The Lodge at Duke Medical Center — Hotel in Durham

Long post, but it needs to be said and heard. My name is Crystal and my daughter was provided a room by the cancer center at The Lodge, due to her clinical trial she was set to start for further treatment, because on January 2nd of this year, our start to the new year started out hearing that she has metastatic colon cancer (stage 4), because it had spread to her liver and lungs at the age of 21 and it was supposed to be the start of her last semester of college. That being said, their website states that Duke medical facilities provide convenience and peace of mind for guests traveling to the area for medical appointments and it specifically states that The Lodge is known for top-notch service, and I quote “and our goal is to create a calming, stress-free environment that allows you to focus on yourself and loved ones.” It was that way when leaving, but a few hours later, they made our day of her treatment, not so calming and caused us more stress we did not deserve, we definitely could not focus on ourselves once we were accused of something we did NOT do. My daughter got a phone call from management and asked if we mistakenly taken the bed scarves and my daughter told him no and I looked at her sideways when she asked me and I was like I never saw any bed scarves on the bed, I couldn’t tell anyone what any of their bed scarves look like, due to the fact that they were not put on the beds in our room, we didn’t even bother looking one bed, other than using the pillows and setting my small overnight bag on it, which was already full when arriving, no room in any of our small overnight bags to add anything else to them. Once my daughter told him that we had not mistakenly taken them , and stating that there were no bed scarves on our beds, he stated he was still going to charge her card and report to the cancer center, which she told him no sir, you will not charge to my card for something we haven’t done and that she’ll get in touch with the cancer center herself, we have done nothing wrong. She then hung up, really upset, already dealing with a lot of physical and mental stress. After I thought about it, I called back and asked for management, which then finding out that was who called her from the start, I preceded to tell him that there were no bed scarves on our beds when we arrived, still not believing us, because he kept saying “we always put bed scarves on the beds”, pretty much insinuating(accusing) that we had to take them, but I can 100% bet my life on it that housekeeping did not put on the beds any bed scarves. How do we even mistakenly take something that was not there to begin with, and if we did mistakenly take something we would have apologized and kindly returned the items. One thing we are NOT are thieves, we have our own money to buy our own bed scarves(which I don’t want, because I don't understand the purpose of them to start with) and we have money to get our own room if need be. We do NOT steal!!! What bothered me the most is it upsetting my daughter and she and I telling the truth and still not believing us, making us feel like we stole and were lying, it was definitely not a good feeling for us! The threat with reporting us to the cancer center did not work, they are making other and better arrangements for my daughter and her family to have a stress free environment and not be accused of something we sure the hell did NOT do!!!! This being said, it was not a calming and stress free day from the hotel, especially from management, due to the accusation from the management, so it gets a big fat 0. The whole situation was very humiliating for my daughter and in a way, for myself as well!! No need of any response from the one I spoke with in management today, I will spare your name, but I know it. Be careful if you stay here and make sure you take before pictures, even a video as soon as walking in, just in case you get a call and get accused of something you didn’t do or definitely didn’t take, because it was never in the room...

Cost is very reasonable for the broader area and GREAT in terms of usual cost with such close proximity to a major medical hub, where they could gouge you. Especially when you factor that the rate — make sure you request the hospital rate if visiting a patient — includes free parking and / or a shuttle to the Duke University Hospital, which is directly across the street (admissions entrance). Parking in hospital garages is currently $2/hr and all-day valet = $15 + tip, so that’s an added “discount” right there.

If your personality type means you’ll be spending most visiting hours (8am-9pm) at the hospital, I’d very strongly recommend it. You’ll get tired of the cafeteria and Subway / Panera/Starbucks food at DUH after a few days but you’ll just suck it up, because there aren’t a lot of other food options that are quick in-and-out or open late nearby.

If your personality type means you’ll prefer to be in & out and not at the hospital in the evening + highly value close access to lots of dining / shopping options, you might want to stay elsewhere for at least some of your stay, because there’s not a lot of options within quick walking distance.

We initially stayed a 7-min drive away in a rental in a more “fun” area but were never there to take advantage of the locale and just wished we could run out for a really quick nap or call — or to dump tote bags — so switched to the lodge after a few days.

A couple visits here have indicated consistent cleanliness and ease of check-in, though after 8pm, you need to buzz clerk for bldg entry or use room key. FYI, there are trolleys for luggage at both front & back exits and a couple of wheelchairs stashed by meeting rooms on the 1st floor.

Cafe is limited in options and hours (just 6am-1pm) but has bare basics to keep you from starving. When closed, there are some sandwiches, cereals, frozen foods & yogurt available in a fridge for purchase.

Lobby in back has some space to hang out plus tables to use for take-out meals and bathrooms nearby as backup when your room’s is busy.

Parking is in an open lot. It seemed quite safe, but there is no security barrier, so judge whether you want to leave items in the car.

Rooms have coffee makers with supplied pods & supplies, mini fridge (w/tiny freezer shelf) and small toaster oven.

Small closet; full-length mirror. Outlets close either side of the bed. Desk long enough for two to work side-by-side but only one desk chair per room — our room also had a small sofa with laptop-friendly side table. Only con in our room was an old extended platform on the bed that I kept banging into until I draped a towel over it as a visual cue.

Heating/AC is wall mounted and comparatively quiet though none of them are ever silent.

Room-darkening curtains + light filter shades. No spectacular view but you’re not there for that.

For those of you checking this locale out due to a loved one’s medical care: we’re winging you each our hope for the best possible outcome and a speedy return home...

My recent two-night stay at The Lodge at Duke Medical was significantly compromised by an extreme environmental issue in the room, compounded by a series of service failures.

Condition of the Room Upon arrival, the room felt noticeably damp. By the evening, the humidity had reached an unacceptable level, with the floor feeling distinctly wet. This condition was severe enough to negatively impact sleep, causing me to wake with inflamed sinuses.

When the issue was finally being addressed on the second day, I documented the humidity level. The reading was an astounding 76% indoor humidity, a condition I have never encountered in a lodging facility.

Deficiencies in Service and Maintenance The process of resolving this issue highlighted several operational shortcomings:

Hostile Front Desk Response: When reporting the severe humidity, the front desk staff was unhelpful and immediately placed blame on me for using the air conditioning, rather than taking ownership of the room defect.

Maintenance Follow-Through Failure: A maintenance staff member did bring a dehumidifier and stated that they would return periodically to check the unit and empty the water reservoir.

Failure to Monitor: Upon returning later that day, we discovered the dehumidifier was full, non-operational, and had not been emptied as promised. We were forced to take on the maintenance task ourselves, emptying the unit and running it throughout the night, enduring the fan noise to make the room habitable.

The core issue of extreme humidity, combined with the hotel's failure to professionally address the problem or follow through on basic maintenance commitments, resulted in a negative and uncomfortable experience. I would not recommend this hotel based on the quality of the room condition and the lack of proper...