Doubletree Guest Suites – Raleigh / Durham, NC | KNGUYENTU - PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN & SAP HELP BY KEVIN

Doubletree Guest Suites – Raleigh / Durham, NC

In recent months, I had the opportunity to stay at the Doubletree Hotel in Research Triangle Park, NC a few times in the past month. The exterior of the hotel closely resemble the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World resort. Situated at the edge of Research Triangle Park, this hotel is located only a freeway exit away from a new shopping center, while at the same time still allows you to commute to anyone of the companies located in Research Triangle Park in minutes. The nearby shopping center offer many great restaurants for you to choose from. Popular chain such as Cheese Cake Factory, P.F. Chang, California Pizza Kitchen, Firebird Grill, and Maggiano Italian Restaurant to name a few. If you like to catch a movie, the mall also has a nice movie theater for you to enjoy, not mentioning a fairly large super Target next door for you to purchase your daily needs. A popular nearby spot and only minutes away from the hotel is the popular Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. If you are looking to head towards downtown Raleigh, it is less than 15 minutes away.

This particular Doubletree hotel, a part of the Hilton Family Hotel, is a bit different than other Doubletree you might’ve stayed previously. This is the Doubletree Suites Hotel, where have two rooms style suite. Their in house restaurant and room services offer a large selection on the menu.

The two rooms style suites host a wet bar with a microwave, a refrigerator, and a small dinning table for you enjoy room services. The living room area is spacious with a standard size 27” TV. Rooms facing the inner side of the hotel offer a beautiful view of their lake and tennis court. In the morning, you will be greeted by the warm sun reflection off the lake. The bedroom, whether you have a two beds or a single king size bed, is comfortable and you have another TV to watch your favorite show. Interesting enough, this hotel has a surprise in the bathroom area. For the guys who tend to need reading materials during your epiphany time, there is a small old style dial TV right next to the king’s throne. The shower offers a fairly good water pressure and hotel water for those who would like to relax their body.

The exercise room is located inside the pool area and it is fairly large compared to other I have seen. You have two treadmills, three workout bikes, an elliptical bike, a stair master, and a bench machine with 2 TVs. Similar the Embassy Suites I had stayed at in Marin County, having the workout room inside the pool area is not what I would prefer. Fortunately the chlorine level in here isn’t too bad. The pool area has a standard size swimming pool and a spa for you to relax and enjoy. If you need more of an outdoor workout, right outside you have a tennis court, a basketball hoop, jogging around the lake or go paddling on the lake.

While this hotel is old and need some touch up, it is rather clean and well maintained compared to other hotels. A new paint job and minor fixes to the interior and exterior will make this hotel standout. Due to it being old, you will occasionally hear some noises from the pluming system in the bathroom. If you are a light sleeper, it is highly recommended to close the bathroom door when you go to bed. The front desk is friendly and offer quick responses to your need. If you are a diamond member, you will surely be greeted with complimentary breakfasts and beverages coupon to use at the hotel bar. Overall, the Doubletree Suites Hotel is a good place to stay and offers great room services. It is a recommended hotel on my list.

URL: http://www.doubletree.com/en/dt/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=RDUIIDT

Contact Info:
2515 Meridian Parkway, Durham, North Carolina, United States 27713-5221 Tel: +1-919-361-4660 Fax: +1-919-361-2256

Direction:
From Raleigh/Durham International Airport Directions: Take I 40 West, drive 7 miles. At exit 278, take the ramp down. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left. At the next light, turn left into Meridian Business Park. The hotel is the second building on the left. Transportation: Complimentary van shuttle available 6am-11pm Monday – Friday. 7am – 11pm Saturday – Sunday. Use courtesy phone.

(Note: Pictures were taken by hilton.com, please see hilton.com for further information and make reservation on this hotel)