Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph — Hotel in Columbus

(READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO UNDERSTAND THE LOWER SCORE)

Every employee we had an interaction with was incredible. The staff, and hotel were everything that we could have ever wanted.

I'm going to take some time to call out a few standout employees specifically. Emily and Patrick, some of the best bartenders/mixologists my wife and I have ever met. They are officially/unoffically honorary members of our family/wedding party. They were attentive and knowledgeable. On multiple occasions, we could pull up to the bar and be greeted with a friendly smile and they'd drop what they were doing to assist us. We spent some time with them including Steph aswell almost every night we were checked in. If I ever open up my own bar, I would happily try my best to poach them. There's no doubt my bar patrons would be well taken care of.

Ryan (Front desk). Katie and I talked with Ryan quite a bit, was always smiling and waving. As soon as it was obvious I needed something, he was ready to do what he could to assist us.

The Valets were incredible too. I'm hoping I don't butcher their names but Miri and Chrissi, went above and beyond any of the others helping your quests. Not only would they stop talking to friends or other coworkers to run over and open the doors. They made sure my dog got treats consistently throughout the week.

Before this review turns to the reason why I scored it so low, I want to be crystal clear. The hotel, staff, cleanliness, food, drinks, and venue for the wedding was perfection. I would even recommend my friends to consider getting married here (Even if it is JUST to spend time going on a liquor filled journey with the 2 best bartenders in the world! Emily and Patrick).

The reason why I scored our stay so low, was there were 2 billing errors (That we know of so far). That added an immense amount of stress to my wife and I. Katie and I understand this was obviously just an error somewhere along the way, it's not that we think someone did anything on purpose. BUT we couldn't get any real clarity on what the issue was. The night after our wedding, the first day we were married and supposed to be recovering from all the alcohol (Shoutout Emily for that one). My wife woke up to a notification that her credit card is somehow over the credit limit. Immediate panic kicks in, did someone steal her card? Did we drunkenly buy a new car?.. No, we were double charged for the wedding to the tune of $34,000est. I was already awake and having breakfast with some of my new official family. I notice my new mother getting a frantic call from Katie. She's having a meltdown thinking the worst has happened. I ran back to the hotel to check on and console her. Running through my mind at this time, she was having regrets on marrying me, someone did or said something heinous to my wife, that she woke up and remembered. Once I understood what the cause of the meltdown was, I went downstairs to try and get some answers. Her mom, my new mother joined me since she had already paid $16,000 on HER card NOT my wives. Somehow though, my wife's card was charged.

The 2nd billing error will be short and sweet. The "honeymoon suite" which to my current understanding was included in the wedding package that we had MOSTLY prepaid for, we were again, DOUBLE charged on my wife's credit card. $18,824 of extra charges showing pending on my wife's card.

Lastly, we don't believe anyone did anything wrong. It's just no one was able to give me a clear answer. My wife and I should have been able to relax and enjoy the first day of our marriage together, but we woke up to a handful of stress and couldn't get a hold of anyone who was able to give us any real answers. (And still haven't)

If anyone actually reads this. Please don't hesitate to reach out, left a voice mail or two. Waiting on some responses. I promise neither of us are angry we just want some closure, so we can finally relax and start enjoying the next chapter of our lives without worrying about this added $18,000+ worth...

Disappointed by our recent stay at Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph.

Upon arrival after the 3pm check-in time we were informed our room was not yet ready and the front desk team could not estimate how long until the room would be ready. They said we would be contacted when our room was ready. Upon inquiring at the desk about 90 minutes later, we were informed that the room was ready. This was about 2 hours after the hotel's stated check-in time. They did not attempt to contact us to let us know the room was ready. Front desk said our belongings would be sent up from baggage check right away. 30 minutes later I went down to retrieve luggage myself because front desk forgot.

We found an old blood stain right in the middle of the bed sheet. The hotel appears to be using linens and furniture well beyond when they should be retired (see peeling wood laminate on side table). Carpet was starting to become loose and wrinkle in some areas - a tripping safety hazard. Housekeeping was prompt and friendly about remaking the bed, but there is a lack of attention to detail and thoroughness evident in deciding to use stained sheets. We also noticed trash from a previous guest left under the bathroom vanity and an alarm clock/radio that had no power cord.

In this particular room the bathroom is advertised as having an "oversized" bathtub. Be advised the tub is not big enough for anyone near 6 feet tall or above. The shower drain/floor design results in the entire bathroom flooding from use of the shower. The drain is small and the floor does not slope toward the drain enough to allow proper drainage and drying. We were always needing to request towels to mop up the floor.

Staff were pleasant enough, but seem to lack either training or resources to provide the level of service one would expect in a $600+ per night hotel and rooms are not maintained or kept in good condition. I have stayed in much nicer rooms, with better service, in great locations for a fraction of the price. Considering that parking ($45 per day for valet, or $30+ per day for self park a block away) and breakfast (easily $20-30 per person at the hotel restaurants) are not included in a stay priced around $600 per night, the room, housekeeping, and front desk service should be far above the level we experienced.

Do not stay here if you are looking for a quiet getaway. The Short North district is very noisy in the evening and through the night and this hotel's design does not keep the sound out.

We enjoyed the neighborhood, proximity to great restaurants, cool shops, parks, etc. But we won't be returning to Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph and would not recommend to others.

The hotel did offer some Marriott points after we informed them of issues, but nowhere near enough to tempt...

This is a very nice hotel, and every employee we interacted with was professional and genuinely caring. It's clear that the hotel prides themselves on good customer service. It's close to the airport and great restaurants in the Short North.

Our bed was very comfortable and the shower was perfection. However, we were disappointed with the sink. It had a modern, single lever style but too short to effectively operate... it needed to be at least an inch longer. The faucet is something you turn off and on all the time, so this lever was a source of constant annoyance. If that wasn't enough, the lever would stick, so you had to use a lot of force and then it would be on full blast - not good for saving water....

Speaking of saving water, regarding the environmental option the hotel provided: Didn't appear we could indicate wanting to re-use our towels or to not have the bed re-made, they leave you a card to use that is "all or nothing," either you have room service come in, or they don't and you get credit for that. We would like more options for going green, please.

That said, we were so glad to have natural scented products in the bath... They were all fantastic. Many thanks to The Joseph for not going with heavy-scented floral bath products.

Regarding scents, if you're chemical-sensitive, you will be dismayed at the overpowering apple/cinnamon scent in the lobby. I know the hotel is trying to go for home-y, but I hope they'll think about people with allergies. Comfort can be conveyed without perfumes and diffused oils wafting through common areas.

Speaking of common areas, again we understand what the hotel was trying to provide, but the live music in the lobby on Friday night was way too much! A duo with acoustic guitars singing in a tile/stone foyer is going to have plenty of sound bouncing off the walls, but for some reason they had mikes and amplifiers! All this succeeded in doing for us arriving was to turn us off with the loudness... When we check in to a hotel in the evening after a long journey, we're looking for peace and quiet.

Overall, a comfortable stay in a modern hotel, with a few kinks we'd love to see...