Sonesta Essential Columbus

The breakfast was a letdown, and breakfast is one reason we book places like this. I asked the night before and was told they'd have eggs and sausage, but we got hard, dry biscuits and watery gravy. The cereal was edible, so that's the only reason breakfast gets one star. Before we ate, I was ready to rate the place 8-9 out of 10, or 4-5 stars. Skip it if you're looking for protein.

The lobby was hot and humid because the air conditioning wasn't working properly, and the elevator had apparently been out for three months. We're in our 70s, and one person with us is severely disabled, so I asked about first-floor rooms. They had just one, with two queens. I took that for our party's first-floor room, despite having reserved two king rooms, and accepted a second-floor room for the other one while we waited for the first-floor room to be cleaned. The clerk charged my card for the upstairs room while we waited. Then we learned our two small dogs would cost an extra $200 for two nights, plus a $260 deposit. I thought that was outrageous and canceled because the hotel didn't offer several amenities listed when we booked and didn't meet what we had reserved. The manager on duty said they wouldn't refund the card charge and told me to call Expedia. Expedia said it needed the general manager's approval, so I went back to the hotel to ask for them. The general manager wasn't there, and staff refused to give me their name or phone number, saying there was nothing they could do and to call Expedia again. Expedia then told me they'd just spoken with the general manager, who said there would be no refund. I made the booking through Hotels.com and only later learned that Hotels.com is Expedia. I won't book through Hotels.com/Expedia or this hotel chain again.

A good overnight stay. The place was clean and welcoming, with a nice outdoor patio. Parking fit our box truck and tow car, and the bathroom had a roomy counter and walk-in shower. The beds and desk chair were comfortable. I'd stay again.

The room itself was comfortable, spacious, and clean, and the staff were kind and helpful. But during our four-night stay, housekeeping never came by to clean or replace the towels. Maybe you have to request service here, I'm not sure. There was also a lot of noise well past midnight, with people shouting and running along the hallway, and it woke us up. Since the room wasn't serviced, I didn't leave a tip.