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★★★ Ohio State University District · Upper Arlington ★ 4.3 · 1054
Staybridge Suites University Area Osu
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Staybridge Suites University Area Osu

3125 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, United States
from $161

Staybridge Suites University Area Osu is a 3-star hotel in Ohio State University District, Upper Arlington, a sensible choice for sightseeing around central Ohio State University District without overspending.

Guests typically choose Ohio State University District for its balance of location and price; Staybridge Suites University Area Osu is a good fit if you want to be near the action in Upper Arlington.

Rates shift with the season and with demand, so the live price on the booking page is always the one to trust — tap through for tonight's or your dates' real availability.

Key facts

Class
3-star
Area
Ohio State University District
Guest rating
4.3 (1054)
from
$161
Address
3125 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, United States

What’s included

Best time to visit Upper Arlington, month by month

Late April to mid-June and mid-September to late October are the best weeks for what people come here for — the parks, the Olentangy Trail and the Old Arlington streets — and only the second of those is expensive. January and February are the cheapest months of the year, with mid-range rooms around $85-115 and highs near 36°F; March jumps for one weekend when the Arnold Sports Festival fills downtown Columbus. April and early May are green, wet and reasonable at $110-150, apart from Ohio State commencement weekend in early May. The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin lands in late May or early June and pushes Dublin and Upper Arlington rates to $250-400 for four or five nights. Late June and July are humid, in the mid-80s°F, and busy with the Fourth of July parade, Red White and Boom on 3 July downtown, and the Ohio State Fair from late July.

August is the month to watch: Ohio State move-in in the third week strips cheap rooms out of the OSU District and Grandview for several days. The Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival takes over Northam Park on the first Monday of September, and from then until late November the Ohio State home football schedule — usually seven Saturdays at Ohio Stadium, 2.5 miles from Tremont Center — is the single biggest thing affecting what you pay. The Michigan game returns to Columbus in even-numbered years and is the most expensive night of any year here. The Columbus Marathon in mid-October adds one more busy Sunday. December is quiet and cheap again once commencement passes, with snow usually light and the trails still walkable.

Getting around Upper Arlington, and from the airport

You need a car. There is no rail of any kind in Columbus — no Amtrak station, no light rail, no commuter line — and Upper Arlington's grid of Tremont Road, Fishinger Road, Reed Road and Northwest Boulevard is built for driving, not connecting. From John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) it is about 13 miles and 20-25 minutes via I-670 and SR-315; rideshare typically runs $35-50, and the airport rental desks are the more sensible option for a multi-day stay. SR-315 forms the eastern edge of the city and gets you downtown in about 12 minutes off-peak; I-270 loops the whole metro and puts Dublin, Worthington and Hilliard within 15 minutes of Kingsdale. Parking in Upper Arlington is free everywhere, at Tremont Center, Kingsdale and every park lot, which is not true once you cross into the Short North or Downtown Columbus.

COTA buses do run — the Line 2 corridor on High Street links Clintonville, the Short North and Worthington, and routes cross Upper Arlington on West Fifth Avenue and Kenny Road — but frequencies of 30-60 minutes make them a supplement, not a plan. Distances between the areas you will actually use are short: Tremont Center to the Lane Avenue shops is about 2 miles, to Grandview Avenue 3 miles, to Old Worthington 8 miles, and to the Columbus Zoo in Powell about 11 miles. Cycling works better than the bus: the Olentangy Trail runs roughly 13.6 miles from Worthington down to downtown along the river, and Griggs Reservoir Park on Riverside Drive gives you flat riverside miles on the west side. If you are basing in the OSU District without a car, plan on walking to Lane Avenue and rideshare for everything else.

How many nights in Upper Arlington, and a first-timer's plan

Three nights is the sweet spot: two is enough for the parks and Old Arlington but leaves no room for Columbus itself, and four or more only pays off if you are adding Delaware, Powell or a tournament. Day one, walk Old Arlington from the Mallway on Arlington Avenue through the Cambridge Boulevard streets — the district was laid out from 1913 and the city incorporated in 1918, so the housing stock reads as one continuous 1920s piece — then finish at Northam Park and Tremont Center. Day two, go west and outdoors: Griggs Reservoir Park along Riverside Drive for the water, Sunny 95 Park and the Amelita Mirolo Barn, and Smith Nature Park or Fancyburg Park for the woodland loops. Add the Jack Nicklaus Museum at 2355 Olentangy River Road, about 2 miles from Kingsdale, if the golf history is what brought you.

Day three belongs to Columbus proper: the Short North along High Street, German Village for the Book Loft and Schmidt's, and the Scioto Mile downtown, all within 6 miles. With a fourth night, pick one direction — north to Highbanks Metro Park and Old Worthington's Saturday farmers' market, west to Dublin for Indian Run Falls and Scioto Park, or further north to Alum Creek State Park and Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware. Families usually swap one of those for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, a 20-minute drive that easily eats a full day. If you are here for a football Saturday, count that day as gone: kickoff traffic on Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road starts four hours early.

Questions, answered

Where is Staybridge Suites University Area Osu located?
Staybridge Suites University Area Osu is in Ohio State University District, Upper Arlington (3125 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, United States), close to central Ohio State University District.
How much does Staybridge Suites University Area Osu cost per night?
Recent rates started around $161 per night, but prices are set live — check the booking page for your exact dates.
How many stars is Staybridge Suites University Area Osu?
Staybridge Suites University Area Osu is a 3-star hotel in Upper Arlington.
Is Staybridge Suites University Area Osu a good hotel?
Guests rate it 4.3 across 1054 reviews. It's a midscale choice for Upper Arlington.
Which Upper Arlington parks are worth visiting, and can I use the city pools?
Start with Northam Park, Sunny 95 Park and the adjoining Smith Nature Park, and Fancyburg Park; then add Griggs Reservoir Park on Riverside Drive, which is Columbus-run but sits on Upper Arlington's western edge and gives you the Scioto River, boat ramps and flat trails. The city has more than 20 parks in total, and they are the main reason to base here rather than downtown. The municipal pools — Tremont, Devon and Thompson — operate on a season-membership model built around residents and run roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day, so plan around them rather than on them. If you want water in July, Alum Creek State Park near Delaware, about 20 miles north, is the reliable answer.
What is the best area to stay in Upper Arlington?
Tremont or Kingsdale if you want to be inside the city, and the Ohio State University District or Grandview Heights if you want actual hotel choice. Tremont puts you beside Tremont Center, the library at 2800 Tremont Road and Northam Park; Kingsdale is faster onto SR-315. Grandview Heights is about 3 miles from Tremont Center, has the restaurant strip on Grandview Avenue, and runs $130-200 for a mid-range room. If your trip is about the parks and the river, look west toward Riverside Drive, Griggs Reservoir Park and the Riverside Bend and Golf View Heights pockets.
What is the cheapest month to visit Upper Arlington?
January and February, when mid-range rooms drop to roughly $85-115 and there is no event pressure on the calendar. Highs sit near 36°F and snow is usually light rather than disruptive, so the Olentangy Trail and the Old Arlington streets are still walkable if you dress for it. Early December is the other soft window, once Ohio State's home football season has ended in late November. Avoid the first weekend of March, when the Arnold Sports Festival lifts rates across Downtown Columbus and Grandview.
How many nights do I need in Upper Arlington?
Three nights covers it properly. One day for Old Arlington, the Mallway and Northam Park; one for the west-side parks — Griggs Reservoir, Sunny 95 Park and Smith Nature Park; and one for Columbus itself, meaning the Short North, German Village and the Scioto Mile, all within 6 miles. A fourth night is worth adding if you want Highbanks Metro Park, Old Worthington, or the Columbus Zoo in Powell, which is a 20-minute drive and a full day. Two nights works only if you skip Columbus entirely.
How do I get from Columbus airport to Upper Arlington?
Drive or take a rideshare: it is about 13 miles from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) to Tremont Road, roughly 20-25 minutes via I-670 and SR-315, and $35-50 by Uber or Lyft. There is no rail link and no direct shuttle, and COTA from the terminal involves a change downtown that turns 25 minutes into well over an hour. Renting at CMH is usually the better call for anything longer than one night, since parking is free at every Upper Arlington hotel, park and shopping centre. Allow an extra 15-20 minutes for weekday rush on SR-315 between 7.30am and 9am.
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