Discover the Graduate Hotel in Columbus, a unique blend of mid-century design and collegiate nostalgia. Immerse yourself in vintage-inspired interiors, where bold colors pay homage to Ohio’s rich university culture.
Graduate Columbus is located on North High Street about a mile from The Ohio State University (OSU). Surrounded by restaurants, coffee shops, and stores, there is plenty to do within walking distance. In this Graduate Columbus review, I’ll cover details about the room, lobby, and on-site cafe.
Decorated with nods to OSU’s rich football history, world-renowned marching band, and well-known athletic alums, while being located in a busy midwestern city; the decor is a mix of collegiate nostalgia meets cozy mid-century city dweller.
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What are Graduate Hotels?
Graduate Hotels are all located near college campuses (hence the name, “Graduate”). Iconic to all Graduate Hotels is a long study table in the lobby, similar to what you’d find in a university library.
Right off the lobby is another Graduate Hotel staple, Poindexter. This coffee shop generally offers drip coffee, espresso drinks, baked goods, and – in some locations – bar, breakfast, and lunch options.
The decor has been coined by Graduate themselves as “new-stalgia”, reminiscent of the history and culture of the nearby campus, with a modern and fresh vibe. Filled with details in everything from the carpet to the wallpaper to the art and more… the hotels are each individually decorated to match the corresponding university and city.
Why we Love Graduate Hotels
My husband and I became loyal Graduate Hotel fans after our first stay at Graduate Ann Arbor. As a interior design lover, I can’t get enough of the unique decor which is woven through everything from the lobby to the rooms and the restrooms. No detail is missed.
Typically, we also enjoy the atmosphere in a Graduate Hotel lobby. Most locations are bustling with energy in the mornings as students stop in to study and grab coffee. However, Columbus Graduate’s lobby was quiet and to far from campus to pull in foot traffic from students.
While we still enjoyed playing board games in the lobby, it lacked the energy we’ve found to be true of other Graduate Hotels (check out our visits to Graduate Bloomington, Nashville, Ann Arbor, or Cincinnati, which all had the type of bustling Graduate lobby that we’ve come to expect).
Graduate Columbus Lobby
You’ll enter to a Mt. Rushmore-style giant mural featuring four well-known OSU athletic alums (sprinter Jesse Owens, golfer Jack Nicklaus, running back Archie Griffin, and basketball player Katie Smith).
The lobby feels incredibly cozy (especially, so, during the chilly early March week we were there). An eclectic mix of furniture welcomes you against a backdrop of wood paneling, dark ceilings, interior brick, and oriental rugs.
Lace curtains and patchwork sofas are paired with low, mid-century style seating. Old black-and-white class photos adorn the walls, accented by vintage lighting.
To the right is a room with a long study table and small cafe-size tables. We ended each night with snacks and card games at the big table.
As an ode to Ohio State’s well-know marching band, a “chandelier” of trumpets and trombones hovers over the study table. The captain’s chair on each end features the song title “Hang on Sloopy.” Playing the song is a decade’s old tradition for the band to play between the 3rd and 4th quarter.
The interior palette matches OSU’s colors of red, black, and gray. Besides a few olive-green accents, the rest of the lobby is rounded out with earthy shades from a variety of warm woods. From the paneling to the geometric wood triangle wall, the interior design throughout the hotel has a masculine vibe.
As mentioned, unlike many Graduate Hotels, we didn’t see any students using the study space. It’s a trek from campus and not as convenient to students, which I’d imagine explains the emptiness of the lobby.
For us, we like the energy of students popping in and out to study and grab coffee. In that respect, we were disappointed with Graduate Columbus. On the flip side, we always had our choice of a place to sit!
If you visit the lobby, don’t skip the bathrooms which are decorated with buckeye wallpaper, a staple treat from the state of Ohio. Graduate Hotels have the most interesting wallpapers, many of which seem to be custom designed for the hotel.
Graduate Bloomington Cafe
To the left of the main lobby is Poindexter, a bright cafe with table and bar seating. The ceilings feature comic strip style artwork and graphic artwork adorns the walls. Chrome bar stools, black mid-century style lighting, and a plaid for tile give the space a funky twist on a 1950s diner or cafe.
Throw pillows and card games invite you to stay longer than just for a quick bite to eat. In one corner, shelving is filled with trophies, medals, and ribbons as an homage to OSU sports.
In front of an accent wall made with pencils is a vintage industrial table which holds tea, creamer, sugar, and utensils. I liked the juxtaposition of the mid-century table lamp and the antique brass serving-ware.
Serving coffee and baked goods in the morning and cocktails in the evening, we were looking forward to spending time here to start and end our day.
Unfortunately, the hours were quite limited due to what the hotel described as staffing shortages. However, since there wasn’t much traffic through the lobby and cafe, that may have also contributed to the abbreviated hours.
Graduate Columbus Hotel Rooms
We booked a room with two queens for our family of four. It was tight. The room was small with no additional lounge chair (every other Graduate I’ve stayed at had 2 beds, a desk, and an upholstered chair.)
The tightness of the room was likely amplified by the floor to ceiling built-in on the wall opposite the bed. This wall unit housed the desk, mini-fridge, TV, shelves, safe, and closet. A smart use of vertical space in a small room, but also overwhelming and dark in an already tiny space.
The masculine aesthetic continues with dark woods, plaid, athletics-inspired decor, and a concrete-textured ceiling. The concrete ceiling adds to the room’s theme, but paired with the floor to ceiling plaid, the dark wood wall unit (on the opposite site, not pictured), and dark floors… it all adds up to a dark room.
Like all graduates, there are fun details such as the OH and IO pair of throw pillows. The room was clean and uniquely decorated with high-quality materials. However, in my opinion, those elements weren’t enough to offset how small and dark the room felt.
Summary of Graduate Columbus Review
Graduate Columbus is a perfectly nice hotel, but in comparison to other Graduate Hotels, we were disappointed. On our list of Graduate Hotels ranked, this one comes in last.
We really enjoy the college town environment of many Graduates, and this one doesn’t have that. The lobby was quiet and empty and the cafe had limited hours. Plus, the OSU campus isn’t close enough to feel that college town vibe.
In addition to that, the rooms were tight for our family of four. I’m sure a king bed room for two would have felt much more comfortable, but that wouldn’t work for us and the kids.
We did appreciate the on-site parking with 24 hour valet. In a city, parking isn’t easy to come by, and we never had to worry about that.
If you are headed to Columbus, make sure to check out our list of things to do in Columbus for kids and families (LINK COMING SOON).
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