Hilton Garden Inn Columbia/Harbison

The bed was excellent, the shower stayed hot, and my room was quiet. Even with 20° weather, the heater rarely ran while keeping the room comfortable at my 73° setting. The place was clean, the staff friendly, and it's near good restaurant chains and the interstate. I didn't use the pool or gym. The weekend buffet cost $20 and included scrambled eggs, grits, skillet potatoes with peppers, bacon, sausage patties, toast breads, bagels, cereal, milk, juices, and coffee. For that spread, it was a deal. I'll be back.

We were in SC for our son's and daughter-in-law's first baby, checking in on New Year's Eve Wednesday. The online check-in and key scans were supposed to let us go straight to the room, but the scans didn't work. The first night we asked for an extra blanket and were told the hotel had only ten, all already loaned out. When we tried to heat something in the microwave, it didn't work. Neither did the coffee maker or mini fridge. We asked to move rooms. The employee checked for something nearby, but there wasn't anything close, and we already had our pajamas on. We asked again in the morning because we wanted to be at the hospital by 9:30. The GM at the front desk was really nice, but the new room's card keys didn't work, so he had to let us in. After breakfast, he had to let us in again and said the keys should be ready when we returned from the hospital. They worked for the rest of the stay, which was okay.

I came to see my son for the holiday and had a pleasant enough stay. The staff were friendly and helpful, and both the place and room were nice. It was a little noisy outside, though that's just the location, which was convenient too. The mall and restaurants are within walking distance. If you're driving farther, keep in mind traffic around the mall can get busy at times. I enjoyed the trip and would book here again. Next time, I'll try the breakfast.

The room felt old, and I couldn't tell what had been renovated. The shower was one of the worst I've had: its head sprayed a weak stream in every direction no matter which setting I used. There was no soap, and the small, outdated TV didn't offer streaming. It's rare these days to find a hotel without smart TV features. If the place was recently renovated, I would've expected an upgraded TV and shower head. Our room wasn't serviced during the stay. Each morning the housekeepers were loud, slamming doors and talking loudly to each other.