Red Roof Inn Columbus - Ohio State Fairgrounds

The area isn’t the best, but the rooms are nice and clean. The vending machines work, and there’s an ATM, an ice machine, a gym, and plenty of nearby food, shopping, and laundry options. Several bus stops are within walking distance, and the prices are fairly reasonable. Be polite and patient with the staff, and they’ll return the favor.

The room itself was okay, though some of the flooring was coming up. The bathroom was awful: the towels were wet and yellow with a gross stain, the toilet hadn’t been flushed and had pee all over it, and the whole room was dirty. I wiped the counter and the wipe came back black. I was too uncomfortable to shower. And a $100 damage deposit for a place like that? At 1 am, someone knocked on my door after I responded to a text about a review. It would be wild if hotel staff did that, but when I checked, I didn’t see anyone, so I can’t say it was them.

We arrived late in the evening, and there wasn’t any tea or coffee at the hotel or a coffee machine in the room, so we had to look around for something warm to drink. The room hadn’t been cleaned well. There was only one hand towel in the double room, and the towels were wet. The bathroom clearly hadn’t been dusted, with dust on the ventilation grill and light fixture. The bathtub wasn’t clean, and the foot towel was wet, probably left by the previous guests.

As a woman traveling alone for work, I didn’t feel safe here. There were people I suspected of using drugs right in front of the building, and people kept going in and out of another building about 10 steps away. When I asked the manager what kind of area it was and whether there were cameras, she wouldn’t answer either question. The photos were very misleading. I asked for a refund and checked out as soon as she gave me the key card. I told her I felt unsafe and anxious, but she showed no concern and offered terrible service. You’d think a manager or supervisor would handle a safety concern better. The place was dirty and seemed careless. I’m guessing cats live there too. I asked Priceline to see if I could get a refund, but the manager gave another bogus policy excuse. There should be a policy for guests who don’t feel safe at this location. They just want to keep your money. I’m a Priceline Gold VIP member and have never had an issue like this before.