PLAY&
STAY Downtown USC South Main St. The 1425 Inn
1425 Richland St., 252-7225 the1425inn.com Exquisite bed-and-breakfast near the heart of Columbia. Amenities: smoke-free, Southern-style porch, full breakfast.
Affordable Suites Deluxe
150 Stoneridge Dr., 779-7000 Just off I-126; extended-stay friendly. Amenities: Business center; fitness room; free breakfast; free Wi-Fi; pets allowed; smokefree; meeting facilities.
Chestnut Cottage
1718 Hampton St., 256-1718 chestnutcottage.com The wartime home of author Mary Boykin Chestnut; once visited by Jefferson Davis. Amenities: Complimentary breakfast; free Wi-Fi; pets allowed; smoke-free.
Clarion Hotel Downtown
1615 Gervais St., 771-8711 clariontownhouse.com On the Five Points end of Gervais Street, the 160-room Clarion is still only three blocks from the State House, a half-mile walk from Finlay Park and a quick taxi ride to the Vista. Built on the grounds that housed Sherman’s Columbia headquarters, the Clarion is also home to Carolina’s Restaurant, which offers a delicious Southern-food lunch buffet and a bomb-ass Sunday brunch. Amenities: Family rooms; room service; free Wi-Fi; outdoor pool; free ground-level parking; free airport shuttle; exercise room.
Country Hearth Inn
621 S. Assembly St., 252-2000 countryhearth.com Good luck getting a room in October: This 45-room hotel is one block from the State Fairgrounds and a quarter-mile from Williams-Brice Stadium. Equidistant from both Five Points and The Vista, though you’ll probably need to cab it to both. Amenities: Smoke-free rooms; free Wi-Fi; on-site parking; complementary breakfast.
Courtyard Columbia Downtown at USC
630 Assembly St., 799-7800 marriott.com Located at the tail end of Assembly Street, the 189-room Courtyard Columbia Downtown is a stone’s throw away from all sorts of action, equidistant from both the highclass Vista and the fun-loving Five Points. It’s also close to Williams-Brice Stadium and several arts venues (the Colonial Life Arena, Koger Center, Columbia Museum of Art), fine restaurants (California Dreaming, Moe’s) and more. Should you feel like throwing your own party, the hotel’s only a block away from Green’s. Amenities: Smoke-free rooms; room service; free Wi-Fi; mini-fridge; fitness center; outdoor swimming pool; restaurant; on-site parking; free airport shuttle.
free-times.com | Summer Fall 2012 2012
Where to Stay
Accommodations Embassy Suites Columbia Greystone
200 Stoneridge Dr., 252-8700 columbiagreystone.embassysuites.com Just outside downtown Columbia, off I-126. Offers courtesy shuttle service to USC, the Vista, Five Points, Main Street. Amenities: Free deluxe breakfast; exercise room; meeting facilities; business center; smokefree rooms; indoor pool.
Extended Stay America Columbia West
450 Gracern Rd., 251-7878 extendedstayhotels.com Just outside downtown Columbia, off I-126. Ideal for extended stays. Amenities: Fully equipped kitchens; business center; fitness room; pets allowed.
Homewood Suites by Hilton
250 Greystone Blvd., 239-4663 Just outside downtown Columbia, off I-126. Amenities: Business center; fitness room; complimentary breakfast; free Wi-Fi; indoor pool.
The Inn at USC
1619 Pendleton St., 779-7779 innatusc.com An elegant boutique hotel located on the campus of the University of South Carolina in the heart of downtown, The Inn at USC boasts 117 first-class guestrooms and suites, each outfitted with deluxe amenities (including wireless Internet and premium cable — score!). The Inn is conveniently surrounded by Columbia’s academic, government, business, cultural and historic districts. Amenities: Free deluxe breakfast; exercise room; free Wi-Fi; banquet facilities; parking garage; smoke-free rooms; on-site dry cleaning services; library.
The 1425 Inn. Photo by Austin Price
Marriott Columbia
1200 Hampton St., 771-7000 marriottcolumbia.com. The 300-room Marriott is not only one of the largest but also one of the best rated in the Capital City. And with good reason — the 14-floor behemoth is located at the corner of Main and Hampton in the heart of downtown, providing easy access to just about everything, from local government offices to local art havens to fine dining. Dig those delicious buffets, too! Also offers a cultural concierge service assisting visitors with tickets to arts and cultural events. Amenities: Exercise room; room service; indoor restaurant, lounge and sports bar; indoor pool; free airport shuttle; valet covered parking; free Wi-Fi.
Sheraton Columbia
1400 Main St., 988-1400 sheratoncolumbiadowntown.com Housed in the historic Palmetto Building, built in 1913, the 135-room Sheraton is chock full of Gothic revival-style details. That’ll please the locals, sure, but travelers will appreciate the ground-floor Starbucks kiosk and lounge area; plus, there’s a bar on the roof, a bar in the old bank vault, and a restaurant in the basement with a pretty good bar. The high-class hotel is near some high-class entertainment, too; it’s also just
The Inn at USC. File Photo a block from the Columbia Museum of Art and within striking distance of the Vista, Five Points, USC and just about everything else. Amenities: Airport shuttle; lounge; exercise room; business center; valet parking; public Wi-Fi (not free).
Studio Plus
180 Stoneridge Dr., 771-0303 Just outside downtown Columbia, off I-126. Specially designed for extended stays. Amenities: Fully equipped kitchens; pets allowed.
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