My husband and I booked three nights at the Extended Stay in Columbia through Hotels.com for a recent weekend trip. We chose them specifically because it was both A) pet-friendly ($25/night extra charge, up to $75 max) and B) came with a mini-kitchen in the room. Overall, I'd say it was worth what we spent.

I was a little thrown at first on the pet charge, because when I chose a hotel I had about 8 internet windows open at once, and I mixed up Extended Stay with the Travelodge, whose fee is only $5 a night. But when I checked online again (using their in-room wireless, which is $5 for the entire length of the stay), I saw my mistake. The lady at the desk did tell me that I could have brought in a printout and they'd refund the difference if it turned out to be their error. (Besides, we have a 75-pound husky/akita mix, so I'm sure the higher fee was still worth it...she's well-behaved but quite hairy!)

People at the desk were consistently friendly and helpful. They don't have daily maid service because they primarily cater to longer-term guests - they do full cleaning once every 7 days, and you can request additional cleaning for a small fee whenever you wish. They will change out towels or give you new soap at the desk whenever you bring them the old ones. They also have coin laundry facilities available.

In the room was a full-size refrigerator/freezer, a two-burner stovetop, a small sink, and cabinets with 2 each of most basic dishware. We'd brought along cups, plates, a saucepan, and dishtowels that we didn't actually need, because they were already provided. They even had a cutting board! The only things they didn't provide in the kitchen were any sort of sharp knives (just butter knives) or dish soap. They do have dish soap and other extras available either at the desk or a nearby vending machine. My husband forgot his razor and had to buy a disposable razor and single-use shaving cream pouch - cost us $1.50.

The room was basic, but clean...we did find a used dryer sheet under the bed while packing up to leave, but nothing else was visibly dirty. The bed was on the harder side. My husband who has back issues was still able to sleep on it, though he is of course glad to be back home with his knock-off Tempurpedic mattress.

The one annoying part of our stay...we are late sleepers while away on a trip, and we were woken up one morning at 8:30 am by a guy weed trimming outside our window. When I decided to take advantage of my new-found wakefulness to take the dog out, I discovered that they hire a separate company to do their landscaping stuff, so I don't know how much control they have over when any mowing/trimming is done. Also, it was a Monday, so maybe they figured everyone was up already?

Overall, I would recommend this place to anyone who is traveling with a pet and also wants access to a kitchen. If you don't need/want a stovetop or sink, there might be cheaper places available, or similarly priced places with more amenities.