DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jacksonville Riverfront — Hotel in Jacksonville

When I made my reservation, I said it was my daughter's 20th birthday. I asked if you had a way to blow up balloons and was told no. The front desk and I laughed about the cost and my options. I checked into the hotel around 40m on thev21st. My daughter changed clothes and a couple of her friends stopped by to take pictures. We came downstairs for her to go take pictures in the lobby and by the pool. The security guard followed her to the pool and asked if anyone had a room. My daughter thought she was joking and said no. Her auntie corrected it and said yes. The security guard then proceeded to the front desk, where I was standing at the time, to ask the front desk clerk. She told her yes. The guard then asked her our room number. I made my daughter apologize to the security guard in front of the front desk clerk. The security guard went down the hall taunting my guest after that. We went to the room to sing happy birthday and for my daughter to change as they were going to the Riverwalk to go over to friendship mountain. As we reached the room, your manager called me stating the security guard told her we had alot of people in the room. I explained to her what was going on and she said keep the noise down. I said they will and we proceeded with eating and birthday wishes. Her friends left. We all walked downstairs. The security guard was parked outside our door. I didn't pay it any attention as the whole floor smelled like weed. I figured she was trying to find the room. After returning from the walk, we went to the room and I proceeded to leave. There were four people in the room, two being 21. By the time I got home, the security guard had been to the door twice. She asked them to turn the radio down the first time and they cut it off and who was 21 the second time two minutes later from her leaving the first time. One of the girls there was on the phone with her mom the whole time as we were monitoring them. About 5 minutes later the security guard came back and claimed they were still being loud and would have to leave. At this time, I was on the phone and they started recording the security guard because now she was harassing them threatening to call the police. They were scared. I told them to say ok and close the door. After closing the door, I told them to say, "ok mom, good night but don't hang up the phone." They did and security knocked on the door again saying she was calling the police. They asked why and she (security) walked off. I instructed them to go the the Riverwalk and stay until I arrive. After arriving and speaking with them on the walk, I went inside and the police arrived. They said they were told that my daughter and her friends were throwing bottles from their room, which was a lie. The front desk clerk stated that the security guard knocked on the door telling them to open the door and they refused and he called the room and there was no answer. I informed the police and the front desk clerk that there was no one in the room. That they were all at the walk. The police verified this and the fact that there was no glass on the ground. They said that because they want us to leave we had to go. I was very upset. The front desk clerk was surprised and asked again about them not being in the room. When I asked why they didn't call me he stated my number wasn't on the room, I explained the room was in my name. He look shocked once again. The police even stated they shouldn't have been called. I then went down got my daughter and her friends took them upstairs and cleaned the room, packed and left at 4am. I am very upset. I have pictures of the ground, the room showing no damage. We also have video of the security guard harassing them. This security guard ruined my daughter's birthday and wasted my hard earned money. I want my money back. I have reached out to th GM and today I will be reaching out...

• May 2025 •

I’ve been staying at this hotel for the past two months, and overall, it’s been a fairly positive experience with a few notable drawbacks.

ROOMS: My room is quite spacious, which makes it comfortable for an extended stay. It includes a refrigerator, a flat-screen TV, and a private balcony with a beautiful view overlooking both the water and the pool—definitely one of the highlights. The layout is practical and allows me to work from my laptop comfortably, which is essential since I work remotely. Daily housekeeping is offered, and the cleaning staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating. On days when I’m too busy working for them to clean, they still make sure to stop by and exchange dirty towels for fresh ones.

That said, I did encounter a major issue during my stay. The air conditioning unit in my original room malfunctioned, leaking water all over the floor. Unfortunately, my luggage and all my clothes were soaked, and I had to pay a significant amount of money to have everything washed. While the hotel did move me to another room, it was frustrating that I had to bear the cost of cleaning clothes that were damaged due to their faulty equipment.

PACKAGE HANDLING: As someone who regularly orders items online for both work and personal use, I found the package management system lacking. I experienced a serious issue with packages that were marked as delivered but somehow went missing. This created a lot of stress and inconvenience, and it’s something the hotel really needs to improve—perhaps a designated and secure area for deliveries would help.

GYM: The gym is, hands down, my favorite part of this hotel and the main reason I chose to stay here. It’s well-equipped with everything you need for cardio and strength training, and it’s always clean and well-maintained. Towels are always available, and there’s a fresh water station for bottle refills. It’s clear the gym is a priority for the management, and it shows in its quality and upkeep.

POOL: The pool is another great feature. I appreciate that they keep the water very cold—it’s incredibly refreshing after spending hours in the sun. The pool area is well-maintained and relaxing.

PARKING: Parking is convenient and covered, which is a huge plus in sunny or rainy weather. You have the option to self-park or valet. However, during events, the lower level can get crowded, making it a bit difficult to find a spot.

STAFF: The staff throughout the hotel—from the front desk to the housekeeping and maintenance teams—are consistently kind and helpful. They often ask if you need anything or if everything is going well, which adds a nice personal touch to the experience.

LOCATION Conveniently located by the water and you can even take peaceful walks or run. Near San Marco(the downtown) with cute coffee shops and restaurants as well for groceries stores

SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS:

It would be great if all rooms were equipped with both a refrigerator and a microwave. Not having a microwave limits dining options for long-term guests.

The carpet in the rooms seems quite old and could be problematic for guests with allergies. Replacing the carpet or switching to hardwood or tile flooring might be a good idea.

A better system for managing delivered packages is definitely needed.

Final Thoughts: Despite a few bumps, this hotel offers a comfortable and mostly enjoyable long-term stay experience—especially if the gym is a priority for you. With a few upgrades and better package handling, it could be...

Im going to try to be as fair as I can with this review. We stayed here for the Georgia Florida game. I'll lay out the pros and cons Pros: All the staff I encountered was extremely nice and helpful, right down to housekeeping. They kept a great face on with the crowds moving about for the game. The location is riverfront, and the river side rooms have balconies. It's a great view. We chose here due to the water taxi having a dock in front of the hotel. Unfortunately, post game, the water taxi service chose not to dock there and instead dropped us way down at Chart House, defeating the entire purpose of the stay. They do have a pool side bar, and Ruth Chris steakhouse onsite. Lastly, the Maxwell House coffee plant is down river, so we got to smell fresh roasted coffee every day, which was awesome. Lastly, water pressure was wonderful! The Cons: Putting it very bluntly, this entire property is an absolute dump. I travel extensively across the USA for work, staying almost exclusively at Hilton Properties(Diamond Member). I was absolutely shocked at the poor condition of everything. This property should have been renovated years ago. My room was covered in thick layers of mildew/mold on the walls around the sliding doors. (See pics) The sliding doors are extremely old and don't seal well, so the highway noise woke us several times both nights. The furnishings in the room are stained, broken, and wore out. (See pics. The bathroom was terrible. It's ok for a single person, but my wife and I had to get creative with laying our toiletries out as there was no countertop. The shower was yet another mind-blowing experience that I have run into at other Hilton Properties. The shower is enclosed on the on/off valve side, so you get soaked with ice-cold water turning the shower on. You can move the shower head over some to avoid a full ice down. I will never understand how that was built, and during that process, no one stopped and said, "Hey guys, this isn't gonna work." The balcony rails were broken, and the railing in the elevator fell off while I was riding up to my room. Everywhere you turn is worn out and stained. I read the reviews before booking and several reviews mentioning the property being in terrible shape. I was not prepared. Something else to keep in mind is the outrageous fees, prices, and taxes. I knew I was going to pay extra for junior suite on game weekend. They hit me with 20 parking(in their garage), 1.50 parking tax, roughly $50 in local taxes, and a $7 red bull. So after paying $1000 for 2 nights, and throwing Hilton points at it. They still wouldn't give me a late check out at 1 pm. We ended up having to cancel a Sunday morning trip cause we couldn't get our moldy, severely overpriced room for 2 extra hours. I've tried to arm you with everything I experience. I would highly recommend not making my mistake and listening to what me and those before me have found. If you really want a riverfront room or Ruth Chris, then just know it comes with a cost. Lastly, they have 3 elevators, of which only 2 work. So if you're in town for an event and they packed, prepare to wait for up to 10 minutes for the elevator. Most people gave up and hiked 6 flights of stairs. I truly hope whoever owns this property will invest in a full renovation. If they did, it would have the potential of being an...