DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New Bern Riverfront — Attraction in New Bern

Walking into the hotel, the front desk greets you right away. The Check-in process was smooth, friendly, and helpful. The hotel has a nice charm about it. Smells clean and welcoming. Received a warm cookie and I'm off to see the room.

The carpets are heavy and aged but decently cleaned. The room is clean, bathroom is very clean but a little cramped. The door opens right in front of the tub, getting around in the bathroom is a little awkward.

The beds are comfortable but aged, the mattress has a squeak. The sheets, pillows, and comforter are of good quality, fluffy, and comfy and I slept well.

The TV is large and shows a crystal clear picture. The little fridge was clean and held a good temp. The microwave wasn't too small and worked quickly. The towels are a good size. White and a little on the firm side, very clean.

The desk is set up very conveniently. The lamp has outlets and plugs for your technology needs, charging phones and laptops

The view is amazing. I just wish I could crack the window and get some fresh air. Gone are the good old days of travel.

The lounge/bar is dimly lit. Nice atmosphere. The bartender was a brunette who unless you were a guy, or a regular, didn't give you the time of day and acted like you were bothering her groove. I waited at the bar just to be greeted for 7 min. 4 guests were at the bar she wasn't busy.

Then she looked at me and asked if I needed something. I said sure, a menu, please. She asked if I wanted a drink and then was impatient as I viewed the options. I told her ill just be a minute. Then she walked off. So far I wasn't a fan... Horrible customer service. I put the menu down and waited another 6 min for her to finish talking. She came over and said only one thing. Decided on what you want? So I gave her my drink order and sat at a near by table hoping I would get another server. I didn't. The ordering process was similar, she treated me as if I was annoying her and she had better things to do.

For dinner, the steak was perfectly cooked and the seasoning was balanced. The chief knew what he was doing. Delicious! The Brussels sprouts on the other hand, I had to spit into my napkin. Which I never do.. it was horrible. I got a taste of what had to be cleaning chemicals. I sat there with an empty glass of water for 19 min before she noticed. Then after she looked at me again, it took another 11 before I lifted my glass to show her my glass was empty before she begrudgingly brought a refill. The most I got out of her was "Are you all set, need anything else" again. Not a fan.

Over all the stay was quiet and comfortable. Next time I'll eat in the dining area or look for a different server. The front desk is helpful and professional. The hotel is aged but clean. It has a charm about it I like. I would recommend staying here and giving this location a try.

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Unfortunately this last stay was not a good stay. I've stayed at a few Hilton hotels before,but have never had an experience of them overbooking. For those that done don't, as I didn't, it is the practice of booking more rooms to guests than the hotel has rooms available with the hopes/expectation that some guests will cancel or not show up.

With a check in time of 3pm we arrived at 4pm for our first wedding anniversary and were told that our room wasn't available. The employee explained that the room was overbooked to which I explained that we had reservations that we needed time in our room to get ready. Thirty minutes later, the employee said that the room we booked (1 KING BED CITYVIEW) was unavailable and that she instead put us in a Junior Suite with double beds. When I explained again that we were on our anniversary and booked a king, I was told there were none available in the hotel and this was it, we were then offered two drink tickets. With my wife expecting, I explained we didn't want tickets or a breakfast comp, I just wanted what was in my confirmation email. The employee assured me there were no other options and it was a city view and we had less than an hour so I took to room without incident as this was no fault of the employee but the fault of who ever drives the policy of selling rooms you don't have at the inconvenience of your guests in hopes of a higher profit. Unfortunately there aren't many options in the way of a hotel here downtown (which is why hilton will likely continue the practice of overbooking ) but next time maybe we'll try one of the other few options in town. While this isn't going to ruin our anniversary, I still trusted Hilton enough to book them as a part of our days plans. It's unfortunate as I've stayed at many hotels and quite a few Hilton's and while this is a first, it is completely unacceptable that the business you pay for a service knowingly takes your money with the understanding that they will not provide what is paid for. update 2 DOUBLE BEDS-BALCONY-RIVERRVEW is what were given. The employee lied or didn't know the room they booked us. I'll speak with the management but this is not a suite, junior or otherwise. We had a great anniversary, but in no part due to a room, hallways/elevator aren't air conditioned, intention of reasons we did not book a waterfront view. And while I love a close proximity to my wife when sleeping , these beds are not large enough.

Typed...

My rating is based off of the lowest score I encountered during my stay.

All staff members I encountered (front desk and restaurant staff) were fantastic! Everyone was personable, professional and friendly. They’re truly the only reason I’d come back if I had to and from my perspective, what keeps this place going.

The worst part(s) were/are the aging state of the property. The property could greatly benefit from a renovation in the guest rooms and common spaces (hallways, elevators, stairwells etc.). The carpet in my room was in need of a proper cleaning, so much so that I wore my sandals the entire time. The bathroom was very cramped, dated and still dirty from previous stays (long, woman’s hair on the wall, splattered green soap/stains on the walls). My shower head was also separating from the wall and the associated hardware was rusted with age and lack of care.

Although the room was spacious, I’d gladly take a smaller room for more space in the bathroom. I also had a roach 🪳 scurry around my room! I didn’t feel great about having any type of food or trash in my room after this event. Also, the ironing board was completely broken, unusable and of course, rusted. At least the iron worked so I could freshen my work shirts, using the bed.

The pool area in its entirety, needs some help! The pool itself was green on the bottom and walls, the walkways were cracking and pulling up, and the furniture needs replaced. I really wanted to enjoy the pool but I know what a clean pool is (I own one at home in FL) and this pool was NOT IT! I felt bad for families that were using the pool area as they had to stay in the shallow end as it was the closest to clean.

The bar was convenient and the staff wonderful but the space felt a little dirty as well. The wall at the end of the bar, where the thermostat is, was covered with gnats/fruit flies. Not exactly the best place to sit and eat while at the bar. Although the burger I had was very good.

The fitness/gym space was a positive. I appreciated the availability of various dumbbells and cardio equipment. It had everything I needed and that’s not often in hotel gyms.

Parking was great and I always had a space.

The proximity to downtown amenities was also a welcome bonus.

Overall, not an absolutely horrible stay, but my company sends me to New Bern for professional travel and in the future, I will be giving other local properties a chance before I decide to come back for...