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Mason · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels in the university district, Mason

Talia Ben-Ari

Talia Ben-Ari Turkey, the Gulf and Egypt

Updated 1 September 2026 · 19 Mason hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Mason, out of the 19 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.4 down to 3.4.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $92.

Best Western Hilliard Inn & Suites

Highest rated of the five

Best Western Hilliard Inn & Suites

★★★★★4.4 from 914 reviews

Best Western Hilliard Inn & Suites comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.4 from 914 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property, found under the university district and around $92 a night on the dates we checked.

19 hotels in Mason qualified for this list and five made it. The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Best Western Hilliard Inn & Suites1

    Best Western Hilliard Inn & Suites

    ★★★★★4.4 from 914 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel2

    The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel

    ★★★★★4.6 from 285 reviews

    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Airport shuttle

    Check rates Read more

  3. Comfort Suites Columbus Airport3

    Comfort Suites Columbus Airport

    ★★★★★4 from 649 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  4. American Value Inn4

    American Value Inn

    ★★★★★3.4 from 44 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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  5. Extended Stay America Suites- Columbus - Easton5

    Extended Stay America Suites- Columbus - Easton

    ★★★★★3.9 from 952 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

19 Mason hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Talia Ben-Ari

Talia Ben-Ari Turkey, the Gulf and Egypt

Editing runs in intense blocks with real gaps between, and she fills the gaps by going somewhere with no plan. No itinerary, no bookings past the first night.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.