Hampton Inn & Suites Columbus Polaris

The AC was out when we got back to the room at 2am after dinner, the Kevin James show, and drinks with friends. At first the front desk guy asked why I hadn’t checked it at check-in, then said he was just the front desk guy and it was 3am because daylight saving started that night. When I asked if anyone could look at it, he put it on me and asked what I expected him to do. We were stuck in a 74 degree room for a few hours until I sobered up enough to drive us home. I always stay at Hamptons because the rooms are nice and the service is amazing. Not here. Believe the awful reviews and stay somewhere else!

My nephew and I had a great time in the clean indoor pool, and our room was great too. But the morning after our stay, every car had been broken into, all with the driver side window smashed. Staff had towels, trash bags, and a vacuum ready and were casual about it, saying this had been happening consistently. If they knew, why didn’t they warn guests? I had nothing valuable in my car, but now I’m facing a $500 window repair. I’ve always stayed with Hampton because I thought they had guests’ best interests in mind. I don’t feel that way now.

I booked three nights but left after just one because there were too many problems. The elevator was broken the whole time, and when I asked, I was told it had been out for two weeks. We had to call reception for help each time, and they were often slow or didn’t answer. The room was dirty and smelled strongly of smoke. Dust covered the curtains, the sheets were ripped, and the blankets smelled unpleasant, like they hadn’t dried properly after washing. The pool was so hot it was hard to breathe inside. When we returned for my kids’ forgotten life jacket, housekeeping first said they hadn’t seen it. As I was leaving, I saw the same housekeeper take it from the trash and put it in a different room. That felt dishonest and unprofessional. Cleanliness, maintenance, and staff integrity all need serious improvement. Based on my stay, I’d advise people to look elsewhere until things change.

The beds were really comfortable and the showerhead was nice. At breakfast, there were tons of options, including churro waffles, mini chocolate chips, and bacon, and it runs until 10. We also got free water bottles when leaving. The pool and whirlpool area felt open and leafy, with lots of windows, and on a sunny morning you could sit on a deck chair and soak up the sun. We asked about a thick blanket for our baby to sleep on the floor, and they offered a play pen. We didn’t end up using it, but that was a nice surprise since another hotel had told us we’d need to book one in advance. The TV welcomed us by name, which was a thoughtful touch. It’s clearly not a new hotel, but they’ve done well with it. Five stars from us!