During a January weekend, thieves broke into 50 mid-winter participants belonging to the Foreign War Veterans (VFW) held at the Columbus Airport Marriott Hotel.
Columbus Airport overflow room, Marriott’s courtyard, 35 cars break into the Marriott’s hotel, 15 cars break into the courtyard
Despite not having an obligation to do so, VFW paid $500 per damaged car, totaling $25,000.
“This incident completely blows up the budget,” said Fran Brown, conference global account manager for the planning conference.
VFW signed a contract to hold a 2026 meeting in the same hotel. It has switched its location to Dublin, the suburb of Columbus.
“Marriot let them get rid of their contracts without fines,” Brown said. “Between the guest rooms, food and beverages, this is the $160,000 lost business at the hotel.”
When purchasing in Columbus hotels, one of the first questions Brown asked now is: “What are the safety measures in your parking lot?” she said.
Columbus Group Works Together to Relieve Issues
Glenn McEnyre, assistant director of the Columbus Department of Public Safety, said Columbus leadership and the city hospitality team are working together to break into the car.
The Ohio Hotel and Accommodation Association (OHLA) invited representatives from the affected city hotels to discuss the issue on January 22 at a member hotel in Columbus. More than 60 hotel representatives attended the meeting, with 32 of the most affected properties providing data on events, financial impacts and guest reviews.
According to information provided to Ohla by the hotel, 959 separate car break-ins, thefts and vandalism have occurred at 32 Columbus hotels since June 2024.
“Our industry compiles data, examples and feedback from visitors because we need to explain the scope of this issue,” said Joe Savarise, President and CEO of Ohla.
“At the end of 2024, early 2025, we have seen an increase in frequency and severity. The incident is being cancelled. The group brings the business elsewhere. The hotel has recorded a million dollars in revenue losses in just half a year,” Savaris said.
Columbus invests in security
In response, the hotel reported $1.25 million spent on safety and security.
“We are actively engaged in guided patrols and areas of concern. We are working closely with the youth justice system to address recidivism with young offenders and develop long-term solutions to this issue,” McEntyre said.
Columbus hotels usually see one to five breaks on a specific day, encountering multiple breaks at one time. Savarise said up to 20 or more at a time. In addition, hotels in the airport area reported 132 incidents from February to July 2024, and the number increased to 325 incidents from August 2024 to early February this year.
From a perspective, San Antonio held 20 car burglaries in a hotel in 30 days, while another nearby hotel had 12 calls during the same period.
Experience Columbus President and CEO Brian Ross said in 2024, Columbus hosted 435 conferences, trade shows and sporting events. “Most of these incidents are in the suburbs,” Ross said. “It has not affected any business in the core conference area.”
In 2023, Columbus Experience reported that there are 51.2 million tourists in the area. 8% of Columbus tourists come for a day trip, while 20% do it overnight. Experience Columbus added that 78% of overnight travelers drove to the city.
