Budget Inn Express

At least you can pay cash and don't need a credit card. Otherwise, bed bugs, dirty rooms, rude staff, and no hot water pretty much cover it. Around 3 a.m., guests next door were arguing because someone had been shorted some crack and then broke their room window. Somehow, being ten minutes late checking out seems to be treated as a worse offense. If you're after a true hood experience, this is the spot.

The location and price are great, with quick access to the interstate, main roads, downtown Columbia, the hospital, stores, fast food, restaurants, and supermarkets. Fort Jackson is 15 minutes away, and parking is spacious. I'd stay again in a smoke-free room. The room wasn't that bad for the price. The bathroom, AC, refrigerator, and TV were okay, but some furniture needs attention. There were electrical wires hanging from the ceiling, though they had caps. The big issue was the cigarette smell. The rug and chair fabric need washing, and I'm sure they haven't been washed in a while. The stairs to the second floor need signs showing which room numbers are to the left and right. I had to walk around looking for my room. I only spotted the soda machine and ice maker under the stairs on my last day. There was also an extinguisher box with no extinguisher, which I'm sure violates fire department code.

I paid $80 to give this place a try and got a room with bedbugs. I had to throw away all my belongings. The bathroom was the only other issue I had, but bedbugs are the worst thing a business can have in a review. Don't come here unless you're willing to take home creepy crawlers. You'll be upset.

The bed and pillows were the only good parts. The room reeked of cigarettes even though I requested a non-smoking room. There was stained, scratched furniture, open outlets, a cracked toilet tank, and a cloth shower curtain with no liner. The sewer was being worked on, and I couldn't drink the water there. I wasn't allowed to check in until 1 p.m. The door looked like it had been beaten in, and the front desk person was angry that I had to check out at 9 the next morning.