I have a confession to make. After my last hotel experience in Columbus,Georgia I was a little nervous booking a trip there again. But after I thought about it - and, being the open minded person that I am - I decided not to book the Holiday Inn Columbus North I-85.
I booked the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites at Northlake (also in Columbus) instead. This was a good decision. I was warmly welcomed at the front desk by a friendly employee, immediately acknowledged as a repeat guest, and my priority check-in was ready and waiting. Less than five minutes after arriving, I was on my way to my room. I was upgraded to a spacious and comfortable suite and waiting for me on the table were bottled water and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Very nice.
For dinner I decided to try out the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant next door because it was, well... next door. On my way to dinner I stopped by the front desk because I was looking for a pencil sharpener (can't do Sudoku with a pen, you see) but they didn't have one. The nice desk lady was very apologetic. I told her it really was okay. She gave me a coupon for a free appetizer at the Roadhouse.
It was happy hour at the Texas Roadhouse. Margaritas were $1.50. I think a person could get very happy on six bucks. I had an excellent steak dinner, but could've made an entire meal out of salad (with their homemade house vinaigrette dressing) and rolls.
By the time I got back to the room I'd forgotten all about my Sudoku. I guess I didn't need that pencil sharpener after all.
Showing posts with label Columbus GA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Columbus GA. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Columbus never discovered this
I have stayed in a lot of Holiday Inns in the past, and the Holiday Inn Columbus North I-85 in Columbus, Georgia was by far the worst property I have ever stayed in.
I understand that construction and improvements are necessary to maintain a hotel, and I’ve stayed in numerous hotels in the middle of a remodeling process. However, this hotel appears to have made little (if any) effort to reduce the impact for guests.
While the lobby area was fairly nice, there were large piles of construction debris around the entire hotel. The side entrance closest to my room had a mountain of debris (read trash here) that made it impossible to enter without climbing through it and collecting dirt on shoes, clothing, and luggage. There was no way into the building that one could avoid tracking dust and dirt into the hotel hallways, or back into the car. The access ramp leading to the door was covered with construction materials, and the only way I could get my rolling luggage to the door was to lift it up and over the curb – stepping through the pile instead of next to it. But I felt oh-so-much better when I saw the tattered sign placed inside the door that said “pardon our dust.”
I went into my assigned room. I couldn’t believe this was a Holiday Inn property.
The guest room sliding glass doors opened to the debris filled parking lot. The doors didn’t close tightly and had a gap large enough to let in a cold breeze. The room smelled musty or like an animal had been in it, and the mini-fridge was sitting on the floor in the entryway to the room with the cord stretched out along the wall to reach the room’s only outlet. Lamp shades were askew and the sofa cushions didn’t match the sofa. The bathtub stopper was broken, and in order to take a shower the stopper (very nasty) had to be pulled out of the drain and set aside or the water wouldn’t drain.
I am a female business traveler and I never felt safe in this room. As I look back on this experience, I can’t believe I stayed. But I did, and I survived to tell the tale.
And, in the midst all the negatives, there is one positive note. The desk staff I encountered were pleasant and professional. It is my opinion that they should be commended for maintaining professionalism in a hostile environment. Either that - or they should be awarded Purple Hearts.
I understand that construction and improvements are necessary to maintain a hotel, and I’ve stayed in numerous hotels in the middle of a remodeling process. However, this hotel appears to have made little (if any) effort to reduce the impact for guests.
While the lobby area was fairly nice, there were large piles of construction debris around the entire hotel. The side entrance closest to my room had a mountain of debris (read trash here) that made it impossible to enter without climbing through it and collecting dirt on shoes, clothing, and luggage. There was no way into the building that one could avoid tracking dust and dirt into the hotel hallways, or back into the car. The access ramp leading to the door was covered with construction materials, and the only way I could get my rolling luggage to the door was to lift it up and over the curb – stepping through the pile instead of next to it. But I felt oh-so-much better when I saw the tattered sign placed inside the door that said “pardon our dust.”
I went into my assigned room. I couldn’t believe this was a Holiday Inn property.
The guest room sliding glass doors opened to the debris filled parking lot. The doors didn’t close tightly and had a gap large enough to let in a cold breeze. The room smelled musty or like an animal had been in it, and the mini-fridge was sitting on the floor in the entryway to the room with the cord stretched out along the wall to reach the room’s only outlet. Lamp shades were askew and the sofa cushions didn’t match the sofa. The bathtub stopper was broken, and in order to take a shower the stopper (very nasty) had to be pulled out of the drain and set aside or the water wouldn’t drain.
I am a female business traveler and I never felt safe in this room. As I look back on this experience, I can’t believe I stayed. But I did, and I survived to tell the tale.
And, in the midst all the negatives, there is one positive note. The desk staff I encountered were pleasant and professional. It is my opinion that they should be commended for maintaining professionalism in a hostile environment. Either that - or they should be awarded Purple Hearts.
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