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In this honest review of the Courtyard by Marriott Columbia Downtown at USC, we’ll tell you what my family liked & didn’t like about staying at this hotel. This is based on multiple stays at this hotel.
Location
The location of the hotel is really ideal if you want to be able to walk places.
First of all, as the “at USC” in the name suggests, the hotel is right at the University of South Carolina. In fact, it’s basically on campus, which means you can walk to the Russell House Student Union and the other buildings at USC.
For our family, the primary reason for our visits to Columbia was to attend a University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball Game. And we loved being able to walk to Colonial Life Arena! This was a lot easier than having to worry about finding a parking space somewhere. And when the game was over, we simply walked back to the hotel – no dealing with traffic!
The walk to Colonial Life Arena is less than half a mile. And there’s a Wendy’s that’s more or less on the way, if you want to get something to eat before a game.
Other sites within walking distance of the hotel include Addam’s University Bookstore (where you can get lots of great USC gear), Koger Center for the Arts, Carolina Coliseum, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, South Carolina State House, and more. One time we stayed here, we were able to walk to Addam’s, pick up a couple of purchases we had made online (which saved us on shipping costs), and get a little extra Christmas shopping done!
There’s also a complimentary area shuttle that can take you to and from any place that’s within a 3 mile radius to the hotel. However, we did not use the shuttle during our trip.
Parking
There is a parking garage right next to the hotel.
The daily parking fee is $10, which is a lot more reasonable than other hotels in the area.
Plus, for us since we were headed to Colonial Life Arena, if we’d found a parking garage near Colonial Life Arena we still would have had to pay to park. So this is a pretty good deal.
Please note that the clearance is only 6 feet for the covered parking.
Lobby & Bistro
When we visited in December, the hotel lobby was beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.
In addition to the check in desk, there’s also the Bistro, where you can order breakfast or dinner. You can get drinks at the Bistro Bar, and Starbucks is also available. And there are a number of table and chairs where you can enjoy your food.
Breakfast runs from 6:30 to 9:30 AM during the week and 7:00 to 10:00 AM on the weekend. Dinner is from 5:00 to 10:00 PM from Monday through Saturday.
Unfortunately, during our stay in December, the kitchen was closed in the morning. This is most likely because we were visiting during an off-peak time (since the University of South Carolina was on winter break). Otherwise, we could have chosen between the different menu options. Those include such dishes as avocado toast, breakfast quesadilla, French toast with strawberries, and a breakfast sandwich.
Although the kitchen was closed, we did have the option of ordering croissants or muffins. We did, and both were delicious!
The kitchen was open when we visited again, but we went to Wendy’s instead for breakfast. It’s really close and the prices were good for breakfast. Please note, however, you may need to knock on the door – they said the door sticks and we weren’t able to open it)
You can also purchase a beverage or snack at the Market in the lobby. We loved being able to head down to the lobby to pick up a few ice cold water bottles. It really was convenient for us.
Hotel Room
The size of the hotel room is fairly large when you consider the fact that it’s a downtown hotel (and space is generally limited in downtown settings). In fact, the only part of the room that feels small is the bathroom.
And the bathroom truly is small. It feels small even if it is just one person in the bathroom.
There is a small area outside the bathroom that’s separated from the main part of the room by a half wall that’s around 5 feet tall. The half wall creates a space for changing clothes if you want some privacy (but don’t want to change in the bathroom). It’s also where the microwave and coffee maker are located, right across from the closet.
It would have been nice, though, if there had been a second sink there. But as you can see, there is not.
The rest of the room is more spacious and does include a desk, desk chair, and additional chair. The TV is nice and large. I watched a couple other basketball games when I got back to my room during my last trip, and the quality of the TV was great.
Underneath the TV, a small refrigerator was located inside a cabinet, which was a nice use of space. Unfortunately, the first time we visited, the mini fridge wasn’t especially cold when we first arrived. The dial inside was turned to the least cold setting. Once we turned it to the highest setting, though, it soon reached a temperature that was cold enough for us. The second time we visited the temperature was great.
Oh, and the queen beds were very comfortable, which was definitely appreciated!
Speaking of electronics, our family often needs to charge a number of devices, like our phones and Chromebooks. That’s why I usually bring this surge protector whenever I travel. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring it on this trip. But luckily, there were numerous outlets in different parts of the room. And the clock radio between the beds also had a couple of outlets as well as a couple of USB ports. We had no problem charging all our devices.
Other Features
There is a fitness room where you can workout while enjoying views of downtown Columbia.
The outdoor pool is off the second floor. There’s also seating near the pool, with plenty of sofas, chairs and tables.
There is a laundry center if you need to use a washer or dryer.
And there’s also a business center if you need to get some work – or printing – done. On the other side of the computer and printer, there are a number of books in case you’d like something to read during your stay.
Pricing
I already mentioned how the parking is affordable compared to other downtown hotels. Similarly, I would say the hotel is more affordable than other hotels in the area. But the quality of the stay is still high.
Conclusion
Our family was very satisfied by our stay at Courtyard Columbia Downtown at USC. While the best feature is the convenient location, it’s also makes for comfortable accommodations for a reasonable price.
You can click here to get a great rate on your hotel stay.