The Duke Mansion — Hotel in Charlotte

My sisters and I booked my parents a room at the Duke Mansion as a gift and their stay was this weekend. We booked the room through a 3rd party site, and upon booking called the hotel to let them know we were booking the room for our parents and asked if they would be able to bill the card on file if we weren’t there. We were advised that they could and told to call before the stay so that they could notate it. We called the day they were to check in to confirm that they could use the card on file and were told that they could. The man on the phone confirmed the last 4 digits on the card and assured us we didnt need to be there. On arrival my parents were told they needed their card and they would have to pay to stay there as they needed the physical card to run the payment. we called my parents to check on them and they let us know what happened. We immediately call the hotel to get clarification. A lady answers and says that they need a physical card or a signed authorization form on file to take a card if the paying party wasn’t present. She says she’ll email it and we can send it back. Over an hour later, we hadn’t received an email so we head up there to pay for the room. When we attempt to express our frustration with the lady at the front desk dismissed our concerns saying “well I apologized on the phone and every thing is fine now so don’t worry about it”. I asked for a receipt to which she replied they would email one when my parents checked out. No receipt was sent at check out. I inquired again about the misinformation on the prepayment and she says it’s their policy to protect against fraud. I would be a little more understanding of that explanation if they had bothered to check my ID to see if it was truly my card. It would be just as easy to deny being the actual card holder without them verifying my ID in person as it is to do so online. As a person who has had their card stolen and used by someone else, I know it happens every day.. As another part of their gift we purchased concert tickets for my parents. Upon arriving to the hotel after 10pm from the concert, they attempt to shower and get ready for bed. Well the shower is leaking and the bedding is dirty/stained. They call to the front desk and are offered a new room. So they have to pack up all of their belongings and the gifts/flowers we had placed in the room for them and change rooms at 10:30/11 pm. They did apologize and told my mom they would discount the room 20% for the inconvenience. The shower and bedding were fine in the second room but my mom said the room was a little dusty and appeared like house keeping my not have thoroughly cleaned it. But they were tired and nothing was majorly wrong so they stayed put and went to bed. This afternoon we I noticed we hadn’t received a receipt, we called back to the hotel to reconfirm the email address for a 3rd time and stayed on the phone until the email was sent. Upon receiving the receipt we noticed a discrepancy with the bill. We asked the man we were speaking to on the phone about it and he said that he needed a minute to calculate it as there was a 10% discount showing. We told him that our parents were told a 20% discount was being applied for their inconvenience. He says “well if you let me finish I was saying there was a 10% discount from the 3rd party site you booked and we gave you a 10% discount”. I replied stating that any discount given by the 3rd party site should not be included in a discount that you offer in response to inconveniencing your guest. If you say you’re giving a 20% discount on their stay (to be clear my parents didn’t ask about a discount, they simply asked for someone to address the shower and bedding and were immediately offered the discount), you can’t include an amount that had already been including in the booking. You should have stated to them you were going to offer a 10% discount. I said this exactly to the front desk staff over the phone and he kept repeating the same thing- that it was a 20% discount with the 10% from the booking site and the 10% they gave. I told him I was aware of what he was saying, I didn’t need him to repeat it, but it was misleading to say 20% if they were actually only offering 10. To add insult to injury, the bill doesn’t even reflect a 10% discount. The frustration is not at 10% vs 20%. It’s at the misinformation given by staff members about multiple issues, the inconvenience of having to come and pay for the room in person, the stress caused to my parents of being told they were going to have to pay for their gift, the inconvenience of having to move rooms practically in the middle of the night, and mostly at the dismissiveness of the staff at our concerns given their misinformation and lack of attention to detail. It was particularly disappointing to be told that one of the persons providing the misinformation was the hotel manager. The Duke mansion is a beautiful property with amazing charm. I’ve stayed in the past and had a great experience. It was very disappointing to have this be my parents first (and probably last) experience and it doesn’t make me want to come back. To pride yourself as a luxury bed and breakfast/hotel and provide this level of service is inexcusable and you should seriously consider retraining your staff- specifically...

It was our first day and first time in Charlotte and we were looking for a different experience for our stay so we chose the Duke Mansion.||||The most important thing you should know (that we didn’t) is that hotel guests are 2nd class to any events that take place here. Period. There are only 20 rooms and they probably do not generate enough income to sustain the facility. Although room rentals are likely essential to fill out the Duke’s overall budget during nonevent times, you will feel marginalized during your stay here if an event is taking place. Apparently there are many.||||We were unfortunately here during an event and basically relegated to staying in our room lest experience the unwelcoming glares of party goers towards us interlopers or potential party crashers (It happened). There was no where to go downstairs anyway as everything was closed off. Kind of reminded me of having to stay in my room as a kid during my parents “for adults only” parties. We booked the facility more than a month in advance but were notified of the event only a week prior and could not economically change our plans. In hindsight we should have canceled because we were not able to enjoy the property and the Duke did nothing special for the significant disruption of our stay.||||I am a history buff and relish in the opportunity to stay in a unique, historical property. But staying at The Duke is not exactly a “night at the Museum” as much as “a night at Grandma’s”… and after she’s slathered on Vick’s Vapo Rub. The room was unbearably musty and smelled off. A heavy rain passed through the area a few days prior and I suspect mold issues. The room furniture is an old and eclectic mix of periods and does not illicit a feel of being somewhere special. Maybe other rooms are appointed better. They really should just drop this granny chic look and update all the rooms like they did in the bathrooms which were nicely done except for the water pressure. Overall there is a significant amount of wear at the Duke that the wide photos don’t show. This wear and tear would be fine if it was say Paul Reveres house in Boston built in 1680 and has been authentically preserved. But the Duke was built in 1915 and has gone through many owners and modernized remodels here and there. If elements are not truly original (I.e. walls are newer drywall not original lath and plaster) everything should be in tip top shape. ||Even original architecture should be better cared for. I was expecting a miniature version of the Huntington Library with some antique books to browse through but saw basically a large sized community book swap in the library. So if not historical, if not nicely updated, what exactly is the point here?||||I respect the fact that this property reflects local history that should be preserved. But to subject guests to a 2nd class experience during events and smelly rooms that need care demonstrates little B&B hospitality - it’s more of a northern carpet bagger vibe. Is that the experience and legacy they want guests like us to leave with? I wonder what Buck would make of it all.||||We paid $258/ night, one Monday night off season. It was a king room, 3rd floor, rm 312. Breakfast was included. Breakfast was outstanding, excellent food and service. I might return for that experience alone if they offered it. And because of the breakfast, overall for that price point, a stay here might be acceptable to some if no event is taking place.||||But ultimately if you are looking for a unique historical stay you really won’t find it here. The rooms are a hodgepodge of worn antique and partially updated. They should update all the rooms (fix mold and plumbing issues) and focus the historic look and experience in the common areas starting with a first class library. What else would one really want to do here but unwind and read a special antique book by the fire, on the porch, or in the garden? ||||Visit the grounds during the day, get breakfast if they offer it alone, but an overnight stay will leave you...

• Enchantment at its finest * This was my first time to North Carolina and my first time staying at a bed and breakfast. What a treat the Duke Mansion really is. I make very few recommendations, but this is one I endorse, wholeheartedly.

My niece’s wedding reception was held here and it was something out of a storybook, really. We all read about these things in magazine and papers, but have you ever been to one? Neither have I, until now. Allow me to gather my thoughts. The hotel is very old, built in 1915 and so plumbing and electricity were relatively new. Elevators were uncommon and air conditioning was unheard of, yet the Duke Mansion has all these amenities and herein lies its undeniable charm: The modern world melds with old time tradition and opulence. I went back in time and loved it. The hotel has a unique allure; well kept, clean, beautifully old, stately and plain charming. The grounds and gardens are a site to see. Amazing. Where else in today’s modern world can you find this?

Here is what brought a gleaming smile to my face. The staff is great. They are proud to welcome you to this facility. It is written with the BIG smiles on their faces. The rooms are clean, the beds are very comfortable and what’s not to like when you wake in the early morning and meander downstairs to the dining room where a hot breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, fresh fruit and hot coffee are awaiting you (vegetarian items too)? This alone was worth staying there. You’ll meet Inez, she’s amazing. She is charming and personable. Don’t skip breakfast, it is fantastically superb.

It was a genuine pleasure experiencing the Duke Mansion. The staff exhibit heartwarming converse and are sincerely happy to assist you. The hotel is set center direct within a neighborhood of superbly old, towering growth trees – they’re huge. The canopy’s are vast and cove the residential streets in entirety. The most peaceful time abound was strolling through the neighborhood after breakfast. The temperature was cool, the sun was shining, the chipmunks were abundant and the army of landscapers were buzzing about. The neighborhood is adorably quaint. Mansions are commonplace on every street and they are quite the spectacle to see. I wish I could own one and call this place home (maybe when I retire). To boot, the mansion is a mere 7 minute drive from downtown Charlotte and oh, how I love this feature. Think about this.

If I am ever back in Charlotte, I will not hesitate to go out of my way to stay here again. In fact, I can’t wait to visit this place again. I’m thinking of ways to entice my wife to come back and, I have to say, it’s pretty easy. Looking forward to...