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Hilton Durham near Duke University
I’m generally a hotel free agent, but I’m probably loyal to Hilton Honors more than any other program. That recently came into play when my family and I needed a one-night Durham hotel award stay while in town for the Sigur Ros show. No property – regardless of chain – particularly jumped out at us in the planning stages. So I opted to focus on Hilton, stacking Diamond benefits and soon-expiring Hilton Amex Surpass Q3 credits. We settled on the Hilton Durham near Duke University, and I wasn’t totally surprised at our experience. Let me explain.
A Tale of Two Rooms
We arrived at the hotel a bit after 1:30 pm and dropped by the front desk to query about check-in. Since it was well before check-in time, I didn’t have high expectations. The bubbly agent mentioned our room wouldn’t be available until approximately 4 to 4:30 pm, but she did have an accessible two queen room immediately available. Given the short stay and the fact we wouldn’t be in the room much, anyway, we were fine with the accessible version.
Upon entry, this room felt more like a questionable limited service property than one at a Hilton. I can’t remember the last time we entered a space so beat up. The dank room’s scraped bathroom door wouldn’t shut, furniture laminate was stripped in large areas, an air vent was rusted, and walls were scratched seemingly everywhere.
I returned to the front desk, matter-of-factly mentioned the poor condition of the room, and requested an alternative one. The agent was happy to accommodate us with a two queen room we originally booked, which had apparently become available in the meantime. While furniture decor and layout were similar to the first room, we felt as if we were in a different hotel. The space felt like it wasn’t in need of an immediate refurb. It smelled fresher, felt cleaner, and was in better condition overall. This second room reset a foundation for a better stay.
Bluestone Grille
The two meals we had at the Bluestone Grille, the hotel’s main restaurant, went in somewhat different directions. The restaurant offers a diverse dinner menu which specializes in North Carolina-style barbecue dishes. We opted for the latter and enjoyed the spread. My wife and older one split chopped pork and ribs, with sides of collard greens and macaroni and cheese. I opted for the chopped pork sandwich and wasn’t disappointed. The waiter provided the restaurant’s variety of sauces, as well. My younger one opted for a “kids” burger which ended up being a size more appropriate for an adult. USA! USA! She was predictably satisfied with half. The dinner service and food quality were some of the best we’ve recently received at this property level.
Breakfast the next morning was another matter. The restaurant showed signs of understaffing. No hostess was present, and no signage directed us to wait for a table or seat ourselves. We presumed the latter, and a waiter eventually came by our table. We didn’t receive a menu, and the waiter didn’t explain the breakfast offering. Fortunately, I knew from my research that the hotel offers a breakfast buffet with eggs to order. While our waiter didn’t offer custom orders, she was happy to assist when we requested. We each prdered eggs over medium.
Our waiter made our fresh coffee behind the bar, and our eggs were outstanding. The positives generally end there. The buffet seemed a bit overrun – cold sausage, bacon remnants more appropriately called bits, a limited bread selection, and ordinary fruit options. The buffet felt more like what you’d see at a swamped Hilton Garden Inn than a full service Hilton.
An Aging Property
The hotel appears in need of a refresh, but in the meantime, staff seems to be doing the best they can. Common areas are visually appealling and appeared clean enough, but my wife couldn’t shake the distinctive smell of the property, probably best described as “old.”
On the positive end, the hotel’s age came with a few touches we enjoyed. For example, the angled layout overlooks a kidney bean-shaped pool, with plenty of trees and shade (and just a bit of road noise). We relaxed and shared a light bite from Emmy Squared poolside.
Hilton Durham near Duke University offers plenty of convenient parking, and it’s free, something that we can’t expect as often these days.
Hilton Durham near Duke University – Conclusion
I paid 40k Hilton Honors points for our one-night stay, which priced around a $200 all-in cash rate. We were satisfied enough with our experience there, especially taking into account the reliable service from the front desk and our dinner at Bluestone Grille. I could stay here again, but the wife doesn’t plan to. But I’m more likely to give another property a try, Hilton or otherwise. The Hilton Durham by Duke University did the job, but not in any particularly impressive manner. That’s fine with me this one time, but probably not again.
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Stayed at Washington Duke Inn for the authentic southern country club vibe when I took my daughter for a college visit this year, on cash though.
There are a couple other Hilton properties in Durham rated higher than the Hilton.
I was thinking that your breakfast sounded exactly like what I receive at HGI lately and then you said it the next sentence. Unfortunately, this has become more and more prevalent with Hilton properties. I remember staying at a particular HGI that was starting to show its age pre Covid. I asked if a refurb might be coming. Yes, very soon. Today, the rooms and furniture at that hotel are much the same as they were in 2019.
I used to be 75% Hilton with 40-50 nights a year with my own money. I’ve had enough of their cutbacks and now spend my time at IHG, Marriott and Choice properties, with only 7 nights at Hilton so far this year.
Like you, I wouldn’t hesitate staying at any of those marginal Hilton properties again, but why should I when there are better, and in many cases, newer choices springing up all the time for about the same money? Like Starbuck’s Man asked, what are they going to do with all those beat up properties?
Indeed, HGI’s spread has clearly gone downhill, but I still find enough to enjoy there. Thanks for reading and commenting, Bill!
These beat up Hiltons are all over the place – what are they going to do with them?
I don’t know, Starbucks Man, but I’ll be checking them out one at a time. 😉