Escape to Comfort: Stadium Blvd. Extended Stay Columbia, MO
Escape to Comfort: Stadium Blvd. Extended Stay - Columbia, MO - A Rambling, Unvarnished Review
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because I'm about to spill the tea (or maybe the lukewarm coffee they serve…more on that later) on Escape to Comfort: Stadium Blvd. Extended Stay in Columbia, Missouri. This isn't your slick, corporate review; this is the real, unfiltered, "did I pack enough snacks?" version. Prepare for a rollercoaster of opinions, from the mundane to the slightly insane.
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- Keywords: Extended Stay Columbia MO, Hotel Review, Accessible Hotel, Stadium Blvd, Columbia Missouri Hotels, Long-Term Stay, Free Wi-Fi, Wheelchair Accessible, Hotel Amenities, Pool, Fitness Center, Breakfast, Cleanliness, Safety, Extended Stay Review, Missouri Hotels, Accessible Travel, Pet-Friendly (Disclaimer: might not be pet-friendly, double-check! I am not responsible for your furry friend being left behind!*)
- Meta Description: A brutally honest and hilarious review of Escape to Comfort: Stadium Blvd. Extended Stay in Columbia, MO, covering everything from accessibility to the (questionable) coffee. Find out if it's the perfect extended stay, or just a place to crash.
Accessibility – The Big One. Because, You Know, Reality:
Okay, let's start with the important stuff. I'm giving this place a solid… thinks hard…7/10 on accessibility. They say they're wheelchair accessible, but "access" can mean many things, right? I didn't personally wheel around the place, but I saw ramps and wide hallways, which is a good start. Always, always call ahead and grill them specifically about the details. How wide are the doors? Where is the accessible parking? Are the elevators reliable? Are the bathrooms truly accessible? Don't be shy! It's your right!
Rambling digression: Dealing with accessibility is exhausting. It shouldn't be this complicated. The frustration alone makes you want to book a flight to a deserted island…with perfect accessibility. But I digress…
On-site accessible restaurants / lounges (and the lack thereof?) I didn't remember seeing any on-site restaurants or lounges, and definitely not accessible ones at the location. That being said, the hotel has some features that could be great for folks, but the location it is in really is more of a crash-pad, so you'll need to travel a little for food and leisure outside of the hotel.
Getting Around - The Road Less Traveled (and the Road with Free Parking):
- Airport transfer: Unsure if they have airport transfer. Call and ask.
- Bicycle parking: I doubt it. But go ahead, call and ask.
- Car park [free of charge]: YES! This is a huge win. Free parking is a godsend. Especially when you're on an extended stay and have accumulated the hoard of a small army.
- Car park [on-site]: Yep, it's on-site!
- Car power charging station: Didn't see any – but might be worth asking if you have an EV.
- Taxi service: Probably available.
- Valet parking: Definitely not. This ain't the Ritz, folks. Embrace the freedom of finding your own parking spot!
For the Kids - Where the Tiny Humans Roam (or Maybe Just Stay…):
- Babysitting service: Doubtful. This place is more of a "bring your kid and hope they don't scream" kinda vibe.
- Family/child friendly: Yes, I'd say so!
- Kids facilities: Nothing specific jumping out.
- Kids meal: Unlikely. Pack those Goldfish crackers!
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking - The Fueling of Life (and the Quest for Caffeine):
- A la carte in restaurant: Nope, no restaurant to speak of.
- Alternative meal arrangement: No, and you're on your own with that.
- Asian breakfast: HA. Don't get your hopes up.
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Absolutely not.
- Bar: Nope.
- Bottle of water: They might give you one when you arrive? I'm not sure.
- Breakfast [buffet]: Okay, here's the truth: the "breakfast" is… sigh… let's just say "basic." Think lukewarm coffee, maybe some pre-packaged muffins that look like they’ve seen better days, and the occasional sad-looking hard-boiled egg. Don't expect a feast, unless your feast is disappointment.
- Breakfast service: It exists! Barely.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Yes, but don't get excited. Bring your own. Seriously, bring your own.
- Coffee shop: No.
- Desserts in restaurant: Nope.
- Happy hour: No.
- Poolside bar: No.
- Restaurants: See above.
- Room service [24-hour]: HAH! Nope!
- Salad in restaurant: Where are you going to eat that salad?
- Snack bar: Nope.
- Soup in restaurant: Nope.
- Vegetarian restaurant: Nadda.
- Western breakfast: Refer to "Breakfast [buffet]" – it's the best they got.
- Western cuisine in restaurant: Nada.
Rooms – The Fortress of Solitude (or the Place You Sleep):
- Available in all rooms: Yes!
- Additional toilet: Unsure.
- Air conditioning: Praise be! Essential in Missouri.
- Alarm clock: Yes, most likely.
- Bathrobes: Probably not.
- Bathroom phone: No.
- Bathtub: Some rooms might have one.
- Blackout curtains: Yes, good for sleeping in!
- Carpeting: The usual kind.
- Closet: Yep.
- Coffee/tea maker: Definitely! A good thing because the hotel coffee is questionable at best.
- Complimentary tea: Maybe?
- Daily housekeeping: Yes! A lifesaver for extended stays.
- Desk: Yes, a desk! You can work or eat or you can do it all!
- Extra long bed: Available, which is great if you're tall!
- Free bottled water: Don't count on it. Bring your own.
- Hair dryer: Yes.
- High floor: Depends which floor you're on.
- In-room safe box: Probably.
- Interconnecting room(s) available: Call and check.
- Internet access – LAN: Probably not.
- Internet access – wireless: Yes, but…
- Ironing facilities: Yes.
- Laptop workspace: Desk = laptop workspace.
- Linens: Yep.
- Mini bar: No.
- Mirror: Yes.
- Non-smoking: Yes, thank goodness!
- On-demand movies: Maybe. (Probably outdated and pricey).
- Private bathroom: Yes.
- Reading light: Yes.
- Refrigerator: Yes, a good size for extended stays.
- Safety/security feature: Yes!
- Satellite/cable channels: Yes.
- Scale: Probably not.
- Seating area: Some rooms might have a sofa.
- Separate shower/bathtub: Some rooms.
- Shower: Yes, with the usual shower head.
- Slippers: No.
- Smoke detector: Yes, and hopefully working!
- Socket near the bed: A plus.
- Sofa: Some rooms.
- Soundproofing: Meh. Depends.
- Telephone: Yes, to call the front desk and ask for more towels!
- Toiletries: Basic. Bring your own good stuff.
- Towels: Yes.
- Umbrella: No.
- Visual alarm: Unsure.
- Wake-up service: Yes.
- Wi-Fi [free]: Yes! And thank goodness because…
- Window that opens: Maybe? Depends, call and confirm!
Internet - The Digital Lifeline:
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! This is a major plus, especially for extended stays.
- Internet: Yep.
- Internet [LAN]: Unlikely, but you can always ask!
- Internet services: Wi-Fi.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax - The Quest for Bliss (or at Least, Decent Entertainment):
- Body scrub: No.
- Body wrap: Nope.
- Fitness center: Yes! It's pretty basic, but hey, it's something.
- Foot bath: Nope.
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because you're about to get a glimpse into my, shall we say, interpretive approach to travel planning. This ain't your grandma's itinerary; this is a chaotic, caffeine-fueled dive into the heart of Extended Stay America's Columbia, MO, and, dare I say, my very soul.
The Columbia, MO, "Can I Actually Survive This?" Itinerary (A Study in Extended Stay & Existential Dread)
Accommodation: Extended Stay America Select Suites – Columbia – Stadium Blvd. (AKA, the Citadel of Monotony, but hey, a roof is a roof… right?)
Overall Vibe: Mildly optimistic, heavily caffeinated, and perpetually on the verge of losing my damn mind. Pray for me.
Day 1: Arrival & The Great "Stuff Unpacking" Debacle (AKA, The Extended Stay Blues)
- Morning (9:00 AMish): Arrive at the (checks notes) airport? Okay, fine, the bus station. I'm a budget traveler, okay? Don't judge. Let's be honest, after a six-hour bus ride from… well, let's just say "somewhere," I'm already regretting all my life choices.
- (9:30 AM): Find a coffee shop. Any coffee shop. Survival first. Preferably somewhere with an outlet, because my phone is already at 20% from me looking up where to buy a replacement charger.
- (10:30 AM): Take a cab to The Citadel (as I shall now refer to the Extended Stay). The cab driver's seen things. I just know it. And I bet he's seen worse than me, though I swear to God, the bus ride alone…
- (11:00 AM): Check-in. Smile politely at the front desk person. Fake enthusiasm. Repeat. Get key card.
- (11:15 AM - 1:00 PM): "Stuff Unpacking" Debacle. This is a major event. Okay, let's be honest. Mostly it's emptying a backpack and staring into the bleak landscape of the room: a kitchenette, a vaguely uncomfortable-looking bed, and the ghost of a previous resident who clearly hated life. Time to unpack, a truly humbling experience. It starts with the basics. Clothes. Toiletries. The things that make a temporary space feel like… not a prison. Then comes the emotional part. The realization that this is it, this is home for the next… well, I'll get back to you on that. Deep breaths. I have snacks.
- (1:00 PM): The Kitchenette Reconnaissance Mission. Can I cook here? Should I cook here? The odds are slim, but a girl can dream of more than vending machine chips and instant noodles. Inspect the equipment: a sad microwave, a barely functional stovetop, and a fridge that looks like it's seen better decades. Verdict: potential.
- (2:00 PM): Grocery shopping (if I can bring myself to leave the room). This may or may not involve a panicked phone call to "Mom, how do you cook a… a vegetable?"
- (3:00 PM): Naptime. (Or, as I like to call it, "Embracing the Void.")
- (5:00 PM): Venture forth to explore the immediate surroundings, mostly to find a decent pizza place and… (sighs) laundry facilities.
- (7:00 PM): Pizza & existential dread. The pizza better be good. REALLY good.
- (8:00 PM): Laundry. Oh, the joy of folding fitted sheets. Or not.
- (9:00 PM): Back at the Citadel. Commence the evening ritual of wallowing in the loneliness and trying to figure out how on earth I’m going to make this room feel like anything other than an institutional holding cell.
Day 2: Columbia Delights (Or, "Can We Try to Have Some Fun?").
- (9:00 AM): Wake up. Regret everything. Coffee. Again. It's practically a life-support system at this point.
- (10:00 AM): Find a local bakery. The smell of fresh bread is the only thing keeping me from going full-on hermit.
- (11:00 AM): Explore the Mizzou campus. Wander around aimlessly. Observe the college kids. Feel old. Probably get lost.
- (1:00 PM): Lunch at a diner. I’m feeling nostalgic.
- (2:00 PM): Downtown Columbia. Shop at some local stores. Maybe buy a souvenir that I'll inevitably lose or break.
- (4:00 PM): The Big Debate: Books vs. The Internet. I'll probably buy a book. I'm old-fashioned like that.
- (6:00 PM): Dinner. Maybe I'll try that grocery store cooking thing. Wish me luck, I need it. (If it all goes sideways, there's always pizza.)
- (7:00 PM): Evening walk. Clear my head. People watch. Realize that I'm not as alone as I thought.
- (9:00 PM): Back at the Extended Stay. Catch up on some shows. Sleep, finally!
Day 3: The Double Down - The Columbia, MO, Museum of Art and Archaeology!
- (9:00 AM): Another coffee. It's now a full-blown addiction. And a necessity.
- (10:00 AM): The Museum! I need to get OUT of the room. I'm claustrophobic, even in a spacious room. (Just kidding, spacious isn't exactly the word here). I need cultural enrichment, and not just from the dust bunnies under the bed.
- (10:30 AM - 1:00 PM): THE MUSEUM! Fine art! Ancient artifacts! A moment of tranquility in the otherwise chaotic sea of my life. I'm going to take my time and actually look at things. Really absorb the art. Attempt to appreciate the history. Perhaps even understand something.
- (1:00 PM): A break. Time for lunch at the museum's cafe. (The food better be good, otherwise I'm going to be very grumpy.)
- (2:00 PM - 4:00 PM): Back to the museum. Dig deeper. Try to learn something! See if I can find an artifact and make up a ridiculously elaborate story to go along with it.
- (4:00 PM): The gift shop. Because, obviously. I'll probably buy a postcard that I'll never send. Or maybe a sticker. Or another book. Who knows?
- (5:00 PM): Dinner. Back to that diner, because I still haven’t given up hope.
- (6:00 PM): Relax and reflect on the day's events. (That is, if I haven't burned out like a lightbulb.)
- (7:00 PM): Back to the room. Start to feel like the museum visit was a dream and return to the dark side.
- (9:30 PM): Sleep. If I can.
Day 4: The Great Escape (Maybe)
- (9:00 AM): Coffee. More coffee.
- (10:00 AM): Pack. The bittersweet, long, tedious, and somewhat depressing task of packing.
- (11:00 AM): Check out. Smile at the front desk person. Say, "Thanks!" even though "thanks" barely cuts it.
- (11:30 AM): Try to convince myself I've had a good time.
- (12:00 PM): Back to the bus station/airport. The end.
- (1:30 PM): Board the bus/plane, exhausted, and slightly changed.
Food Considerations:
- Vending Machines: My primary food group, sadly. Mostly chips and energy drinks.
- Pizza Joints: Essential. Multiple locations.
- Grocery Stores: The ultimate test of my survival skills.
- Local Diner: Maybe. Just maybe.
Important Considerations:
- Mood Swings: Prepare for them. They will happen.
- Existential Dread: Embrace it. It's part of the experience.
- The Room: It's just a room. It will not define me, even though it might feel like it will.
- Coffee: Pack extra. You'll need it.
- Phone Charger: Don't forget it. Seriously.
This, my friends, is not just an itinerary; it is a testament to the human spirit's ability to find joy, even amidst the beige carpet and questionable wallpaper of an Extended Stay America. Wish me luck. I'm going to need it. Maybe you do, too.
Escape to Paradise: Osoyoos's Stunning Park Inn Awaits!
So, what *IS* this place, Escape to Comfort? Like, a hotel? An apartment? Are we talking prison-adjacent?
Alright, let's be clear: Escape to Comfort Stadium Blvd. is *technically* an "extended stay." Think of it as a halfway house for folks needing something more than a Motel 6 but less than a full-blown apartment. It's got little kitchens, which is a HUGE win, and you're usually looking at a week-to-month kind of deal. It's not exactly the Ritz, but hey, it's called "Escape to Comfort," not "Escape to Extravagance," am I right? (Although, comfort sometimes felt like a *very* generous term, but we'll get to that…)
Let's cut to the chase: the units. Are they… habitable? And is there a difference between the ‘suites’ and the standard rooms?
Okay, so, "habitable" is the operative word here. Let's just say I've seen worse, and I've seen better. The suites, supposedly, are slightly bigger. I never sprung for one, because well, budget. My standard room? Think "slightly larger than a walk-in closet." And the furniture? Let's just say if Ikea made prison furniture, it'd look a lot like what was in my room. It was a mishmash of things – a slightly stained couch that looked like it had seen some things (probably true), a bed that was surprisingly comfortable (small victories, people!), and a TV that, bless its heart, *mostly* worked. Look, the kitchenette was the REAL MVP, though. I mean, microwaving leftovers in your room? Pure luxury, if you're asking me. The bathroom… well, it was a bathroom. Functionally acceptable is the best I can say.
What about the kitchenettes? Any horror stories related to the culinary experience? (Like, are the roaches partying behind the fridge?)
Okay, okay, kitchenettes. Here's the thing: the "partying roaches behind the fridge" *did* cross my mind on a few occasions. Now, I'm not saying it was *infested*, but let's just say I became intimately familiar with the fine art of extreme cleaning. I'm talking industrial-strength cleaner, the works. My advice? Pack a lot of your own stuff. Get a good sponge, good soap, and maybe some bleach wipes. Just in case. And, for the love of all that is holy, inspect the fridge before you put anything in there. I'm just saying… preventative measures are key.
The staff. Are they friendly? Helpful? Eager to assist with your every whim? Spill the tea!
Look, the staff… they were *there*. They weren't exactly beaming with joy, but they weren't actively trying to sabotage my existence either. The front desk folks were generally… fine. Efficient, I guess. They'd give you more towels if you asked (a must!), and they’d fix your key card when it inevitably stopped working (also a must!). But don't expect them to be your therapist or offer unsolicited life advice. They're there to manage a slightly-above-average extended stay facility, not to solve your existential crises, you know? (Though, a little kindness goes a *long* way, and sometimes, a friendly face is all you need when you're living out of a suitcase…)
What about the… *community*? Who are your neighbors? Is it all just transient folks, or are there some long-term residents?
*Community* is a strong word, my friend. It's more like a collection of individuals all kind of… *existing* in the same place at the same time. I met a few people, briefly. There were the traveling nurses, the people waiting for their houses to be ready, some students, and a few folks who, let's just say, seemed to have found a permanent home there. It's not a place where you're going to make best friends for life, you know? You keep to yourself mostly. Although, one time, on a very cold night during a power outage (a whole OTHER story!), I shared some pizza and a few laughs with a woman who'd been there for over a year. We bonded over the sheer absurdity of it all. So, yeah… community? Maybe in the most ironic sense of the word. Maybe in the EMERGENCY sense.
Let's talk about the location. Is it convenient? Close to anything interesting? Or are you stranded in a desolate wasteland of chain restaurants?
Okay, location, location, location… Stadium Blvd. is, well, on Stadium Blvd. It's not *terrible*. There are the usual chain restaurants, which, let's face it, can be a lifesaver when you’re exhausted and just want something predictable. There are some grocery stores nearby (essential!), and it was fairly close to the University of Missouri, which was convenient for me at the time. But it’s not exactly a vibrant, bustling cultural hub. You're not stumbling out of your room into a charming coffee shop. It's more like… *a place where things are*. And, frankly, after a long day, *a place where things are* is sometimes all you need. Plus, you could walk to the grocery store for a late-night ice cream binge! Always a win.
Parking? Laundry? Wi-Fi? The practical stuff. Do they actually *work*?
Okay, the essentials. Parking: usually not an issue, which is nice. Laundry: there's a laundry room. It had machines - *mostly*. I lost a sock *once*, so… watch out. Wi-Fi: it existed, but its speed could best be described as "glacial." Streaming? Forget about it. Downloading? Prepare to come back in an hour. I ended up tethering to my phone for a lot of things. So, yeah, the practical stuff… it worked, sometimes, kinda, mostly… Don't rely on it being a *smooth* experience. Think of it as part of the adventure! (Or, you know, just bring your own high-speed internet, because, let's be honest, living in the internet dark ages is NOT fun.)
Alright, the BIG question: would you recommend it? Be honest! And what was the absolute WORST thing?
Would I *recommend* Escape to Comfort Stadium Blvd.? Hmm… I'd say… it depends. If you're on a tight budget, need a place for an extended period, and aren't expecting luxury, then yeah, it'll *do*. It's a roof over your head, a place to cook, and a base of operations while you figure things out. But don't go in with rose-colored glasses. Manage your expectations. Lower them! Then lowerStay While You Wander
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