"With 237 good-looking rooms, the Radisson Riverfront does guests right. The hotel gets travelers, wedding parties, and conventions, the last due to its facilities shared by next-door neighbor Country Suites August Riverwalk.

Lush and plush greet guests when they arrive, in the form of the grand staircase, chandeliers, and marble floors. The hotel is pet friendly, but requires a waiver to be signed. Service by and large is as it should be: friendly, accommodating, and reasonable. The premises include a fitness center, pool indoors and out, Jacuzzi, restaurants and sauna for relaxing, and many meeting rooms and ballrooms for the business-minded. Some freebies, welcome and uncommon in a hotel this size, are local phone calls and airport shuttle. Lest one be concerned, the Radisson makes up for it in business services, computer Internet room charges and parking, although guests could check their e-mail for free in the common computer down in the business area.

The onsite Italian restaurant wins only middling praise, but the big-screen TV in the lounge next door allows fans to catch the scores.

Both convention-goers and vacationers alike will appreciate the proximity to the delights of downtown Augusta. Those include the historic district, the area bordering the Savannah River, the Morris Museum of Art, and the National Science Center. More museums lie further afield, making for a wonderful cultural excursion. "