Courtyard by Marriott Columbus Worthington

I ended up here because I was running late and my usual Hilton choice was too far away. I’m a Gold member with both Marriott and Hilton, but I normally pick Hilton properties and don’t often stay at Marriott hotels. The first impression wasn’t great: the receptionist seemed unwelcoming and didn’t smile at check-in. I also didn’t get the complimentary bottled water I generally expect as a loyalty member. In the room, there were no outlets or charging ports near the bed, which made it awkward to charge my devices overnight. I was on the first floor and there wasn’t an ice machine there either. When I asked, the front desk sent me to the bar for ice. That felt unusual and inconvenient. The service and amenities didn’t meet my expectations.

The bed was genuinely comfortable, the comforter was nice, and the pillows were top tier. The TV was smart, so we could use our streaming services, and the hotel is about 12 minutes from Polaris. But the rest of this stay was frustrating. We paid $540 for three nights after switching hotels at the last minute because the other place had closed its pool and its elevator was down. This wasn’t worth the price. In three days, housekeeping never came, and several calls to the front desk went unanswered while we ran out of towels and toilet paper. We went downstairs twice to try to sort things out, but nothing got resolved. The pool was cloudy enough that you couldn’t see your feet in the shallow end, falling apart with tiles on the bottom, and freezing. The five times our kids insisted on swimming, there were no towels, so we used our pool towels to shower. Someone’s leftovers were in the fridge. The balcony had cigarette butts, dirt, and dead leaves, the tissue box was empty, and the pullout couch blanket was rough and stiff. The sheets smelled odd, the toilet paper roll was nearly empty with no spare, and the room wouldn’t cool below 72. I really hope we can get at least a partial refund. This was meant to be a nice vacation, and I don’t usually complain, but it made the trip a lot harder. Maybe this was just a bad fluke during a busy week, with Easter the weekend before and most people on spring break.

Restaurants are easy to reach on foot, and Sheetz became our regular stop. The balcony was a nice surprise, though January weather after a major snowfall was much too cold to use it. Inside, the room seemed only partly updated: the bathroom floor and counters looked new, but the carpet was stained, light switches were dirty, and the popcorn ceiling was peeling. There weren’t many outlets, so the nightstand outlet bank was a lifesaver for our phones, watches, and tablets. Getting in was a little awkward. The front automatic sliding door sensor didn’t work, so we had to start the door moving by hand before the motor kicked in. Check-in itself took under five minutes, though the layout meant a longer walk to the room than usual for a Courtyard. The main issue was clearing the snow. The lot hadn’t been plowed, and we had to trudge through well over a foot of snow from a nearby side entrance and elevator. The cleared spaces by the front were full, so there wasn’t a practical alternative. It’s a solid place to sleep, but if snow is in the forecast, I’d hope they do a better job clearing the parking lot and side entrance.

The cafe is a fun feature, with great made-to-order coffee and meals. Rooms are clean, comfortable, and nicely decorated, so it’s a good place to relax. I’ve always had a nice stay here, and the front desk has been friendly and accommodating.