Tru by Hilton Harbison Columbia

The room was impressively quiet even though the hotel was completely full. It stayed dark, and the fan ran steadily, so we got a great night’s sleep. We arrived late and the staff made us feel welcome, offering water bottles and finding us a staff room that had been blocked off. Everyone we dealt with was kind. I don’t post about experiences often, but the team at Tru by Hilton in Columbia SC deserves a big thank you.

The location was convenient, but that was the only real plus. The room never got cold and seemed to have only a fan running. I suspect the first-floor room had flooded during Hurricane Helene, which came through SC, and the whole floor needs repairs and updating. The king bed and pillows were both terrible. Breakfast was limited too, and the yogurt machine was empty by 7:30 a.m.

Parking gets tricky when there are lots of guests, and breakfast items have sometimes run low during my stays. The room layout is cramped: the desk chair is wedged between the bed and desk, so working means sitting at an angle, and it has to be moved completely out of the way to get through. I still like this hotel and the tru brand, and it’s worth staying at, but this location isn’t one of my favorites or one of the brand’s best. Breakfast itself is good, and the furnishings and decor are the usual for the chain.

A pretty average budget-friendly place. The hot breakfast was good and offered a decent range of options. My room was clean, and the staff interactions were positive. It did feel like the hotel was aimed more at female guests.