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The 90-year-old Great Southern stands proudly as Columbus' only fully restored Victorian grand hotel. Though its survival was in question for many years as it deteriorated after World War II, in 1982 Bill and Barbara Bonner rescued it from the wrecking ball that had claimed all of its former rivals. They then undertook the formidable project of restoring the building's original grandeur--and they have succeeded. Recently reopened, this hotel preserves an architecture that is, quite simply, astonishing.
The ceiling of the two-story main lobby consists entirely of giant stained-glass skylights, flooding the room with natural light. Massive columns and vast marble floors dominate the lobby, accentuating the delicacy of the Victorian style cherrywood furniture and gleaming brasswork.
The high-ceilinged guest rooms show meticulous hand-craftsmanship in such touches as handmade bedspreads and curtains. Due to the hotel's original structure the rooms, no two alike, vary in size from rather small to quite large. A particularly spacious "parlour" room has an entranceway with a wood-framed mirror, a large walk-in closet, a king size bed, a decorative fireplace and a large, airy couch area for entertaining and relaxing. Cherrywood furniture includes a desk and a bridge table. Four large windows open onto lovely river views.
The Great Southern has two fine restaurants; Chutney's, serving all three meals in an atmosphere of relaxed luxury, and Thurber's (named for Columbus native James Thurber whose illustrations grace the walls) for gourmet dining. A typical deluxe dinner at Thurber's might include duck salad with orange sesame dressing, saffron pasta stuffed with scallop and mushroom, grapefruit sorbet, and broiled veal strips served on a pool of jalapeno beurre blanc with a corn custard and asparagus. The hotel also has a gallery in the upper lobby where fine local artwork is exhibited for sale.
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Address: 310 South High Street, Columbus 43215
Phone No.: 614-228-3800
Toll-free Cable: 800-228-3789 OH, 800-328-2073 US
Rates: $75 and up
Credit Cards: AmEx, Visa, MC, DC, CB
No. of Rooms: 196 Suites: 12
Services and Amenities: Valet service, Free parking, Complimentary shoe-shine, Laundry, Complimentary paper and coffee, Cable TV, Radio
Restrictions: Dogs for the blind only; Handicapped access to 2 rooms
Concierge:
Room Service: Weekdays 6:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m., weekends 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Restaurant: Chutney's, Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., 5:00-10:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. Fri.); Thurber's 6:00-10:00 p.m., Dress Code
Bar: Sebastian's, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Business Facilities: Message center, Copiers, Audio-visual
Conference Rooms: 8, capacity 500
Sports Facilities: Access to YMCA
Location: Downtown Columbus, 2 blocks south of state capitol, 15 minutes from Port Columbus airport, 2 blocks north of I-70
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