Escape to Columbus: Dublin's BEST Extended Stay Suites Await!
Escape to Columbus: Dublin's BEST… Possibly? My Honestly-Mostly-Positive, Let's-Get-Real Review
Alright, buckle up, because I just got back from a stay at Escape to Columbus in Dublin, and I'm still wrestling with my luggage and my feelings. The marketing hype (you know, "BEST Extended Stay Suites Await!") had me expecting a sort of heavenly haven, a Dublin dream. Did it deliver? Well… mostly. Let's dive in, shall we?
Accessibility & Safety: Navigating the (Sometimes Tricky) Waters
First off, the accessibility stuff. Accessibility: Mostly good. The good bits: A good amount of the property is wheelchair accessible, which is a big win in my book. They've got elevators (phew!), and I saw ramps where they were needed, which is always a relief. Now, the not-so-smooth side: I didn't personally test out every nook and cranny, so I can't vouch for every corner. But from what I observed, they're trying.
Cleanliness and Safety: A Sparkling Attempt (and a Few Tussles)
This is where Escape to Columbus REALLY aimed to impress. Cleanliness and Safety: Generally A+. The pre-arrival emails made it clear: they were on a mission to sanitize. Anti-viral cleaning products? Check. Rooms sanitized between stays? Check. Hand sanitizer stations everywhere? Check, double-check, triple-check! And the staff? They seemed genuinely vigilant, masked up and scrubbing like they meant it. I'm talking serious sanitization hustle.
I saw the Daily disinfection in common areas firsthand. The lobby was a busy place, and the staff constantly wiped down surfaces. I even saw them doing a deep clean on doors and whatnot. Individually-wrapped food options were a must. My room was a sanctuary – clean, fresh, and felt… well, safe. And that's a HUGE plus in today's world.
However… and there's always a "however," isn't there? Once or twice, I thought I spotted a rogue speck of dust. Maybe. It might have been a trick of the light, or my own hyper-vigilance kicking in. But hey, nothing's perfect, right? And honestly, compared to some places I've stayed, this was practically sterile.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: A Decent Spread (But No Michelin Stars)
Okay, let's talk food. Dining, drinking, and snacking: Pretty decent. The onsite Restaurants offered a decent range. The Breakfast [buffet] was… well, a buffet. A perfectly acceptable, slightly-over-the-shoulder buffet. I mean, there were your standard eggs, sausages, pastries – all the usual suspects. It wasn't life-altering, but it filled the void.
I'm a sucker for a good cup of coffee, and the Coffee/tea in restaurant situation was solid. The Snack bar was a lifesaver for those late-night cravings (because jet lag is a beast). And they had a decent selection of drinks at the Bar, though I didn't partake enough to give a definitive review.
I did try some food from the Asian cuisine in restaurant. It was…fine? Not mind-blowing, but perfectly edible. Nothing to write home about, but also nothing to make you run screaming. A solid B. The Desserts in restaurant were also available.
Room Service [24-hour]? Yes! I ordered a pizza at 3 AM one night. It was… surprisingly good! The pizza was hot, fresh, and exactly what I needed.
Services and Conveniences: The Usual Suspects (and a Few Surprises!)
Services and Convenience: Pretty solid. Essential stuff was there, of course: Daily housekeeping, Laundry service, Concierge (who was super helpful), Cash withdrawal. They even had a Convenience store for those essential snacks and forgotten toiletries (always a lifesaver).
The Internet access was pretty good – though I noticed that the Internet [LAN] was limited to specific rooms, while Wi-Fi [free] was available broadly. I didn't try the Internet services thoroughly.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax: Spa Day Dreams (and Gym Reality)
Now, this is where things get interesting. Things to do, ways to relax: A mixed bag. Escape to Columbus boasts a Fitness center, a Spa, and various other relaxation options. I, being a sucker for pampering, hightailed it straight for the spa.
My spa experience? Well, it was… okay. The Massage was good, nothing exceptional, but I felt relaxed and de-stressed. The Sauna was pretty standard, but I did sweat a lot. The Steamroom was… well, steamy. The Pool with view? Sadly, I didn't get a chance to experience it (it got busy). The Spa/sauna was a mixed bag. Overall, the spa was pleasant and enjoyable, but not the magical, ethereal experience that the brochure promised.
I also had a bit of a giggle in the Gym/fitness. Decent equipment, all functional. But let's just say I saw a few people "working out" who were perhaps more interested in posing than sweating. It's all good, you know? We all relax in our own ways.
Available in all rooms Ah yes, the rooms. Let's get specific.
Available in all rooms: Yeah, mostly.
- Additional toilet - Nope.
- Air conditioning - Yup, essential in the summer.
- Alarm clock - Check.
- Bathrobes - Snuggly!
- Bathroom phone - Does anyone still use these?
- Bathtub - Yes, and deep!
- Blackout curtains - Crucial for resisting jet lag.
- Carpeting - Yes.
- Closet - Plenty of space for all my clothes, even the ones I didn't wear.
- Coffee/tea maker - Thank goodness.
- Complimentary tea - Yes, essential.
- Daily housekeeping - Yay.
- Desk - Functional.
- Extra long bed - Always a plus.
- Free bottled water - Always welcome.
- Hair dryer - Necessary.
- High floor - I requested this and got it!
- In-room safe box - Secure.
- Interconnecting room(s) available - I didn't check them out.
- Internet access – LAN - Yes, and Wi-Fi too.
- Internet access – wireless - Yes, it's called Wi-Fi.
- Ironing facilities - Needed those.
- Laptop workspace - Yes.
- Linens - Clean and fresh.
- Mini bar - Well-stocked… a touch pricey, though.
- Mirror - All the mirrors.
- Non-smoking - Yes.
- On-demand movies - Check.
- Private bathroom - Of course.
- Reading light - Perfect for late-night reading.
- Refrigerator - Cold drinks!
- Safety/security feature - Yes.
- Satellite/cable channels - Lots of options.
- Scale - Ugh.
- Seating area - Comfortable.
- Separate shower/bathtub - Luxurious.
- Shower - Good water pressure.
- Slippers - Nice touch.
- Smoke detector - Yes.
- Socket near the bed - Important for charging devices.
- Sofa - Comfy.
- Soundproofing - Pretty good.
- Telephone - Mostly ignored.
- Toiletries - Basic, but functional.
- Towels - Soft and fluffy.
- Umbrella - Essential for Dublin weather.
- Visual alarm - Didn't need it, thankfully.
- Wake-up service - Relied on this.
- Wi-Fi [free] - Everywhere!
- Window that opens - Always a good thing.
For the Kids: No kids? No review. Okay, I saw a few kids. The Babysitting service seemed available, and they seemed to cater to Family/child friendly guests. They also offered Kids meal.
Getting Around: The Airport transfer was seamless. Taxi service was easy to get. Car park [free of charge] was great, and it had a Car park [on-site].
The Verdict: Escape to Columbus – Worth It? Yes, with Caveats.
So, should you book a stay at Escape to Columbus? Honestly, yeah. It's a solid option. It's NOT perfect. But it's clean, relatively safe. The service is friendly. The rooms are comfortable
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Alright, buckle up buttercups, because this ain’t your grandma’s itinerary. This is a survival guide for a questionable week in the Extended Stay America Suites in Dublin, Ohio. Honestly? I’m already judging my life choices, but we’re committed. Here we go, the raw, unfiltered, probably slightly manic… uh… experience?
Day 1: Arrival and the Great Bed Situation
4:00 PM: Touchdown, John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH). Okay, so the flight was delayed. Not exactly how I wanted to kick things off, but hey, character building, right? Grabbed my rental car – a sensible sedan because apparently, I'm an adult now. Maybe.
5:00 PM: Check-in at Extended Stay. The website photos were… well, misleading. Let's just say the "suite" looks like a very spacious jail cell with a kitchenette. The smell? A potent cocktail of cleaning chemicals and… despair? I think it’s despair.
- Quirky Observation: The vending machine in the lobby sells… everything. From chips that are way past their expiration date to, and I am not kidding you, industrial-sized bottles of mouthwash. What kind of existential crisis is being catered to here?
6:00 PM: The Bed Situation. Okay, so the description online said “two double beds”. They meant “two beds that have probably been used by every traveling salesman and slightly unhinged individual in central Ohio for the past decade.” I'm talking dips, sags, and questionable stains. I'm already regretting not bringing a hazmat suit. I decide to attempt the mattress shuffle, trying to find the least offensive one. Wish me luck, I have to sleep somewhere.
7:00 PM: Dinner at a chain restaurant. I’m too exhausted to do anything truly interesting, and I’m already suspect about the food situation. I choose Olive Garden. The breadsticks were the best part. Don't judge me, I'm fragile right now.
8:00 PM: Back to the… prison cell. I unpack, fighting a losing battle against the overwhelming beige-ness. It’s going to be a long week.
Day 2: Dublin, Dinosaurs, and Deep Frustration
8:00 AM: Wake up. Surprisingly, survived the night, bed and all. The shower water pressure is… well, let's say it's an exercise in patience.
9:00 AM: Breakfast at the “kitchenette.” It's just a fridge, a microwave, and a toaster. Breakfast is probably some questionable cereal. I also realize I forgot to buy coffee. This is a problem. A big one.
10:00 AM: Must do: Visit the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. I'm a sucker for animals. I went, and it was fun. The polar bears were majestic, the monkeys were chaotic. I saw a little girl run away from a goose. It was a moment.
1:00 PM: Grab lunch at a casual fast-food place. Feeling a certain type of way… I'm ready to call it quits.
2:00 PM: COSI (Center of Science and Industry). Definitely need to relive my childhood here. Cool science exhibits, plus a planetarium. It's good to remember how small and insignificant I am in the grand scheme of things, right?
5:00 PM: Return to the Hotel Room. I'm tired, I'm grumpy, and I realize I haven't eaten anything substantial all day besides breadsticks. The isolation is starting to creep in.
6:00 PM: I find the coffee pot and grab a cup. Ahhh…
7:00 PM: Dinner. I drive to a pub because I think that's what I need right now.
Day 3: The Dublin Pub Crawl - An Unintentional Adventure
9:00 AM: Still alive. I decided to get some coffee at the lobby. The brew? It's drinkable. I'll take it.
10:00 AM: This is the day I decided to take a pub crawl. It started with a beer, which led to another beer, which led to someone suggesting a trip to a local brewery.
- Stronger emotional reactions: There were highs, there were lows, and there was a moment where I almost accidentally adopted a stray cat. The beer was good, the company was… interesting. I met a guy who claimed he was a descendant of someone who was on the Titanic. I also saw a woman holding a goat. I have no idea what’s happening anymore.
- Messier Structure: The pub crawl was the heart of the whole day. It’s all a blur.
10:00 PM: Back at the hotel. I probably shouldn't have had a shot of something that tasted like gasoline, but hey, it's the journey, right? I realize the bed ain't so bad after all. Maybe.
Day 4: Shopping and a Moment of Clarity?
9:00 AM: I wake up, feeling like I’ve been run over by a truck. Okay, maybe two trucks. Still, at least I'm not dead.
- Occasional Rambles: The hotel room looks slightly less depressing in the morning sunlight. I think I might actually have a moment of clarity. I’m kind of… enjoying myself? Maybe the isolation is good for me. Maybe the drab surroundings are a form of minimalist therapy? Who am I kidding? It’s just a hotel room.
10:00 AM: The Mall. Shopping therapy. I spend way too much money on things I clearly don't need. But hey, retail is cheaper than therapy, right?
1:00 PM: Lunch. The food court at the mall is a disaster. I'm starting to understand why people bring their own food everywhere.
3:00 PM: Another walk through a park. It's refreshing, beautiful, and a good reminder that the world isn't all beige hotel rooms and questionable food courts.
6:00 PM: TV time at the hotel. Food delivery. This time, a decent meal. I'm actually starting to settle in. Slowly.
8:00 PM: The sheets are still less than great, but I'm not even going to worry about it. I am at peace.
Day 5: The Final Chapter
8:00 AM: Breakfast. I’m starting to feel a certain fondness for the microwave. This could be Stockholm Syndrome.
9:00 AM: Some work to wrap up the trip. Gotta get back to reality sometime.
1:00 PM: Pack up, or, in this case, gather all my stuff and leave.
2:00 PM: Head to the airport and fly out. I can't wait. Never stop believing.
- Emotional Reaction: A strange mix of relief and… sadness? Okay, not sadness. More like… a weird, nostalgic fondness for the purgatory of the Extended Stay. Maybe I needed this. Or maybe I'm just delirious from the lack of sunlight and the constant hum of the mini-fridge. Either way, it's over.
- Opinionated Language: The Extended Stay was… an experience. Would I recommend it? Probably not. But would I do it again? Let's just say I wouldn't rule it out entirely.
Okay, so "BEST Extended Stay Suites"? Is that just marketing fluff? I'm skeptical.
Alright, fair question. I was a skeptic too. Honestly, I’ve stayed in some *real* dumps pretending to be "luxury lofts." But…Escape to Columbus? Okay, *whispers*…it’s actually pretty darn good. Like, *surprisingly* good. I mean, "best" is subjective, right? But for Dublin, and for the price? I'd say they’re in the running. Look, I’m not saying they’re perfect. My shower head had a *slight* tendency to weep dramatically at around 3 AM one night (apparently, it was emotionally drained). But hey, the bed was AMAZING. Seriously. I almost didn’t leave. Almost.
What's the deal with the "extended stay" part? How long can you *actually* stay? I'm a commitment-phobe.
The commitment-phobe in me gets it. Extended stay usually means...well, extended. I believe they offer options for weeks, even months. I didn't stay *months* (my sanity has its limits). But I did a couple of weeks after a particularly disastrous attempt at a camping trip (rain, spiders, enough said). It was glorious. Like, I needed a long, hot shower and a real bed after that ordeal. It was a godsend. You can probably find the exact durations on their site, but trust me, they're flexible. Which is good because life, you know, it happens.
Uh, Dublin, Ohio? What's the actual location like - is it near anything interesting? I don't want to be stuck in a corporate wasteland.
Okay, this is where things get interesting. Yes, it's Dublin, Ohio, and yes, it's near...things. I'm not a huge fan of suburbia in general, but the location is surprisingly decent. Close to the Dublin Bridge - which is pretty, if you like bridges and things. Good restaurants, for sure. There’s a fantastic Irish pub, I think it was called Fado – don't quote me on that, the memory is a little…fuzzy. And you're not *too* far from Columbus. A real city! So you're not completely exiled to the Land of the Strip Mall. Plus, if you’re there for work in the area, the accessibility is awesome. That makes everyone love it. It is an efficient and smart location. It will solve the issue of trying to find something that has access to many different places at once.
What's the suite *actually* like? I'm picturing a cramped, depressing hotel room.
Okay, this is a critical question. The suites are...well, they're actually *suites*. That means, like, a separate living area! My suite had a full kitchen, which was a lifesaver because I am terrible at eating out every night. It's amazing not having to run to a grocery store. Plus, there was more space than I expected. I'm clumsy, and I need room to flail and not knock into things. The decor is...modern. Not overly fussy, which is good. And clean. Crucially, it was clean. Because let's be honest, cleanliness is next to godliness, especially after that camping trip. The sofa was particularly comfy for binge-watching terrible reality TV shows (don’t judge me). It’s hard to fault them, honestly. It's a great atmosphere.
Amenities? Do they have a pool, a gym, like…anything fun? Or am I doomed to boredom?
Okay, the amenities! This is where it gets…well, not exactly *wild*. They had a decent gym. I say "decent" because I went once, and then decided that I preferred the aforementioned sofa and reality TV. The truth is, I hate the gym, so I tend to avoid it. They might have had a pool (again, memory’s hazy. I was there for relaxation, not intense aquatic activities). The best part, in my opinion, was the free breakfast. It's not gourmet, but it's free! And after that camping trip, "free" was practically a religious experience. There were other things, but I can't remember. Sorry! I was busy enjoying the free breakfast.
Is it pet-friendly? Because my tiny, opinionated chihuahua, Princess Fluffybutt, is practically family.
Oh boy. Pet-friendly is always a gamble, isn't it? I *think* they are. I seem to remember seeing a few furry companions wandering around. You absolutely, *positively* need to double-check this. Princess Fluffybutt is not someone to be trifled with, and she probably deserves a luxurious stay. If they are pet-friendly, they probably have some rules. I would highly recommend contacting them directly. And, you know, maybe bring a few extra doggie treats for Princess Fluffybutt. Just in case.
What about parking? Because paying extra for parking makes me irrationally angry.
Again, this is something I tend to gloss over because the details are usually unmemorable. But I think, AND I MAY BE WRONG, that parking was included. Which is a huge win. Especially in a city where parking can cost more than a decent meal. Just double-check. But I *think* it was free. YES! Free parking! My inner cheapskate is doing a happy dance.
Okay, let's talk about the *bad*. What's the catch? There's *always* a catch…
Alright, the bad. Here it is. The Big Con, the Catch 22, The…look, the place is not perfect. Remember the weeping showerhead? Yeah. And sometimes, you hear your neighbors, I mean it's not a constant party. It's a hotel, so you hear the usual sounds you'd hear at a hotel. There’s probably some other stuff. But...Honestly, from a hotel experience, it's pretty minimal. It's honestly not a deal-breaker, and you have to remember the price. You can't expect absolutely everything at this price point. It's not *The Ritz*. But it's better than most. My biggest complaint? I had to leave. That was a bad day. Seriously. It was a sad day, because I actually liked it there. I could happily live there. I wish that trip had lasted forever.
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