Parking can be a little ways away if you get here late…read more There are several restraunts in the area if you want to eat before going to your event. Some events may require a bit of walking. This was comicon so there was a of walking. Your experience will be different depending upon what event you are attending. Remember, have fun.

The food vendor for delta sigma theta black out on April 7th 2025 was horrendous. The food was not…read moregood and they ran out of food early in the evening. This was the worst food service that I have experienced in attending an event like this. This was not professional and changes my whole opinion of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Columbia's very own co-working space…read more If your not familiar with how they work, basically you pay a monthly fee for access to the office and amenities. SOCO has two spots in Columbia, one in the Vista and one in the Bull Street District. I prefer Bull Street because parking there is free, and most seem to want to work in the Vista location so the Bull Street one is more quiet while the Vista is better for more social driven interaction. The staff at SOCO are super cool and friendly, other business people there rule, and the community events are pretty cool. Rules are totally flexible, meeting rooms rock, free awesome coffee and beer everyday and much more. If you want a spot to work every once or even if your looking for private offices SOCO has you covered.

In love with this coworking space!…read more While traveling for work, I often play the coffeeshop hop which can get exhausting. You can only have so many coffees and teas in one day. Not to mention the never ending search for an open outlet to keep the laptop charged. For only $20, I got a day pass to SOCO and would return in a heartbeat the next time I'm in Columbia. The entrance is a bit hidden on a side street of Gervais. From there, it's on the second floor. The wood floors, brick walls, dim lighting, and open feel create a really nice atmosphere for getting work done. There is a kitchen area, couch, and a variety of desks (including a standing one!) to hang out around. For conferences, they do have private rooms that are normally just for members to use. And yes, there are more outlets than one could ever need. Members have 24 hours access and gain entry with a fob, while the main doors close at 5:00 pm to visitors. Thanks SOCO for letting me crash for a couple of days. I'll definitely be back!

I attended a day long conference at the Cooperative Conference Center and it was very well done…read more The facility is easy to access from the interstate with ample parking. The set up was modern comfortable and clean. In previous years this meeting was held at a nearby hotel, but this conference center provided a more intimate and peaceful environment. The food and food setup were also ample and excellent (we had chicken Marsala, mixed vegetables, and scalloped potatoes for lunch with a tossed salad cookies and a slice of cake)

Spent the day here for the SC Special Olympics conference. The facilities were beautiful, easy to…read moremove around and easy to get in and out of the building. Internet service was consistent and had nice signal. The food served was delicious, hot and allowed for everyone to have seconds.

I love me a good venue spot!! Ive been here several times in the past. This time I went to a…read morevolunteer luncheon for HC. This place has been restored and well kept, it huge with lots rooms to rent out. They have plenty of parking. Also very clean inside and out. I love the huge old timey doors. Any event here is gonna be a awesome one! I will most def keep them in mind if I need a event spot in the future.

**Racial Discrimination at 701 Whaley Street Venue Hall After Years of Good Business**…read more I never thought I'd have to make a post like this, but here I am. After years of successfully doing business with 701 Whaley Street, never once having an issue or incident, I am saddened and deeply hurt to share that I have experienced racial discrimination from this venue hall. For years, I've hosted events there with no problems. This year, I was excited to celebrate my 45th birthday with my annual "All White Affair," a tradition that I have always looked forward to. However, this time, I was met with nothing but resistance. Despite my long-standing relationship with the venue, they suddenly told me they don't want to do business with me anymore because of "the amount of people" and "the kind of crowd" I bring. 701 Whaley is a venue hall where people from all walks of life host events, but it became clear to me that their issue wasn't with logistics -- it was with the demographic I represent. To be turned down after years of good business, with no prior problems, simply because of the people I attract, is nothing short of blatant discrimination. I'm sharing my story because this kind of treatment is unacceptable and shouldn't happen to anyone. After years of support and professionalism, it's disheartening to be shut out for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of my events. We must hold spaces like 701 Whaley accountable for their actions and ensure they are inclusive to everyone, regardless of race or background. #StandAgainstDiscrimination #SupportInclusivity #EqualTreatmentForAll 701 Whaley

Great place to host a special venue. We had our Realtor Luncheon today. Beautiful and very modern…read morebuilding. Plenty of parking even though the parking lot isn't paved yet. The caters were a little slow since we had over 200 people there. I don't know if they are affiliated with Central Energy.... but we really needed 2 catering sections with one on each side. Only having one with 2 lines was SLOW! Took a long time to get food. 4 lines would have helped a lot. The food was good and the staff was nice. Seems like they might need a few more bathrooms though. If you go to the bathroom at the entrance there's 2 locks that you need to make sure are locked. Also the bathroom could use a larger trash can. The one they have is functional, but lots of paper towels were all over the floor due to its size. The food was good but I'm not sure who catered it. Larger plates would be good also. We have to carefully place the food on the plate to make sure it all fits. Anyway, the acoustics are a little off so it's hard to hear. But over all we all had an enjoyable lunch there. I hope we go there again. And I hope they hear a few of the complaints and correct them.

What a 'Beautiful, unique spot! Drove in from Atlanta for a house music day party #chmpsc. Wood…read morefloors!!! Was very surprised with this venue! Enjoyed the drinks and atmosphere! Will definitely be back!

I recently enjoyed another short stay with the TownePlace Suites and so enjoyed the experience…read more What I loved: + Multiple options for working. In my king suite, I could sit at the desk, which rolled and could be adjusted to other areas in the room, or at the small sofa or on the bed. + The parking lot is well lit and I felt safe coming and going after dark + The staff is lovely. Truly. They were kind and accommodating throughout my stay. I realized that on my final morning I was going to have to lead a large video call right at checkout. I didn't want to have to try to do this in the lobby and so was so hopeful I could swing late checkout. The desk clerk quickly got it set up with little muss or fuss, which I very much appreciated. Some helpful notes: + There is a metal plate below the shower head (on the floor of the shower). If the shower drips, it sounds a bit like a bell. The best fix for this is to close the bathroom door before you go to bed. Otherwise, you make awaken in the middle of the night wondering for whom the bell tolls. And, why is it tolling in your room? You'll be half asleep and confused. No need for confusion--I have cracked the bell mystery for you in advance. Close the bathroom door and you won't even hear it. Beyond that silly note--a top notch experience here! Get to it!

This Town Place Suites is not kept in the best repair and has bad service…read more The cleaning was just ok because there was a big coffee spill that had not been cleaned up under the coffee maker and the basket of tea/creamer. There were lots of water related issues. The dish washer did not work. The refrigerator leaked and had water standing in it. The water pressure was low in the bathroom sink, and it was also low in the kitchen sink. Their building (possibly the HVAC system) was so loud that it was impossible to sleep. It sounded like a cross between a 16 wheel truck, a huge old rusty fan, and a space ship. There was still a lot of noise when we turned off the air conditioner. I was told that we could change rooms, but we were exhausted. I also doubted how quiet any of the rooms would be. So, I bought earplugs from a pharmacy the next day, but those didn't work. After the second night, I got heavy-duty earplugs made for concerts. Those worked for the noise and I could sleep. But you can't wear them for days in a row if you want to avoid ear aches. The hotel staff promised that the engineer would look into the noise problem. I never saw or heard from an engineer. They did not seem to care to make sure we had pots and pans. We needed them to eat dinner. They had 3 pots that looked like they had survived a war. Non stick surfaces in a peeling pot is not healthy too cook in. I asked about replacements and I was refused. The front desk clerk insisted that they had to be ordered and could not be taken out of an empty room. I was also told to talk to the manager in the morning about ordering pots and pans. There was no thought for the fact that we had to eat dinner that night. We make our own food when we travel and this was a very big inconvenience. We never got pots and pans even though we stayed at the hotel for 4 nights. They also gave us a hard time when we requested a late check out. They told us to call back the next day and that we could only get late check out based on availability. The next day we had to call many times to get the check out. The front desk had many people there. Standing in line was not an option with our busy schedule. So, we were made to work for our late check out. We had many other things to do that day including packing out. The management didn't seem to care to make sure that our stay was comfortable. If they did, they should have made sure that supplying guest replacement pots and pans is not an issue. Every ask was complicated. One day we asked for a chair. Two people should have two chairs in their room so they can eat. I don't know why they were so reluctant to supply an extra chair. They surely didn't seem to care that we are high level Marriott Bonvoy members. I do not recommend this hotel. They don't even try. They think they are doing you a favor by letting you stay there. I will not return.

This area is really hit or miss the outside isn't the prettiest hotel but if your looking for a…read moregreat suite at a decent price I think this now (Best Western) is great! there breakfast was good the wifi was fast enough to stream movies on my iPad, it was clean the room was big, king bed with a sofa sleeper bathroom and sheets smelled and looked clean, lobby is very nice parking is small but it's in a great location restaurants and shopping wise def coming black if needed

This Jameson Inn is very nice compared to others I have stayed in. A standard room includes a desk,…read morecouch, refrigerator, and microwave. They serve a decent complementary breakfast in the morning. My one complaint is the horrible wifi. I was unable to stream a radio station from my third floor room much less watch a movie on Netflix. Since I stay in hotels often due to work, this becomes a big issue and is really the only reason I did not rate this hotel 4 stars. However if you are looking for a good hotel experience minus decent wifi the Jameson Inn is worth your money.