South Carolina State Capitol

If you plan to be in or around Columbia, South Carolina in the near future, check out the Hyatt Place there before you book anywhere else! At about $140/night, you get a lot for your money; you won’t be wined and dined, necessarily, but you do have access to all of the perks of a more luxurious hotel, including free Wi-Fi.

The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into the lobby is that you get to check yourself in, which, trust me, is really easy and fun to do. Just step right up to the kiosks, type in your name and/or confirmation number, and out come your keys! Helpful staff members are milling around nearby in case you hit any snafoos, but it really is a very simple and convenient way to check-in to your room.

There’s no restaurant onsite, but don’t despair – you can order meals at any time of the day from handy touch-screen kiosks, too (in addition to a free continental breakfast.)  And, there are definitely some perks which you won’t find at other hotels – like 42 inch flat screen tv’s in all of the rooms! There’s a great coffee and wine bar too, where you can relax and wait for friends to join you. Feeling the need to burn off last night’s dessert? You can definitely work out in style at the free fitness center – most of the equipment has LCD touchscreen consoles!

This seems to be a new breed of hotel – you’re not pampered on purpose, but the luxury is there if you want to take advantage of it. You pay extra for what you want, and you don’t pay for the services you don’t use. This makes a lot of sense to me.

And don’t forget that you’ll be very close by to fun attractions like the Columbia Museum of Art and the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens. This hotel would be perfect for couples, families and business travelers as well.

Photo Credits: JimBowen0306