports enjoying sitting in the whirlpool and watching the TV.

The difference from last time is that the lounge food seemed to be a bit better. Grits, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and biscuits. The attendant told me the day before they had biscuits and gravy, they like to mix up the menu.

We also took advantage of the hotel shuttle with will take you to any location within 2 miles. The vehicle, BTW, is a Cadillac Escalade.

Nitehawk

Cedric at the club lounge is great, a master of making his guests feel welcome. This little hotel has arguably the best club lounge food/wine I've experienced in the US Spg properties.

I also receive consistent suite upgrades here.

A nice comfortable property I always enjoy.

Alex_I

Just stayed at the Sheraton Columbia Downtown last week. Cedric is still great. Right now the regular lounge is unavailable and a temporary lounge is set in the mezzanine. The evening food selection was O.K. but somewhat limited - perhaps, a slow night.
Wine is no longer free - $6.00/glass and selection was not great.

pbiflyer

And the internet is horrifically slow. Here now. Download speed is 0.28mps. Slower than dial up, literally.

Flews

Just looking for some recent stay reports. Read the reviews on the hotel website, and while there was some positive feedback, there are an alarming number of reviews reporting absolutely horrible experiences.

Will We hate overnighting here on our way through SC?

Cheers,

Gamecock

I have stayed here 4 or 5 times over the last 3 years.

Always enjoyed my stay.

pricesquire

Funny you mention these 'horrible experiences'

I was recently driving through Columbia, hotel hopping around the SE USA, and figured 'why not'...

FWIW, I was reading TripAdvisor and other reviews, Google too, over lunch before arrival. The reviews were TERRIBLE.

Anyways, anti-climactic/long story short: the review was quite beautiful IMHO.

Didn't take a tour, but did peek around and saw a room or two. Great place, and look forward to having a 'real' stay here.

pbiflyer

I stayed here recently and have stayed multiple times.
It all depends on expectations. It is far from your standard Sheraton. I think that may throw people.
You have to valet park, or use the parking lot Marriott uses and schlep your bags an awful long way. Valet can be slow. Sometimes not though.
Elevators are small, hallways are small and old, rooms are small, but they are nice. Original hardwood floors. Again, not the norm.
Trying to remember how the showers were. Something in the back of my mind says they weren't great.
Beds are all queen size IIRC. No Kings.
Restaurant is in the basement. The Vault is an interesting experience if you have never drank in a bank vault before.
A 10 minute walk will put you in the Vista that has several restaurants. I like Liberty Grill & Tap Room.
For a night, you shouldn't have a problem.

Flews

Thanks for the insights; much appreciated.

I'm sure we'll survive for one night.

Cheers,

dingo

I was hear almost exactly one year ago for a conference. After that stay, I posted the following comments on the hotel's website:

"If you're in Columbia and want to earn SPG points/stays this is your only choice. It is a historic looking hotel so you know there will be some quirkiness to it and I was fine with the odd shaped rooms, creaky floors, etc.

What I wasn't ok with was the lack of attention paid by staff. I checked in at 10:00 PM or so. I noticed a tray with what appeared to be breakfast (oatmeal, OJ) sitting on the table outside the elevator on my floor. It was still there when I came back from the bar about an hour alter. It was still there when I got up to go to the club lounge at 7:00 AM the next morning, but had been moved by someone on staff to put the USA Today's on that table. "

So one year later I decided that I once again need the stay and points so I'm here again.

I've been at the hotel less than 40 minutes and here are my observations/experiences:

- Booked a king suite; room not ready at check in at 7:35. Took about ten minutes and required the front desk agent to basically plead for help to the MOD over the phone. Resolved, sent on my way with a key to the club lounge.

- Head up to the room and as I walk off the elevator am greeted by, what else, a room service tray on the table in the exact same location as the one I'd seen for my entire stay last year! Could it be the same one?!

- Head up to the newly renovated club, walking by the room service tray on the table of course. The club is sparse, but I'm becoming accustomed to that at Sheratons. Some pepper jack cheese and fruit...no crackers, no nothing else.

- Get back to the room and want to get some dinner and get work done. But no room service menu. Hit the room service button on the phone, no one answers, get thrown to the general automated system telling me to press 1 for reservations, etc. Hit 0 to get to the front desk, and bounce right back to the automated system.

- Hang up and call back, get the front desk. Ask if there is room service at the hotel; yes there is. I don't have a menu, is there another way I need to order? No, I'll bring one right up to you. That was 25 minutes ago.

I will come back and post more...I have a feeling this might be an exciting stay!

- Right before I posted the first part of this I called room service again and asked the man who answered to tell me about the menu. I placed an order and it was brought up fairly promptly. Good burger actually. I think I also heard the room service gentleman clear the tray from the hallway.

- I'm assuming that the room service gentleman contacted the front desk agent to let her know that she didn't need to bring me a menu since I've still not received one.

karenkay

any recent stays here? i'm trying to decide if it's worth 14000 points for two nights (as a plat) to stay for a football weekend...?

based on above comments i'm thinking i should keep my el-cheapo hampton inn by the airport reservation.

pageboy

I stayed here 2 years ago, and my wife and I thought it was great. It's a converted bank with old fixtures, wooden floors and a bar located within an old bank vault- complete with old door entrance. I, too, am going for a football weekend in late October to this Sheraton. There are not enough of these old downtown properties with tons of character and charm for me. So when I find one, I try to patronize the effort taken- and would encourage you to do the same.

karenkay

thought i'd leave a response to my future self as we did end up staying two nights...the night before the game they released friday availability, so we were able to stay two nights at a reasonable rate. if you're willing to gamble you might get lucky as well, at least as long as the gamecocks continue to lose football games.

got upgraded as a plat to a proper suite on the 6th floor, small rooms but nice enough layout, door between the living room and bedroom. the minibar is empty, if it matters to you (we used ours to store luggage despite a sign on the door saying it had a sensor and we'd be charged for anything that had been removed). there was a coffeemaker, and a small safe in the closet.

flat screen tv in living room, bedroom and another small one in the bathroom. shower only, no tub. the wooden floors were cool, and creaked like crazy--hubby woke me up going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, but there must be cement underneath them as we heard zero noise from hotel guests above or below.

i get the impression some floors/rooms are MUCH quieter than others, and we clearly got a fairly quiet one, all things considered. there was a great deal of street noise, fire engines, car alarms, etc., but no noise from the floor itself. with only 135 rooms and 16 floors, there aren't that many other guests on your floor.

lounge access was included as a plat, platinum breakfast was served on the mezzanine level for this weekend instead of the lounge; and had one hot eggy dish--the same both mornings, along with some fruit and maybe cereal...i didn't really pay attention. waters and a few snacks (bagged chips, granola bars and apples) available all the time in the lounge. i think there was a happy hour but we weren't in the hotel either night to check it out.

we found service to be pleasant and helpful, though a bit spacey, although we asked for extra pillows and they arrived promptly. there's a farmers market/craft fair thing on saturday just outside the front door, which is good local fun, and a groovy starbucks in the basement of the hotel.

all in all, if i had a reason to be in columbia, i'd stay again. ^