Hyatt House Columbus OSU / Short – North

The parking situation was the biggest problem for us. Several vehicles, especially larger ones like Suburbans, Escalades, and work trucks, had windows smashed in during a wave of break-ins. It sounds like this has happened before, and there are no cameras covering the lot. Until the hotel adds surveillance and better security, anyone staying should know their car could be at risk. If you can park somewhere secure and well lit, the stay inside is easily five stars. The hotel itself was excellent. Our room was modern, spacious, and spotless, which made a longer stay comfortable. The gym was bright and very well equipped, one of the best hotel fitness rooms I’ve seen. It’s also handy for OSU and the Short North.

I loved my first stay at the Hyatt House. The room was clean and had plenty of space, and the front desk staff made check-in and checkout especially easy. They deserve a thank you for making the visit such a good one.

We came for a weekend cheer competition, and the indoor pool was a big reason I booked in January. It was heated, but still too cold for me to swim, and our daughter was shivering by the time we got her out. The parents sat around in sweatshirts and long pants. We mentioned the problem, and someone seemed to check, but it wasn’t fixed during our stay. The room itself looked nice, though it felt like corners had been cut. The glasses were stored rim-down and stuck to the cupboard shelf, so we had to wash them, with no towel or sponge provided. There was shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, but no usual hotel lotion. The shower had only six streams of water, which made washing long hair difficult. For three of us, getting ready was a squeeze, especially with the only mirror in the bathroom behind the glass shower doors. We could also hear conversations through the thin walls. The HVAC ticked until we turned it off, but it was January in Ohio and we needed heat. At breakfast the brown sugar was rock hard, just as another guest had reported five days earlier. The GM had replied to that review, but apparently nothing changed. At checkout I brought up the cold pool; when I said we’d already told someone, the employee ended the conversation. It didn’t feel like she cared. I picked this Hyatt because of the brand’s reputation, but there are plenty of hotels nearby, so choose carefully.

The suite was spacious, with a nice view of the river behind the hotel, and breakfast was free. The staff were nice enough, and the hotel itself was good. If you stay, I’d ask for a river-facing room. Still, I woke up to seventeen cars with smashed windows, mostly pickup trucks. I was lucky not to be among them, but seeing that much damage in one night was shocking. I know car break-ins are a wider problem for hotels in this area and that the hotel may not ultimately be liable, but guests should be told about the risk openly and in advance. Outside cameras or a security officer on site might help prevent this from happening again. If you do choose to stay, I’d bring an older car, definitely not a pickup, and take everything out before bed.