DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern Riverfront

Great location and service. Came here for a conference next door at the convention center. Requested a room near the convention, not disappointed. Requests from the desk were filled quickly. I would stay here again in a heart beat, close to everything.

I’ve stayed at a few DoubleTrees before and they have been some of the nicer hotels I’ve stayed in. Unfortunately this hotel was an exception. I was really excited about staying in this hotel considering the location and the weekend we had planned in New Bern, as well as their pet friendly policy as our dog accompanied us. When we checked in, it was the standards I’ve come to expect from DoubleTree, nice and helpful staff, delicious cookies, etc… After that I felt like I stepped from the lobby of a DoubleTree to a Best Western. I will say the bed and pillows were comfortable and the room was clean, which is what one should expect from any hotel. So all of issues were small things but they all added up to things I just don’t expect to see at a double tree.
We walked in and the fridge wasn’t plugged in, so I had to move it out and plug it in myself. I assume because it’s the winter they unplug them since they’re not that busy. Makes Sense. Since then every time the fridge kicked on the lights would dim. Just a bit annoying from time to time. Because the DirectTV box as attached to the back of the TV, the remote doesn’t work from certain spots of the bed. From the bed, there was only one accessible power outlet. In this age of smartphones, iPads, and technology in general, it’s always a bit strange to me when hotel rooms don’t have outlets near the bed to be able to lie in bed comfortable while charging and using a device. For the bathroom, half of the paint on the bathtub was coming off (very reminiscent of a Best Western or Motel 6). The thing that got me really was the hot water did not work. We wanted to shower before going out for dinner or drinks but were unable to unless we wanted to take a cold shower (no thanks). We assumed that may everyone in the hotel was using the hot water so there wasn’t enough to go around, who knows. We came back from our evening out and thought that perhaps the hot water was restored but to our dismay it was not. We called the front desk and asked about it and the receptionist wasn’t really apologetic and acted like it was an everyday thing, which according to some of these reviews it is. An engineer came out and told us that we just need to run the water and the hot water would eventually circulate to our side of the building and may take an hour or so to get there. The only times I’ve ever had to run the water to correct an issue was staying in the Caribbean and the water would sometimes come out brown. The solution? Run the water until it’s clear. When we were given the advice run the water until the problem is fixed I couldn’t help but be reminded of my experiences in the Caribbean. So that was very frustrating waiting for the water to get up to an acceptable temperature. Aside from the water, all of these issue son their own seem very trivial, but added up it meant for a very subpar stay at the DoubleTree and inconsistent with the standards I’ve come to expect from this hotel chain. I feel like because of their location on the marina and proximity to downtown they have let their standard drop because people will stay there regardless. If I came back to New Bern I would opt for a different hotel or a B&B. If I come back with my pup I’ll stay across the bridge in the other dog friendly hotel.
The main exception to this was restaurant. Food and staff were great.
If I had to summarize my stay in one word it would be: Unimpressed.

REVIEW UPDATE: So earlier I’d written a somewhat scathing review of my experience thus far at Hilton New Bern (our hot water wasn’t working and I had to request that we be moved to another part of the hotel where the hot water was indeed working). However, I’d like to recant my earlier statement that the hotel doesn’t care about its guests: they have gone above and beyond to make sure that the remainder of my stay is comfortable and on par with the reputation of the Hilton franchise. They sent a complimentary plate of meats, cheese, veggies, and 2 yummy lagers (one of which I am enjoying now — ha), in an effort to set everything right. Thank you Doubletree New Bern (and desk clerk Miranda in particular) for your thoughtfulness.
It is appreciated!

At first glance it looks nice on the outside and the interior lobby and rooms are nice but customer service isn’t as nice as other locations.
The real surprise is when we were sitting in the conference room next to Christophe restaurant me and my colleagues were under siege from roaches, one big enough to cover a half dollar. I will not stay again.

No hyperbole. This is the best mid-​priced hotel we have ever visited. Beautiful riverfront (s) view. The hotel is new. Rooms are spacious. And there’s more. The clean, historic downtown is a block away and easy walking because it is flat. My reference to riverfront (s) is intentional as the Neuce and Newport confluence. And one more thing: THE BEST BREAKFAST BUFFET ever. For $ 10, the ever pleasant server brings you kitchen prepared eggs, waffles, pancakes, and/​or French toast. No, I didn’t order them all. Point being you don’t have to eat main courses that have been sitting on a buffet line since 6:30. Full sides and continental options on the buffet. If within 30 miles of New Bern, STAY HERE.

I had a horrible experience with this hotel. I went to New Bern on a business trip. I will NEVER stay here again or recommend anyone stay here. The hotel doesn’t look too bad when you step into the lobby, but the actual rooms are very very dated. Upon entering the room there was a STRONG smell of MILDEW. First thing, I had to take out my perfume and spray the entire room to «tone down» the smell. I looked in the closet and there was NO iron. I didn’t feel the need to request one because I hadn’t packed anything that would need ironing. Oddly, there was a space for a microwave and refrigerator, but it was not there. The room was not very clean and the carpet was dirty and stained. The furniture was old and in bad condition. This hotel is in need of some major renovations. I never felt comfortable and felt ITCHY for my entire stay. I was constantly scratching myself during my stay. Someone that I was traveling with said that they were also itching. I was traveling with three other people that had their own rooms and it was the exact same way. One of them said that there was mosquitos in her room. All of us could not wait for our trip to be over so we could get out of those rooms. I never asked for a room change because my friends rooms were the same way so I figured all they room would be. I really didn’t want to bother with the trouble of asking for a new room. After all, I figured I could deal with it for a couple of nights. Also, they had something like a «Jazz Night» downstairs and it was very loud. I could hear it loud and clear while I was trying to sleep. Finally, to top it all off, after my stay I saw a charge on the credit card. After talking with the hotel, they said the charge was for an iron and towels. Apparently the housekeeper told them that I had taken an iron and two sets of towels. Are you kidding me? I DO NOT need their crappy iron and towels. I can go purchase an iron at Walmart for $ 6.00 if I needed one that bad. Also, I do not want to take home hotel towels that have be used by hundreds of other people. I have plenty of towels at home that are far more luxurious and nicer. After my stay was over, I collected my dirty towels and put them on the bathroom counter. Either the person before me took the iron and the housekeeper that cleaned the room failed to catch it, or the housekeeper is taking the items and blaming it on guests. I am employed full time and can afford my own. The last thing I need is a crappy iron and some towels. I do not appreciate being LIED on. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this hotel. If you have to go there for an event, stay at another hotel and drive over to this hotel for your event. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

Summary: Great Location but a very run down hotel with generally incompetent guest service. We would not return
On a recent family vacation to the North Carolina Atlantic Coast, New Bern was our last stop before undertaking a 2 day road trip back to Kansas City. I had for the past 10-​years been a Hilton Honors Diamond level guest so I have seen many of Hilton’s properties around the world. I have learned that Doubletree can be hit or miss. It seems that when a Hilton hotel goes out of style, they change the name to Doubletree and renovate. In the case of the hotel in New Bern, they must have skipped the renovation. They certainly don’t staff with Hilton quality people.
On this trip, I had chosen to cash in some of the 400,000 HHonors points that I had accumulated during my years of being a road warrior. Beach and waterfront hotels tend to be expensive. In this case, I intended to use a combination of points and cash.
We checked in late on a Friday afternoon. The staff was friendly. There was a huge parking lot in front of the hotel that made for convenient movement of our suitcases. The first problem occurred when we learned that one of the two elevators was out of service. We waited 10 minutes in lineup to finally get our luggage cart and bodies onto the remaining elevator.
We entered the room and discovered problem 2: The room was in terrible shape. Paint was peeling from the walls and the ceiling had big cracks in it, The bathtub was peeling, The faucets were loose. There was dark mold around the tub. There were also chunks of plaster missing and the emergency exit sign was detached from the door. Not a good first impression.
Then we ran into problem 3: There were three of us: my wife and I and our 10-​year old daughter. We usually book a room with 2 queen size beds or a suite. The room had double beds and little space for a roll away. Somehow I missed that detail when I made the reservation. I called the front desk to see about a room change but they told me that the hotel was fully booked. I was told they could roll in a bed but I had to sign a waiver because the extra bed violated the fire code. I agreed. Housekeeping came in with a bed and we moved the main beds together to make room.
Next we opened the cabinet which normally contains a fridge to move some of our cold drinks from the cooler. There was no fridge. Doubletree hotels generally have fridges. The space was empty.
We thought about staying in the hotel for dinner and enjoying the harbor view. But the restaurant was offering a buffet that night. It smelled wonderful but upon closer inspection looked like industrial feed. We decided to go out.
We departed for dinner and upon returning, we were once again expecting to wait for the elevator. But problem 4 prevented that because now BOTH elevators were out of service. Somebody would be called in the morning. So up 3 flights of stairs we trudged.
What else could go wrong here? The beds could go wrong. Both beds were worn out with big sags in the mattress. laying on one of them you needed to use a pillow to prevent rolling out onto the floor. When morning came, both my wife and I had painful backs. That would be a good start for a 1200 mile road trip.
Then there were more plumbing/​bathroom problems. The toilet ran all night but we simply closed the door to douse the noise. In the morning, the shower wouldn’t engage. We had to hold the shower valve in order for the shower to work. And that gross tub wouldn’t drain. Yuck. ! The blow dryer looked like it had been dragged behind a car. It was scratched up full of hair that burned when it heated and just gross to use. The hinges on the door, valve on the toilet and other metal trim was rusted. And get this: housekeeping places the «clean» drinking glasses lip down directly on the dirty sink top. No napkin or coaster under it. The sink picks up all the airborne e-​coli that flies out of the toilet when it flushes. I’d hate to see the flouroscan on that sink and the glass!
That beautiful scene on the river was hard to take in because the window hadn’t been washed in eons.
I had had enough. Upon checkout I asked for the general manager. That person was off on the weekend. I asked for the duty manager. That person didn’t come in until 9 AM. So the poor woman at the desk got my rant. She zeroed out my bill and we checked out.
This was not the kind of experience that I expect from a HIlton property. It was certainly not the kind of room that I expected after having spent over 500 nights in Hilton hotels.
When looking for a baggage cart on Saturday morning, I noticed that the floor above us were for HHonors guests. I wonder if they are any better maintained. Funny, we couldn’t find the baggage carts — but there was a bell boy on hand… We carried our own bags and made several trips.
Bottom line. One of the worst Hilton Properties that I have experienced
General Manger: Thanks for call back. Perhaps a public review is better anyway.

My family and I spent a recent holiday weekend at this comfortable, mid-​priced hotel on the New Bern waterfront, and would definitely recommend it to anyone planning a trip to the area. Our room was clean, and the staff dealt immediately with a minor insect problem we encountered our first night. The hotel is located within walking distance of Tryon Palace, and New Bern’s charming downtown is just outside the entrance. Also, Beaufort and the beaches of the Lower Outer Banks are less than 40 minutes away. The DoubleTree New Bern is nothing fancy, but it does the job.

We booked a river view room for our anniversary. No extra attention given to us at check in, they seemed overwhelmedwith convention people. Disneyland/​overcrowded cruise ship atmosphere with children playing on the river deck and throughout hotel. BEWARE of room 212 it is directly above the river deck and the noise from deck party people continued well after the music ends. Noise travelled into this room well past 1AM. Just be prepared if assigned room 212 for noise. Expecting more for the price would have appreciated being told up front a convention or whatever was being held there during that time frame and would have selected something else for a special occasion.

have stayed at this location a number of times, mostly when it was a Sheraton. current status is mostly good but slipping a bit. towels in the room were threadbare and dingy. also only 2 for 2 guests. bathroom floor had not been cleaned. beds are very comfortable and location is great!

We are loyal Hilton fans, and this hotel was perfect for our long weekend getaway. Advance booking rate was more than reasonable for waterfront hotel, and the sunset view from the grounds was memorable. Hotel is in a great location, walking distance to many great restaurants and shops. We were in a separate building, not the main building, probably because we needed a dog-​friendly room. The room was great, lovely French doors to the outside as a second set of doors in our room, and it was awesome having the fresh air. Bed was super comfy, room was clean, and the hotel accommodated our request for a mini-​fridge which was a life saver since both of our dogs are on medication that needed to be refrigerated. I was impressed that the freezer portion of the fridge worked as well as it did, allowed us to refreeze the ice packs for the meds to get them home from a 12 hour drive at the proper temperature. If traveling with dogs there is a one-​time fee that is non-​refundable, but reasonable and a better deal than some Hilton properties that charge a fee per-​dog, per-​night that can add up quickly. We will be back!

After being on the road for a bit, I decided to book a room as close to the airport that would usher me home the next day, while still enjoying New Bern’s riverfront for an evening.
Apparently this hotel has two buildings — one new, very Southern plantation style, and the other a takeover of lawd knows what; perhaps a retirement home? (The ambulance parked out front when I arrived certainly didn’t help to eliminate this thought.) Granted, the interior has been upgraded to decent hotel standards, so you forget the exterior’s appearance fairly quickly.
I purposely booked a riverfront balcony room, all of which are located on the 5^th floor, to aid in my serious need to unwind. My check-​in process was super quick once the front desk was able to focus on me. (An obviously difficult patron on the phone; not their fault.)
The room smelled clean, and had been adequately dusted and stocked. Being the water lover I am, I beelined it to the balcony. Unfortunately, the balcony door was exceedingly difficult to open. (I may be tiny, but I am mighty, and that door was no joke, my Yeeps.)
After enjoying the beautiful harbor views for a few moments, I went back to scope out the rest the room had to offer, and snap some photos for dear Unilocal.The bathroom was clean and very well upgraded, but TINY. Even for me!
I decided to unpack a few items to prep for my departure scheduled for the following AM. As I tossed my bag onto the foot of the bed, something «bit» me near my ankle! It was an unprotected piece of the bed frame. Thankfully, I still had my heavy duty boots on, or that would have left a serious mark!
Upon further investigation, there were two areas of the frame exposed as such. I walked to the other side of the mattress to shove it further over this mean metal craziness in hopes my lower shin wouldn’t meet this frame again.
After perusing downtown New Bern for a bit, I headed back to the hotel bar to grab a brew for the room. They were featuring a DJ this particular Friday night, and this little bar was a-​hoppin’.
I ventured back some time later to order one last beer before calling it a night. The super sweet bartender saved me from a crazy couple that had set their sights on me for a hopeful ménage à trois. Fortunately, I was able to escape to my room, alone and unscathed.
Would I stay here again? Maybe. For the price, it wasn’t worth it… but considering the lack of waterfront hotels in this small town, I may not have a choice.

This hotel is wonderful! First let me start by saying it is centrally located to the downtown area. I love being able to walk everywhere:)
This hotel is right on the water front, so if you happen to get a room with a balcony, it’s like a little piece of heaven.
The staff here is amazing. This is my 9^th time staying here and consistency is key;)
They have been doing renovations and I believe they are done by now. Comfy beds and nothing less than Hilton happiness.
I suggest booking early because this hotel tends to fill up quickly which means rates can go up exponentially.
There is no hilton lounge, but all you can eat and drink snacks for diamond members.
I like the look and feel of this hotel and wouldn’t think of staying elsewhere.
I have eaten in the hotel restaurant and it is good food if you don’t feel like going out.
I really enjoy it here even in winter, so cheers to a great hotel and staff!