The Durham Hotel — Hotel in Durham

Avoid at All Costs – Especially if You Have Kids or Value Your Sanity

We chose The Durham Hotel for a quick getaway in Durham, hoping for a relaxing spot after our small child’s recent surgery. What we got instead was a comedy of errors that turned into a full-blown horror show. From accessibility fails to sweltering rooms and overpriced mediocrity, this place is a masterclass in how not to run a hotel. The only silver lining? It was clean. But honestly, that’s like praising a sinking ship for having polished decks. Let me break down the litany of failures we endured.

First off, if you’re traveling with a stroller or anyone who can’t handle endless waits, steer clear. This hotel is shockingly not stroller-accessible. There’s a single elevator – yes, just one – that’s slower than molasses in January. It took us a whopping 20 minutes just to get our kid up to the room, juggling luggage and a post-surgery toddler who was already cranky. In a modern hotel? Unforgivable. It’s like they designed it for able-bodied hermits who enjoy testing their patience.

Then there’s the heat. We arrived on a scorching day with temperatures hitting 98 degrees outside, expecting to walk into a blissfully air-conditioned lobby. Nope. The place felt like a lukewarm sauna, with no aggressive AC pumping to provide relief. It’s as if they’ve never heard of climate control in the South. Who runs a hotel like this in the middle of summer? It’s not eco-friendly; it’s just cheap and inconsiderate. The showers? A joke. The water pressure is so pathetic it’s like trying to rinse off under a sad, drizzling mist. Forget about a refreshing blast after a hot day – this was more like standing in a light rain with low output that barely gets the job done. For the prices they charge, you’d think they’d invest in plumbing from this century.

Don’t get me started on their so-called “coffee bar.” It’s a total scam, hyped up with some pretentious sales angle that makes it sound like artisanal nectar from the gods. In reality? It’s no better than the sludge from a gas station machine. Overpriced, overhyped, and utterly forgettable. Skip it and save your money for a real café down the street. The food was another letdown. Subpar doesn’t even cover it – we’re talking bland, uninspired dishes that wouldn’t pass muster at a chain diner, yet priced like fine dining. For what we paid, we expected quality, not regret with every bite. It’s clear they’re banking on the hotel’s “boutique” vibe to justify ripping people off.

But the absolute crowning disaster was the air conditioning in our room. It was straight-up broken, turning our supposed sanctuary into a sweatbox. When we complained, did they send a maintenance pro to fix it? Of course not. They dispatched the bellhop – yes, the bellhop – who “fixed” it by cranking the thermostat down to 60 degrees and calling it a day. We woke up in an 81-degree oven, with our poor child (fresh out of surgery and needing a cool, comfortable environment) miserable and overheating. This isn’t just incompetence; it’s negligent and dangerous, especially for families with vulnerable little ones. How does a hotel get away with faking repairs like this?

In summary, The Durham Hotel is a polished facade hiding a heap of basic failures. Cleanliness aside, everything else screamed cost-cutting at the expense of guests. We left exhausted, frustrated, and vowing never to return. If you’re considering this place, do yourself a favor and book literally anywhere else – your wallet, your comfort, and your family will thank you. What a waste of...

If I could give this place a """" 0 """"" stars I would. Not sure how this place has a 4.5 rating , first it's overpriced second in this hotel the guest work harder then the employees.

In this type of business and in most business a first impression MATTERS!!!!!

I booked a package with valet parking and a room with two double beds.

I arrived pulled up to valet parking waiting for someone to come out, becuase valet usually means they will open your door, get your bags, get your key to the car, well after long ten minutes, my husband goes inside , first he goes to front desk and ask for valet , then valet sends him back to front desk, then he's told he needs the credit card that was used to book the reservation and for the details of the reservation to be confirmed, so he comes outside and tells me because I booked it.

All of this needs to be confirmed before Valet, in what hotel industry?

I go inside to confirm and show my credit card that was used to book the resveration , then valet takes my key and gives me ticket all of this is being done at the front desk, I go back out to the car to help my husband with our bags,and drinks, NEVER once does Valet come out, not even to open the hotel door for us as our hands are full.

We get on the elevator to go to our room and up and down we go until a Guest tells us that we have to scan our key in the elevator so the elevator will stop at our floor.

Get to our floor and the hallaway smells like, old mold, old dirty carpets could be the cause,, the room same smell.

We booked two double beds we got a room with a KIng bed and the room had the same smell, and looked like a dorm room it was dated, nothing special or worth the price, then the shower was dirty, the shower floor is so dirty you should shower with shower shoes because of what you may catch on your feet.

We only stayed one night because we went to late event at the DPAC when we came back from the event at almost 1 am there was no one at the front desk or even in the lobby, I can only tell you what I saw I can not attest to what I did not see, if there someone there hidden I know what I saw , and I saw no one, not even the soul of someone , so if you have issue at that time not sure what would be the fix. We had to scan our key like 2 or 3 times before the front lobby door opened and then rush to try and close it as their is homeless and bums in the area walking around and lurking around the hotel.

We did not stay till check out time we left early the next day, the young lady who checked us was nice, but by this point I was already done, first impression!!!! Then Valet again he it seemed he went to Alaska to get our car, let put it this way a young women came down about 10 to 15 minutes after us, she went to front desk and checked out, went to the side to call a uber, uber arrived as the same time Valet showed up with our car. But let me mention that Valet did open the trunk and did ask if we needed help to lift the bags into the car we had already carried the bags to the car!!!!!!!

My advice stay anywhere that is not this place!!!! For the price, you can most likely get a better stay and service somewhere else for much cheaper, valet is horribe save your money, room are dated and dirty and smell, bed sheets have hair from previous guest or housekeeping who knows, shower is dirty.

""""""" My rating...

Astonishingly disappointing. Staycation turned disastrous. The Durham first booked us in a room with a dilapidated bathroom and no privacy (view of the neighboring building only feet away). The valet, or was he the porter, or was he the doorman, who greeted us at the curb, was less certain than we were as to what was going on. No uniform or nametags. He wasn't sure if he was taking our car or our bags. The front desk, a staff which largely struggled to project even the warmth of disaffected youth, recommended dining at the restaurant but didn't recommend reservations. When we showed up at the completely empty restaurant at 5:30 PM, the hostess actually told us that it was booked solid, that it's pretty much always booked solid, and that we were welcome only if we promised to eat our meals in under an hour. Whoever heard of saying such a thing. It was already so offensive we decided right there to change our two day reservation into one day. And no manager had a single question for us. We were astonishingly polite despite the snafus. We had a long courteous discussion with staff about serious hospitality problems. They tried giving us a full bottle of wine when we ordered a half later that evening, something we did not ask for. Then the next day as we checked out the staff member at checkout told us they were comping our room. It was somewhat of a relief, as it was already pretty disappointing. We again had a polite conversation with staff, still not management, and brought the staff member beignets as a gesture of gratitude when we returned from breakfast to pick up our car. When we got home, we learned our parents had prepaid our room and dinner as a surprise. The hotel didn't even ever bother to tell us? They were just going to let us pay, and double-charge? And we would never say thank you to our own family? Spreading the hurt? This made it look as if they were trying to make the room look like a comp when it wasn't. Now we're apologizing to our family. The staff, while well-intentioned, is not professionally prepared for providing hospitality, and the management does not pay attention to details or take ownership. Hospitality is more important than denim coverlets. After this experience, the Durham seems to be a hotel satisfied with the traffic for their rooftop bar and the reputation of their restaurant. Hotels are different from restaurants, and being boutique should mean more than just handing someone a key to a door. I live and work in Durham, and a big fan of the Lantern, I never wanted to write a negative review. I just wanted the stay there to end and just forget about it. But even after the nightmare seemed to be over, it wasn't. Just as a restaurant pays attention to the details of a meal, a hotel should pay close attention to the details of a stay. Otherwise, you're just an overpriced motor inn. Cool building, attractive room (well, the second room anyway). Just never ever tell a customer you comped their disaster when someone else had already paid...