OYO Hotel Columbia SC I-20/I-26

UPDATE: It’s been two weeks since I checked out and they still haven’t refunded my deposit. SCAM ALERT! I needed a one-night stop while passing through Columbia and chose this hotel for the price. I booked a non-smoking king online through hotels.com, but when I arrived they said only doubles were available. I accepted since it was just one night. It was hard to find because the place is actually called OYO now, after buying Regency Inn and starting renovations, but there was no road sign to tell you that. I checked the bed and bathroom right away. The beds seemed fine, but there was a live roach in the bathtub and lingering smoke smell in the room. It was late and I was tired, so I put up with it for the night. Two days after I got home, I had about 15 bites all over my body. I suspect bed bugs. Now I have to wash everything I brought and treat the bites. Save yourself some trouble, spend a little more, and don’t stay there.

The hotel has new ownership and is working on staffing and overhauling the rooms, so it’s a work in progress. The staff make up for that: they were very professional and did their best to make my stay pleasant. When something went wrong, they went above and beyond to fix it. I’d stay here again without hesitation if I were in town. The poor rating seems mostly to come from the previous ownership. This is a budget diamond in the rough.

The rooms look nothing like the online pictures, and I’d give this place zero stars if I could. There are roaches and mold in the rooms, and one room I was in had leaks under the sink and air conditioner. Homeless people were sitting under the stairs, and it’s never quiet. They charged me $280 for the week plus a $50 room deposit. I won’t come back or recommend it. I’ve been gone for a week and still haven’t received my $50 deposit.

Why hire new people without customer service skills, then enforce policies inconsistently with what’s advertised? The website says check-in can be as early as 6 a.m., subject to availability. But the new person just says “No,” apparently for the pleasure of hearing herself say it. #obnoxious On earlier stays, customer service was excellent. The hotel is becoming an Oyo, and the price through the Oyo app was great. The new manager went out of his way to accommodate me, and the room was great. Domino’s wouldn’t deliver because of “safety concerns,” but the hotel seemed totally safe to me. Don’t expect much from the “breakfast,” or you’ll be disappointed. I’d definitely recommend the hotel and stay again.