OverviewLocated about a 5-minute drive from Duke University Central Campus, and a 2-minute walk from the nearest Highway #108 on-ramp, the Millennium Hotel Durham is geared towards road travellers who require a hotel with an indoor pool, on-site dining and easy highway access.
This hotel has 316 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering cable TV, a coffeemaker, a desk, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. Rooms with a separate bedroom, a microwave, a mini-fridge, a wet bar and a dining table are also available, and the hotel is wheelchair accessible. In-room Wi-Fi is offered for an additional $5.95 per day.
Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, a hot tub, fitness facilities, meeting/banquet facilities, a business centre, a gift shop, guest laundry and free parking.
On-site dining is available at Bel Gusto (serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily) and The Varsity Lounge and Grille, which serves dinner daily. Pets are permitted for $50 per room, per night and the hotel also offers a shuttle servicing a 5-mile radius around the hotel for $5 per room, per day.
Durham Bulls Athletic Park is approximately an 8-minute drive southeast of the hotel, while Northgate Mall is a 6-minute drive northeast. Duke University Medical Center is a 5-minute drive away, and is located on Duke University's West Campus. The Durham Convention Center is located roughly a 9-minute drive eastward and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is a 25-minute drive southeast. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Wi-Fi $5.95/day, free parking, pets permitted for $50/pet/night, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: August 16, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's staff, shuttle service and rooms.
Numerous reviewers praised the hotel's staff, characterizing them as helpful, professional and efficient.
The hotel's area shuttle service was the source of many compliments by guests, who described it as efficient, reasonably priced and convenient, with friendly and informative drivers. One reviewer remarked, "Kudos to the outstanding service by the transportation vans. They help take the stress out of going to and from doctor's appointments on time. This is a most valuable asset to the hotel and one of the reasons why we go there when we have our medical appointments at Duke".
Several lodgers were pleased with the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, well equipped, spacious, quiet and well maintained, with comfortable beds. It should be noted, however, that some patrons had complaints about their rooms (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about added costs and the rooms.
Some guests had complaints about the extra charges they incurred while at the hotel. They found the restaurant food to be expensive, and also felt Wi-Fi should have been included in the room rates.
While several lodgers enjoyed their clean and spacious rooms, some reviewers were disappointed with their accommodations. They reported dated decor, worn bathrooms, noisy in-room air-conditioning units, poor Wi-Fi connectivity and some plumbing issues.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 3.6 out of 5 with a 79% recommendation rate from 624 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #32 of 67 Durham hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 373 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8 out of 10 from 27 reviews.
The author called the hotel on August 16, 2013 to verify some information.
