Town House Motor Inn (Columbia, South Carolina)

For some reason I've always found Clarion hotels fascinating, as often they're older hotels that have some history behind them, such as the old local Holiday Inn which was a Clarion Inn briefly, or the Waco location, which featured an enclosed courtyard with an indoor swimming pool.

Today's post takes us to Columbia, SC (where I have not personally been) where Ted of Columbia Closings incorrectly reported the restaurant building of their downtown Clarion hotel (at 1615 Gervais Street) torn down in preparation of a remodel and expansion. Turns out it was just the banquet/conference hall.

I've attached a few pictures from eBay showing the motel as it was before rebuilding. The first picture shows the original phase of the motel as it stood circa 1958.

In the 1960s the motel was expanded and a new banquet/conference center was addded, which has that spiral staircase in better days.

From what I've read the enclosed tower (and the only one to survive the 2014-2019 remodel) was added in 1971, with the Clarion name coming sometime in the 1990s (I'm guessing). Here's a picture from my 2006 Choice Hotels directory showing the hotel, which is still referred to "Clarion Town House Hotel".

During the remodel, the hotel became Carolina University Inn temporarily, and finally reopened in 2019, doubling the size of the building, becoming a dual-branded Hilton Garden Inn / Home2 Suites and removing the motel portions as well. It should be noted that the new hotels have a different address. Home2 Suites by Hilton Columbia Downtown has the address of 1210 Pickens Street while Hilton Garden Inn Columbia Downtown has the address of 1200 Pickens Street.