Homewood Suites by Hilton Columbus/Polaris, OH — Hotel in Columbus

Would not stay here again. Everything about the hotel was great--except the bathroom. In the first room we were offered, a black dust came out in the water from the shower head. Running the water longer, did not stop the black specks from coming out. I believe it was mold, but it could have been dark rust.

Concierge provided us with a second room, and there was no mold from the shower head, but the caulk around the base of both rooms' bathtubs was partially separated from the wall with clear evidence of mold. There was also a hair in the shower of the second room, which skeeved out my partner. Concierge said the hotel had a renovation planned in February 2025, and they may have done some work early, causing the "black dust".

The rest of the facilities and common areas were all upscale and comfortable. Service was good--the concierge specifically gave us a room by one of the elevators so we could easily transport our two cats up & down the elevator since they're heavy. That was thoughtful.

The rooms were actually incredibly large and luxurious. There was a large kitchen with fridge, silverware, and towels. There was recycling available in the room as well. The vanity had a nice backlight mirror. TV was quite far away from the bed and tucked in the corner unfortunately so couldn't see/hear it well over the air conditioner. There was also a nice big desk.

The major plus of this hotel is that it was pet friendly, and I felt the cats were very safe. There were no spaces for them to crawl into (even in the kitchen, they could not get behind the fridge). Plenty of room to stretch their legs. Price was about $101 for the room and $50 for 2 cats to stay, which is pretty good.

The complimentary breakfast was OK, but it was so crowded with people, I didn't get to eat much. Most food items were taken before I had a chance to get up there once an item was replenished. They had omelette-like items with cheese and vegetables, sausage, and potatoes. Make your own waffles and orange and apple juice. It probably would have been really good if I had been able to get more of it. Seating was cramped and crowded for the volume of people staying there. And unfortunately, they had the TV set to have politics on. We only got a table in the corner, and the TV was unpleasant and loud. Would recommend not to set up this channel to make the visit comfortable...

The good: location was close to lots of shopping and restaurants; room decor was modern; bed itself and shower/toilet were clean; breakfast was good and attendant was friendly. ||The bad: The Staff: I checked in later at night and the front desk person was outside reading a book. I had to wait a while before she realized I was standing at the front desk to check in. I would’ve gone out to get her but I didn’t know she worked there. She seemed annoyed that I interrupted her book. She gave me the basic run down of check out time and breakfast time, but the rest of the check in process was rather cold and unwelcoming. ||The person who checked me out wasn’t much better, he was on the (business, not personal cell) phone and instead of having me wait while he finished his call, he had me drop my keys in a basket on the counter and said “you’re all set.” Didn’t ask how my stay was, if I needed a receipt, didn’t give a friendly greeting to send me on my way. ||The gentleman on duty the first night I was there was super friendly in assisting with extra toiletries, so he was a plus for the staff. ||The convenience good items: The frozen items had freezer burn on them. Who knows how long the meals have been there. I wanted to get the hamburger, but they seemed like they were taken out of their exterior packaging and just placed in the freezer for resale in the individual cellophane packaging with no date on them. ||The property and room: I was given a room on the 4th floor. There was a party with loud music at the end of the hall near the elevators and it smelled like weed around the door of that room. The ottoman in my room was falling apart and needed replaced; multiple stains on curtains, looked like pizza sauce or … ???; smears on handles to closet; splatters on closet doors and walls next to closet; broken off refrigerator door (I know one belongs on the door due to a nail hole in the fridge door and piece of a handle attached to the top of the door; chipped drain hole in bathroom sink; warm sleeping in room, couldn’t turn down lower than 68.||Overall I wouldn’t stay here again. I enjoyed breakfast, there were decent hot selections. I liked the ceiling fan above the bed as well, but those are the extent of the positives for my stay. ||I was in town for a funeral of a close relative, and this stay was anything but comforting...

I’m a Hilton Diamond member and travel to Columbus often, always staying at Hilton properties. This was one of my most disappointing Hilton stays and I will not return.

At check-in, the digital key system was down so I had to wait in line with other guests. Im sure that sounds petty but I was already running late to a customer dinner so this didn’t help. The elevator was painfully slow so I used the stairs instead, but when I tried using it with my luggage this morning to check out it never arrived - it was just making a lot of noises in the shaft like it was stuck (which wouldn't have surprised me) so I had to carry my luggage down the stairs.

Housekeeping was unreliable. Despite multiple requests for housekeeping to come, and being told I was on the list for service, I went three days without service, leaving trash to pile up in the room, no coffee set ups, or fresh towels. When they finally came, they left the used coffee pods in the machine, didn’t replace the creamer, sweetener, or disposable cups, and didn’t replace the washcloths or hand towels they took with them.

The shower/tub, while likely clean, looked grimy with no tub stop and rust around the drain and the shower curtain was ripped in multiple places near the grommets, adding to the neglected feel. Some reviews said the hotel had been renovated, and maybe parts of it have been, but my room hadn’t been and felt dated, including the TV system.

I knew after that first day that it wasn’t going to be a great place to stay so I looked to see if I could find another Hilton property nearby but the cancellation policy was strict and unless I was willing to pay to cancel the rest of my nights I was stuck in a hotel that didn’t feel like it met Hilton standards and definitely wasn’t worth the price. But The only positives were plentiful parking, proximity to restaurants, and easy interstate access, which other Hilton properties in the area have too. Unfortunately, the service, maintenance issues, and overall condition made this a hotel that I will not be...