Sonesta Select Columbia

The location was great, close to everything, and the lobby and shared spaces were well kept. My King one bedroom suite was another story. It smelled musty, and the room wasn’t very clean. The bathroom looked like it hadn’t been cleaned, the pullout mattress was filthy and very worn, and the pool water was foggy. The complimentary conditioner was empty, and the hand soap and shampoo were identical. The room could use a proper clean, and the furniture needs updating.

The rolling table tucked under the main table and the rolling ottoman were handy. Our whole family could sit together to eat or play board games. The staff were warm overall, and two people went above and beyond with customer service. The hotel looks modern, beautiful, and clean, but I’m not sure we’d return after this trip. We chose it for the advertised heated indoor pool, and I called ahead to check that it would meet our expectations. Please know the pool isn’t heated on weekends. On Saturday, our kids arrived with swim toys and found cold water. They swam briefly, then started shivering, so we got them out. There were plenty of tears and disappointment. My husband asked the front desk for help, but they weren’t useful. They said they’d supposedly called the manager and gotten no response, and nobody seemed to know how to heat the pool. It was 19 degrees outside. During the week the pool is comfortably heated, but a swim school shares the space, so hotel guests only get half the pool. Online, the pictures make it look like a spa with an Olympic sized pool. In reality it’s small, about 5 feet deep, with chairs but no loungers or tables for sitting with family or putting things down. The complimentary breakfast isn’t much for a family. It’s a continental meal with one juice or other drink, one fruit, one yogurt, and one small pastry, cereal, or oatmeal. We went to a restaurant instead. At check-in they asked if we wanted the room cleaned, and we said yes, but it never was. With five of us, every little trash can filled up. The front desk didn’t help at first, and I had to persuade them to deal with it. They eventually said we could bring the trash to the desk, and gave us one large bag to keep on the floor for the rest of our stay. The hotel looks updated, but the room amenities are old. There are no USB charging stations, so bring charging blocks. We had a queen bed and pullout couch. In winter, there’s a draft near the sliding doors by the couch, so you may want extra blankets for kids or anyone sleeping there. The couch doesn’t move or even slide, and we couldn’t fit our infant’s pack and play. This was meant to be a short, fun getaway with good amenities, especially the pool, but the pool wasn’t kept heated on the weekend. That was a serious disappointment.

I never even got to check in. I needed a room for professional consultant training, and the on-site staff had arranged a rate for me. They were lovely and went above and beyond, but the general manager, “Benoy,” refused to honor it. When I said I was disappointed, he decided I didn’t deserve a room. He wouldn’t give me his last name, saying, “you don’t need to know that,” and refused to provide the corporate number. I want to stress that Vicky is wonderful and deserves a promotion and whatever else good they can give her. Thank you, Vicky. Book here as long as the general manager isn’t visiting. Good riddance, Benoy. You’re a piece of work.

The place is pretty nice, though a little dated, which makes sense at this price. I’ve enjoyed staying here. What hasn’t been nice is the customer service. I’ve often been met by rude, impatient front desk staff who act like I’m dumb and are mean. Maybe one or two people have been nice or fine, but not consistently. I think the problem is the workplace culture, probably coming from corporate and working its way down. Be kinder to your people, pay and treat them well, and take care of them. When employees are happy and healthy, they can treat customers well. If most of the staff act this way, it doesn’t seem like an individual or hiring problem. It’s a work culture problem.