Sleep Inn (Columbia)

The hotel was clean, and my room was well cared for, with spotless floors. The woman who checked me in was incredibly friendly and informative, and made the process smooth. She gets 10 out of 10. My reservation had been canceled when I arrived, and the attempt to charge the card on file didn’t go through. The staff helped me find another option, and I was eventually able to make a new reservation. Later, though, the second-shift guest service agent was less than welcoming and seemed unprofessional. I called for towels and went to the desk, where he asked, “Where are your old towels?” I said I hadn’t brought them because nobody had told me to, and he didn’t respond appropriately. His attitude made me uncomfortable, like he wasn’t interested in helping. That interaction with the second-shift staff member on Christmas Day overshadowed the rest of my stay. I hope future guests have a better experience.

We’re long-time Choice Hotels members and usually find the properties fine, but this was our worst experience. The price was reasonable, so it might suit someone who needs a very economical place. We arrived late, and the reception was unfriendly, almost rude. The building needs serious renovation: the headboard had partly slipped off the wall, and we were lucky it didn’t come down on us while we slept. The door’s safety latch was broken off. The toilet was hard to flush and made an awful noise. We didn’t eat breakfast there. There are no vending machines, and snacks and drinks at the front desk are cash only.

The price was hard to beat, and I’d come back. I stayed three nights in a clean, quiet room with no bugs or roaches. The front desk staff were friendly and sorted out issues quickly. It was also handy for restaurants and the places I needed to go.

We booked because this was the only available place near my sister’s graduation at Fort Jackson, about ten minutes away. We quickly understood why it had availability. The smell of weed was overpowering when we arrived, and the rooms we saw, 221, 226, 223, 218, and 203, all smelled awful and had roaches. In our room, the carpet had a horrible old smell, the ceilings were yellow as if from dried water leaks, and the cabinets looked bitten up, as though by bed bugs. There was no hot water. Breakfast was just one egg, and it was disgusting. The sheets had hair and a bloodstain, and we couldn’t sleep at all because the place felt so gross. When I raised the sheets with the receptionist, he wasn’t apologetic. He said I should have mentioned it sooner and that rooms aren’t cleaned unless requested. We’d just booked the room, so I assumed it would be clean. I wouldn’t stay here again. Stay away and don’t book.