Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbia Greystone

We usually stay at this hotel when we come to Columbia. However, after this stay, we will look at other hotels instead of this one. It took 3 calls to get pillows and a blanket for our daughter's pull-out bed. This took more than one hour. When the housekeeper finally showed up with 2 pillows, she said that nobody asked her for a blanket.... she did go and get one for us. The next day we went to the zoo, which is very close to this hotel. We were gone for hours, yet our room was never made up. We went to swim in the pool, only to find it was closed until sometime on Monday. The desk clerk did inform us that another hotel about 1/2 mile away would let us swim there, but that defeated the idea of having a pool onsite. Food was decent, and wait staff was good. I think you can stay at better hotels, for less money in Columbia, than at this one. I don't know what happened, but the service was not what it used to be. We will explore what other hotels are available next time we are in Columbia. We hope that this experience was an aberration, and not the norm.

Hotel needs a major refurbishment. I thought the chain standards were higher than this when I booked the reservation. We visited from across the country to visit a graduating solider. We arrived late with 2 very tired kids in tow (after being delayed in Chicago). The first room smelled stale and the air ducts rattled. The toilet immediately overflowed after one of the kids used it. We were promptly given another room and the next room smelled just as musty but at least the toilet was working. We had to utilize the sofa pull out which was incredibly uncomfortable and looked to have been used for at least 10 years! The front desk staff was polite but not very knowledgible of their own area. I guess they don't get many patrons asking for nearby chinese/asian restaurants very often. Included in our room rate was a daily fully cooked to order breakfast. This was an added value that is very attractive to families -- the kids could be as fussy as they wanted. The vast variety of foods were plentiful and very filling and included lots of fresh fruit. The omelets and other grill items were very good and the service staff was very attentive and pleasant. If you are looking for 4+star though...this is not the hotel for you. Checked out many different hotels in the area before arriving and after driving through the city while there. Not many choices if you are used to nicer. Good majority of the hotels in the area I would categorize as moderate to budget at best.

I stayed in the Columbia Embassy Suites - Greystone on Dec. 7, 2007 en route to Charleston the next day, what a mistake. There were not one but TWO extremely loud Christmas parties going on on the first floor. I arrived after a 4+ hour drive and could not find a parking spot. It only got worse as the music was louder than a rock concert and could be heard throughout the large hotel. The staff could care less...they only said, We have two important events going on and were of no use. To make it worse there were groups of teens riding luggage carts and prank calling other rooms. They were completely out of control and should have been sent to their rooms by the staff. When the two large parties broke up at about 1am, the guests proceed out to the atrium area and were screaming in their drunken stupor. That's when I call the front desk and informed them that we could hear all of it and the teen's on the 7th floor. They only said, well what can we do the parties are just about over as if they could not get the large congregation to shut up in the atrium/lobby area. The front desk would not allow me to speak to a manager the next morning. We did not get much if any sleep and sincerely wish we did not stay there. Also the directions to the hotel on their website are about 5-10 miles off and are not even close. I have stayed at many other ES hotesl and this one is by far the worst one out there with the least caring staff I have seen. Two thumbs down.