TownePlace Suites by Marriott Sumter

The rooms are clean, secure, and thoughtfully laid out, and the location is convenient for everything around Sumter. The front desk staff are welcoming and seem to know which guests are staying long term and which are here for less than a week. I’d definitely come back if they’re still here. A great stay.

The parking lot is very well lit, and the hotel looks and feels new. It’s clean and nicely designed.

The outdoor seating area with a grill and fire pit is a nice place to spend time, and the location is handy on the main road with everything reasonably close. The staff are friendly and accommodating, and during my six months here for work they really tried to make it feel like home. The kitchenette has nearly everything you need. Double queen rooms are quite spacious, though the single king rooms feel a little small. Getting in and out is awkward because of how the parking lot is positioned. I also like a warm room, but the heater doesn’t hold the temperature very well. This worked for a month or two, but for a longer stay like mine I’d look for somewhere with a larger kitchen and living area.

The gym downstairs was the best I’ve used in a hotel: three treadmills, two ellipticals, a horizontal bike, two sets of free-weight dumbbells, workout mats, and a multi-purpose machine for arms, pull-ups, and more. My room was stocked with pots, cups, silverware, plates, and little bowls. The kitchen had a full-size fridge, a small two-burner electric stove, and a small dishwasher. It suited my work stay of a few weeks perfectly. Breakfast was hot and ready right at 6:30 each morning. The staff were attentive and brought extra cooking items and small toiletries when I needed them. The walls seem thicker, perhaps because it’s a long-stay hotel, and I never had trouble with noisy neighbors. The only drawback, outside the staff’s control, is getting to the property: if you’re coming from the west, you can’t turn in at the light and have to make a U-turn.