Marriott Columbia With Kids: Honest Review
My almost 5-year-old son and I stayed at the Marriott Columbia during a quick mother-son trip through the Carolinas, and for the kind of stay we needed, it worked really well.
This was part of a 3-city birthday trip, just the 2 of us. We flew into Charlotte, rented a car, and made Columbia our first stop before continuing on to Charleston and then back to Charlotte.
We were only in Columbia for a little less than 24 hours, so I was not looking for a hotel with a huge list of kid-friendly amenities. I wanted something that felt safe, clean, easy to manage, and well located enough that we could explore without spending the whole visit getting in and out of the car.
For that, Marriott Columbia was a great fit.
The hotel is right in downtown Columbia, close to Main Street and within walking distance of several things we wanted to do. From the hotel, we were able to walk to the South Carolina State House, follow part of the Sally Salamander walking tour, get incredible Cuban food, stop at Starbucks, and wander around Main Street without needing the car.
It’s not a hotel that feels specifically built for kids, but for a short city stop with a child, it gave us a comfortable base and made the logistics of the visit feel pretty simple.
Is Marriott Columbia a Good Fit With Kids?
Yes, I think Marriott Columbia is a good fit with kids, especially if you want a downtown hotel that makes it easy to explore Columbia on foot.
It’s a great fit if:
- You want to stay in downtown Columbia
- You want to walk to the South Carolina State House, Main Street, restaurants, and nearby sights
- You’re planning a short city stop and want a simple, comfortable hotel
- You like having lounge access or are using Marriott Bonvoy elite benefits
- You’re visiting the University of South Carolina area
- You want to be a short drive from Riverbanks Zoo
- You don’t need a hotel with kid-specific amenities
It might not be the best fit if:
- You want a resort-style hotel with lots for kids to do
- You need a bathtub for younger kids
- You’re hoping for a newer M Club-style lounge experience
- You are uncomfortable with a shared city parking garage
- You want parking that feels directly attached and easy at every step
- You’re planning to spend a lot of time at the hotel itself
For us, Marriott Columbia worked best as a comfortable downtown base. We could walk to several places, drive easily to Riverbanks Zoo, and come back to a clean, modern room at the end of the day.
It was not the most kid-focused hotel we stayed at, but it made our short Columbia stop feel very manageable.
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Location: Downtown Columbia and Easy for a Short City Stop
Marriott Columbia is located in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, right near Main Street.
That location ended up being the biggest perk of the stay for us.
We were only in Columbia for less than 24 hours, and I did not want to spend the whole visit driving from place to place. From the hotel, we were able to explore a surprising amount on foot.
We walked to the South Carolina State House, followed part of the Sally Salamander walking tour, got Cuban food nearby, stopped at Starbucks, and spent time along Main Street.
Everything we did in the immediate downtown area felt safe and manageable during the day. That mattered to me a lot because this trip was just me and my son, so I’m always paying attention to how it feels to move around somewhere with a child.
We also drove to Riverbanks Zoo from the hotel, and that was an easy trip with our rental car. So the location worked well for both parts of our stay: walking around downtown and getting out to one of Columbia’s biggest kid-friendly attractions.
I would not say this is the only possible area to stay in Columbia with kids, but for a quick visit where you want downtown access, Marriott Columbia was convenient.
The Room: Fresh, Bright, and Comfortable
We stayed in a 2 Queen Guest Room.
The room was pretty standard in terms of layout, but it felt fresh, modern, and comfortable, which always makes a hotel stay feel easier to me.
There were 2 queen beds, a mini fridge, a desk, and a chair with a small table. It was not a huge room, but it definitely felt spacious enough for the 2 of us, especially since we were only there for 1 night.
The big window brought in a lot of natural light, which I really appreciated. Some city hotel rooms can feel dark and closed in, but this one felt bright and clean.
The bathroom had a shower stall instead of a bathtub. That was completely fine for us on this trip because my son is old enough that a shower works. But if you’re traveling with a baby, toddler, or a child who really needs a bath, that’s something to know ahead of time.
Overall, the room was simple, comfortable, and easy. It did not have a special family layout or extra sleeping space, but for two people on a short city stop, it worked really well.
If you want to get a better feel for the layout and how the room was set up, here’s a quick room tour:
What It Actually Feels Like to Stay at Marriott Columbia
From the outside, Marriott Columbia does not look especially exciting. It’s a brown city building, and at first glance it kind of blends into downtown.
Inside, though, the lobby feels much more impressive.
The lobby is large, open, fresh, and grand in a way I was not expecting from the exterior. It felt well cared for and more polished than the outside of the building suggested.
The layout is a little unusual, though.
The hotel shares part of the building with Hub Columbia, which is a student apartment community near the University of South Carolina. From what I could tell, residents did not walk through the main hotel lobby to access their apartments, but from the upper floors you can see areas connected to that side of the building.
It gave the hotel a slightly different feel. Not bad, just a little unusual. The lobby felt grand and open, but also like you were aware there was more happening in the building than just the hotel.
Check-in was very smooth, and the staff were welcoming. The woman who checked us in let my son choose a free snack from the small shop next to the front desk, and he was absolutely thrilled to pick out chips for himself.
That kind of little moment always stands out to me. It was not a huge thing, but when you’re traveling alone with a young child, kind staff can make the whole stay feel easier.
The hotel also has a Club Lounge on the 14th floor, and we spent quite a bit of time there because my son loves hotel lounges just as much as I do.
I had lounge access through my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status, but you can also book rooms that include club access through Marriott’s regular booking site.
The best part of the lounge was the view. Since it’s on the 14th floor, we could sit by the windows and look out over Columbia, which my son and I both really enjoyed.
The lounge itself, though, felt pretty outdated.
We’ve stayed in several Marriott properties recently with newer M Club lounges, and I think those have spoiled us a little. This lounge did not feel like that. The coffee was regular drip coffee sitting in a pot instead of the full coffee or espresso machines we’ve seen in newer lounges. The evening appetizers and breakfast did not feel especially fresh. Dessert was packaged cookies sitting out in a jar.
We still enjoyed having access. It gave us somewhere to sit, have a snack, get drinks, and look out over the city. Since it came with my Marriott status, I was happy to use it.
But I personally would not pay much extra for club access here if the room rate were significantly higher. It was useful, but it was not one of those lounges that felt like a major reason to book the hotel.
Before you decide whether lounge access is worth it for your stay, here’s a quick look around the Marriott Columbia Club Lounge so you can get a better feel for the space, the view, and the overall setup:
There is also a pool at the hotel, but we did not use it during our short stay. We passed it while walking to and from the parking garage, and it looked like a perfectly fine typical hotel pool. Nothing about it stood out as especially kid-focused, but it was there if you wanted a quick swim.
Parking: Connected, But a Little Awkward
Since we flew into Charlotte and rented a car, we used the parking garage at the hotel.
The garage is on the same block as Marriott Columbia and connected to the hotel by a pedestrian bridge on the 3rd floor. The hotel charged a nightly rate for parking, and they gave us a key to enter and exit the garage during our stay.
The parking setup worked, but it was not my favorite part of the hotel.
The garage felt like a regular city parking garage. It’s used for more than just the hotel, including parking for that part of downtown and for Hub Columbia. During the day, it felt safe enough, and I did not feel like we had a major issue using it.
But I do not think I would have loved being in that garage alone at night with my preschooler.
The elevators in the garage also felt pretty rickety and dirty when we used them. Once we crossed the pedestrian bridge and entered the hotel side, everything felt much nicer. But that transition from the garage into the hotel was a little awkward.
You come in through an area that also connects with the Hub complex, then walk through the hotel pool area before fully getting into the hotel itself. It was not a problem, and we figured it out quickly. It just did not feel as seamless as some hotel parking setups.
For a 1-night stay, it was completely manageable. But if I were arriving late at night, had multiple young kids, or had a lot of luggage, I would want to know what to expect before pulling in.
Dining: On-Site Options and Easy Food Nearby
The hotel does have a few on-site dining options if you want to eat without leaving the building. There’s the main restaurant, Midlands, plus Rocks at Midlands’ Lounge, and room service is available if you’d rather eat in the room.
We didn’t end up using any of those during our stay, other than the Club Lounge, because we had so much easy food nearby.
For us, the surrounding food options were more exciting.
The best food we had in Columbia was at Cuban Corner, which was right between the hotel and the parking garage. It was phenomenal, and it ended up being one of my favorite meals of the whole trip. It was also incredibly convenient because we did not have to go far after a long travel day.
There is also a Starbucks right on the corner of the same block, and we went there twice.
One thing to know: the Starbucks is down a deep set of stairs. If you’re traveling with a stroller, you are not going to be able to roll it directly inside. You would need to fold it, carry it, or leave it at street level if that feels comfortable to you.
There were also a couple of restaurants with access from the hotel lobby area and separate doors from the street side, which made food feel easy overall.
So even though we did not use much of the hotel’s own dining, I did not feel limited. Between the lounge, Cuban Corner, Starbucks, the hotel restaurant, room service, and nearby downtown restaurants, there were more than enough options for a short stay.
Staying at Marriott Columbia With Kids: Pros and Cons
What I Loved
- Downtown location made it easy to explore Columbia on foot
- We could walk to the South Carolina State House, Main Street, food, and the Sally Salamander walking tour
- Short drive to Riverbanks Zoo
- The room felt fresh, bright, and modern
- Large window brought in a lot of natural light
- Staff were welcoming and kind to my son
- My son loved choosing a snack at check-in
- Club Lounge access gave us a place to sit, snack, and enjoy the view
- The 14th-floor lounge had a great view over the city
- The lobby felt grand, clean, and well cared for
- Food nearby was easy, especially Cuban Corner and Starbucks
What I Didn’t Love
- The parking garage setup felt a little awkward
- Garage elevators felt dirty and rickety
- I would not have loved using the garage alone late at night with my child
- The hotel layout is a little unusual because of the shared building setup with Hub Columbia
- The Club Lounge felt outdated compared to newer Marriott M Clubs
- Lounge food did not feel especially fresh
- The room only had a shower, no bathtub
- The hotel is not especially kid-focused
- We did not use the pool, and it looked like a basic hotel pool rather than a major amenity
Is Marriott Columbia Worth It With Kids?
Yes, I think Marriott Columbia is absolutely worth considering with kids if you want a downtown hotel that makes a short Columbia visit easy to manage.
For us, it worked well because we were only there for 1 night and wanted to explore downtown without overcomplicating the day. The location made it easy to walk to the South Carolina State House, Main Street, food, and the Sally Salamander walking tour. We also had an easy drive to Riverbanks Zoo, which made it a good base for the short amount of time we had in the city.
The room was bright, clean, and comfortable. The staff were kind. The lobby felt much nicer than I expected from the outside. And even though the lounge was not my favorite Marriott lounge, having access still made the stay easier.
The biggest drawbacks were the parking garage and the slightly unusual building layout. Neither ruined the stay, but they are worth knowing about before you arrive, especially if you’re traveling alone with kids or arriving late.
I would not book this hotel because of kid-friendly amenities. I would book it because it’s a comfortable, well-located downtown hotel that makes a quick Columbia stop feel simple.
For our mother-son trip, that was exactly what we needed.
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