Does anyone have any suggestions as to a hotel for visit?
We stayed here when we went down for tour:
Courtyard by Marriott Columbia Downtown at USC
630 Assembly St, Columbia, SC, 29201-4029
Very nice hotel
The Aloft downtown (the Vista) is quite nice–modern, hip decor, great bar, walking distance to lots of great restaurants (including one that’s about 50 feet from the front door). Hotel Trundel is attractive as well and just down the street from the Mast General Store, a southern staple. Location is near upper Main, and thus well-situated for checking out the Soda City Market on Saturdays. The Hyatt Place Columbia/Downtown Vista is just kind of meh; bland, over-lit interior, but service is fine.
what is closest to campus? Maybe leave car at hotel and walk?
The Inn at USC is right on campus. Very nice, and you can walk everywhere.
The Inn at USC was purchased last fall and is undergoing a big renovation to transform it into a Graduate Hotel. It has an awesome location and will remain open during the renovation (target completion fall 2019). You may or may not want to stay in a hotel that’s being renovated
https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article102449.html
The Graduate format is pretty cool. I’ve been in a couple of them.
https://www.graduatehotels.com/
We typically stay in the Hampton Inn or Hilton in the Vista as we are Hilton members. Lots of stuff around it. About a mile from Russell House.
Love the location at the Inn at USC, but have stayed at the Hyatt in the Vista as well. If you want to be walking distance to campus/horseshoe, the Inn at USC is the best.
Regarding The Inn at USC, I just returned from a three night stay with S20, and although I saw some new “Graduate” branding, there were no signs of obvious renovations. So whatever they are doing, right now anyway, is being done tastefully and quietly. We loved the hotel and the location (and the university!).