Aloft Columbia Downtown

Hotel

Okay hotel. Tries to be hip and modern but feels cheap and kind of cold. Lighting in the room was terrible. In the bathroom there was one switch for all the lights, so if you don't want to go in the middle of the night, you will be blinded. No iron in the room. The windows have pull down shades with no curtains so you either close them and get zero natural light, or invite the other rooms to watch you. Pluses were the coffee which is complimentary and decent. The staff was friendly and location was great. Very young and hip guests.

Had a few mishaps and they more than made up for it. I’ve been in this hotel for almost two months. I don’t have anything bad to say! Super cool atmosphere and a block away from everything!

Recently our client and touring comedian Donna Carter stayed here while performing downtown, and wished they could have stayed longer! The room was so nice, they didn't want to leave. There was plenty of parking on arrival, and the staff was super friendly. There was a fitness room, and a laundry room which was great to catch up after a few days of being on the road, as well as a free breakfast in the morning which made getting back on the highway even easier! Thank you for everything, and we're already looking forward to staying again soon!

Great hotel in downtown Columbia right inside the Vista. Just a short walk to restaurants and bars. Rooms are really clean and set up well. Hotel staff is super nice and was helpful when we needed things. They do not have their own parking garage but you can park in the city garage right behind hotel on Lincoln Street. Hotel has a rear access facing the garage that you can use once you have your room key.

Excellent superb customer service, when above and beyond to help me in a time of need! Loved the hotel, the front valet staff helped me by changing my tire when the rental car developed a flat tire. They could not have been more accommodating! If you are looking for a modern hangout hotel look no further!

Crisp, minimalist room. Friendly staff. Really appreciate all of the easily accessible power and USB outlets, as well as the refrigerator in the room. In walking distance of many good restaurants, shops, and the State House.

The hotel and staff were wonderful. The front desk staff John and Taylor were both very attentive and helpful. If you need valet parking it is available, however don't be bullied by the parking attendant to use their services. They lied to me telling me that the elevator was broken and I would have to walk 3 stories. They would not let my brother unload his bags in front of the hotel because he was going to self park.

Nice contemporary hotel in the middle of a good area. Lots of things within walking distance. Rooms were well laid out, and the shower was good sized. The breakfast sandwich I had was really good.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. Location is excellent, super-super clean and the staff is absolutely one of a kind. This is my new place when in Columbia.

Beautiful modern room was clean and spacious. Staff was super friendly. The bar located in the lobby was very nice and bartender provided great service. Within walking distance of restaurants and nightclubs. Will definitely be staying again!

We really enjoyed our stay at Aloft. They were pet friendly without an additional fee. The rooms were really nice and looked exactly like the pictures on their website. We had a few minor issues. The TV wasn’t working in the first room that we stayed in. The front desk staff (Taylor) was extremely helpful and moved us to the room right next to where we were staying. Once we moved to our second room, the refrigerator was not working. Taylor was so helpful and extremely fast in fixing the minor issues. We will definitely go back and stay there. Customer service was incredible. The location was great as well!

Chic little fancy hotel chain in the heart of the vibrant restaurant district on the river vista side of the downtown. Very nice rooms and service. Shower splashed out a little but friendly front desk gave me more towels. Extremely delicious restaurant COA located in the base of the hotel. Great high end Latin food.

Great cocktails, great amenities I'm the bar area. The outdoor lounge areas are a very nice touch. Probably the best part of the hotel is the upscale Mexican restaurant downstairs, Coa. The food, drinks, and service we're outstanding. Cleve (our server) was the best; his advice basically guided our entire stay in Columbia over the holidays.

This hotel was wonderful. The location was right near a lot of restaurants and shops. The front desk people were very nice and helpful. Our room was on the first floor and very nice sized. It was also modern and clean. We will definitely stay here again!

The location is convenient to everything we came to town to see. The rooms are modern but spare. Ours lacked a radio, which was new to us. We could hear other rooms more than we have noticed in other hotels. Staff was friendly and helpful. Our schedule got in the way of housekeeping, and we had to seek out items that didn't get refreshed as a result. Overall, fine, but not memorable.

Disappointed with the treatment received by the front desk hostess on 12/14/2017. We had drink passes that were presented to us during a recent stay in honor of my boyfriend's birthday. Because I am only a preferred guest and not a gold guest she refused to fill out or give the drink passes back to me without going through the inconvenience of pulling up my prior reservation. I do have confirmation of my stay and am happy to send a copy of it in the event leadership or a manager takes the time to review this post. It was quite demeaning the way she kept repeating that we weren't gold members as though I was somehow insulting all members of that class by having the audacity to have these drink tickets. I thought it was exceptional when the note I added during the point of reserving a room for my boyfriend and I was not only read but the company was so thoughtful to extend the gesture of two drinks on the house to believing that I should not only be held somehow accountable for the oversight of an error on your staff's behalf, but I am also now painfully aware that preferred guests are a joke and the only way for me to be respected or taken seriously is if I spend to the level of a good member. Not to mention when I asked for what I came into the hotel with to be returned to me, it was refused. Guess that's the preferred treatment at its best.

Great place to stay! The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I feel like they should at least give free breakfast after charging 150 per night!

How can everyone be so happy & nice all the time? Front desk was helpful with directions & non-confrontational (other hotels can be a personality tussle with front desk). Bartender reminded me of the bartender from The Shining, very personable & easy going Location is like the bat cave, pop out and you're in the heart of downtown but you can slink back into the bat cave for relaxing downtime too. "Good time noodle salad. " *Only wish breakfast was a buffet style inclusive — I tend to force myself to get up & out earlier when a comped buffet if on the line. I use the day better. Cool lounge chairs.

Stayed overnight to watch the USC VS Vanderbilt homecoming game. The hotel is perfectly located just a couple of miles from the University and the football stadium. It is a clean, safe and nicely decorated property. The staff was absolutely amazing. They were over the top helpful and friendly. They have concierge or self parking service. The city parking garage is conveniently located directly behind the hotel. Overall, it was a terrific stay and we will definitely come back again when we are here to visit our son at college and attend more games. By the way, we won, GO GAMECOCKS!

We stayed here for a few days and were very happy with our choice. Easily accessable even in the midst of being downtown. The room was clean and modern, the shower was good and hot, the bed was comfortable and the view of the sunsets… beautiful. The staff were friendly and helpful from the valet personnel to the front desk; from the bartender to the chef; from housekeeping to the directors. Thank you for treating us as if we were part of your family.

A lovely hotel staffed w lovely people. Walking in, we could tell this was a brand new location based on the sheer size and fresh looking quality of everything. Once the initial wow factor wore off, what still remains lingering in my mind is the true warmth and hospitality of the staff. Ive been to Sheraton brand hotels all over and this spot has been one of the finest ever.

Aloft and Starwood just misplaced our reservations for an upcoming trip here. Our last trip was 7 nights in a suite a few months back. They were unhelpful in getting my reservation back or assisting to make a new one. I explained my frustration and the rep on the phone said they are not worried about me staying elsewhere. Time to cancel our "preferred membership". Unreal customer service these days. Would stay elsewhere if possible. The last Aloft stay included boogers all over our window, a broken heater or a/c unit, and tired looking furniture and bathroom tile. All this in a suite no less. Going to try other options.

Really enjoyed our stay at the Aloft. I have staued at many Aloft's and the experience is very consistent. Even our dog has become used to the decor, room setup etc. Rooms super clean and modern as usual. Friendly and helpful staff. Great location as it is super close to all kinds of restaurants, entertainment etc. Would definitely stay again.

Location is right near the Vista area of Columbia. The hotel is very modern — — sleek lines, vivid colors, and stylish furniture. The lobby is spacious and open. There is a nice terrace area to be in the shaded outdoors. Service was fast and the overall experience was very positive.

Big fan of Aloft Hotels. This one is in a great location. Extremely friendly and helpful front desk and staff. Easy nearby parking. Had a great breakfast taco in the morning. Wish I could stay a few days longer.

Hotel and staff I meet in person were great, but tried to block off some rooms for a wedding and was told the manager for that department was currently being hired and would call me in 2-3 weeks and never got a call. Also had phone troubles calling the hotel and it would ring nonstop, now there seems to be an automated andwer menu. Ended up going to the bar after reception and it was great and spent the night. Would recommend just on that. New and clean and staff was super friendly.

Wow, this place was amazing. Our family had to do an unexpected overnight in Columbia (car trouble), and found Aloft online. Fantastic choice. The front desk was incredibly nice and helpful. Rooms are ultra-cool, pool table in the lobby, and super fast internet connections. Tons of restaurants within walking distance, and the staff let us store a week's worth of vacation luggage even after check-out. We've done a lot of traveling and our kids say Aloft was their favorite hotel.

I have reached out to Aloft on several occasions trying to block rooms for my wedding. I called and spoke with a very friendly representative. She took all of my information and told me that someone from sales would contact me. Well it's been 3 weeks no one called. I called back and left a message and still no response. I sent yet another request via the knot, it's going on a week from that and still no one has tried to reach out. An email would have been nice. This is very poor customer service and for that I give a rating of 2 stars.

We really, truly were excited about staying at W's "sister" hotel and wanted to like this place. I've stayed at W hotels and they certainly aren't shy about using the brand to make it seem like that's what you're getting, but it is not. Aloft is a cheap knockoff, and that's the kindest thing we have to say about it. First and "never-again" last time staying at one. — Reservations/Check-in: They didn't have the room we booked and downgraded us the first night. Nothing at all was offered as a gesture of apology, and we were in fact told by an openly sarcastic front desk guy (two of them were like that) that just because we reserved a room online (and we used the actual Aloft website! ) that we shouldn't expect it to mean that they really have one available. They also swore we'd get our proper room first thing in the morning with a phone call as soon as housekeeping was done cleaning one. Neither happened. Only when I refused to back down and get taken advantage of for a 2nd night did they magically find one available. And again, zero offer of compensation. — Rooms: they're just a few months old and yet the shower doors are already warping. Both showers in both rooms flooded the bath area. The rooms are also designed to look nice in photos with lots of bright, contrasting colors, but in person they're nowhere near the W's level of comfort. "View" simply means "Pay Extra To Not Look At The Parking Garage.

Best place in Columbia for happy hour. The open bar/lobby area has a great patio, an open floor plan with plenty of nooks, a pool table, charging stations EVERYwhere, an available conference/study room, and clientele that varies from professional to eccentric. Talk to Anna (the head bartender), she loves her job and it shows. I'm sure the hotel is nice too; haven't stayed.

ALoft is just frankly a phenomenal destination hotel. Its contemporary, slick, and upbeat with staff happy to serve guests… I've loved it wherever Ive gone and visited an ALoft.

We LOVED this place! From the moment we stepped out of our car we were greeted and cared for with impeccable service! Every person we spoke with that worked there was friendly and warm! The place is absolutely adorable! The decor was one of our favorite things about the place. One of the coolest things was the snack area! If we had any suggestions for improvement we would love to see a full service restaurant in house. We will definitely be making this a favorite place to stay when we are in town! This is just what down town Columbia needs to accent the amazing downtown atmosphere and nightlife!

From the outstanding staff (especially the front desk) to the boutique hotel vibe… and of course the best location in Columbia for restaurants, bars, events at Colonial Life Arena, the Convention Center and the State House… this is definitely the Best Hotel in the Best location (The Vista) for a Columbia overnight.

Extremely loud hotel. The walls must be paper thin. Dogs barking inside, outside noise, noise all night from the two rooms next door to us. I was woken up both nights by the neighbors opening or closing their blinds. The lighting in the rooms is also bad, if you go to the bathroom in the night and hit the light switch, the open concept of the room lights up the whole room and potentially disrupts anyone else in the room trying to sleep. Very friendly hotel staff, but don't think I can get past the noise and poor nights sleep.

Nice hotel, but I experienced one of my worst nights of sleep because of noise. There is a train nearby that blasts its horn frequently (at night and morning), the beautiful window shades are very noisy and sounds like someone is cutting up boxes in the next room when they are raised or lowered (I figured out where the noise came from when I lowered mine hoping it would help block out sound), the toilet fills with water every 15 minutes, police and ambulance sirens ran for several minutes at a time in the middle of the night, doors slamming, and road noise, etc. I put in ear plugs to help me sleep, but was awoken repeatedly by trains and sirens. The hotel was also using loud power tools at 7:45 this morning. I stay at hotels frequently for business and actually used to live across from the L in Chicago so I am not super sensitive when it comes to noise. I was told when I checked in that I had gotten an upgraded room with a view of the city. I checked in around 10 o'clock at night and I was only planning on sleeping here because I have to leave on business early the next morning so I didn't really care about my room. Now I'm kind of wondering if my booking the same day as my stay put me on the side of the hotel that is the noisiest. Hopefully not all of their rooms sound like this one! I actually stayed at an Airbnb the two nights prior, very close by in the five points area of Columbia. I did not experience this level of noise there.