Residence Inn by Marriott Durham McPherson/Duke University Medical Center Area

The free shuttle is a great perk. Kaylee was a super nice driver. Love the waffles and Nutella for breakfast. My room had a constant hum or I would have rated it higher.

Overall, I had a great stay at Residence Inn Durham. The location was excellent, making it convenient to visit Duke University and nearby attractions. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, and the complimentary breakfast offered a good variety of options each morning. One issue I experienced was that my room was not ready at the scheduled check-in time, and I ended up waiting about an hour while it was being cleaned. I understood the situation and was happy to be flexible and accommodate the delay. However, I was disappointed when I later requested a one-hour late checkout and was told it could not be accommodated. Given that I had been flexible during check-in, I had hoped for a little more flexibility from the hotel in return. Despite this, the staff was generally courteous, and the overall experience was positive. I would stay here again because of the great location, clean rooms, and good breakfast, but I hope the hotel can improve consistency in accommodating guest requests.

I'm going to start with the cons from the perspective of somebody who traveled with a toddler. First and foremost, if you're traveling with your family or a little one and have groceries plus several bags, it's going to be a challenge unloading your stuff and getting it in your room. There is no designated area to park to unload and the parking spaces immediately in front of the hotel are very limited in number. The remainder of the parking is right across the street, which normally wouldn't be a big deal, but they do charge a parking fee for reasons beyond me. I would understand if it was valet or covered parking, but it's not, so the fee is not justified. We were "upgraded" from a single king suite to a 2 bedroom, and let me tell you, the room was shabby, dirty, not functionally designed well, and falling apart. The stripping within the kitchen cabinets was peeling, the cabinet to the right of the microwave could not open all the way because the microwave sticks out too much, there was only one spoon in the utensils drawer, there were stains on the wall, mold in one of the showers, and the toilet roll holder in the second bathroom was ready to pop out of the wall. The shower heads SUCKED. Very poor flow. Water also splashed everywhere outside the shower and drenched the towel on the floor. No ventilation in the bathroom which is probably why there was mold. The living and kitchen area overall just felt cold, bare, and uninviting. No rug, no coffee table, no lighting over the sink. The stove was filthy with grease over the knobs. I cook whenever we're on the road because my toddler is picky, so it really turned me off seeing the filth and needing to clean before I started. Breakfast options were horrible, so my husband and I ended up eating out or eating groceries in our room. Their eggs were both watery and burnt, sausage was burnt, there was no fresh fruit. Coffee was bitter. Just cheap and meh for a Residence Inn. The pros: the woman at the front desk was friendly and you can walk/drive to a few things nearby. That's it. I've had a Marriot membership for many years and traveled a lot for work, and this was the most disappointing stay, especially considering this was the highest priced hotel in the area. Normally, you get what you pay for, but that is not the case with this hotel. Management, get on top of much needed room repairs and ensure your cleaning staff is doing a thorough job. I do not recommend.

Overall Recommended!! Comfortable stay and humble staff, however the room’s wardrobe needs some renovation.

It's clean and the room is spacious.

Stayed again in April 2026, updating the review and downgrading to 2 stars based on more recent experience. Before arival we were sent an email listing all the extra charges for everything from late check out to storing luggage before/after check in. Made it feel like a budget airline. Upon arrival we were told we had to register for parking by phone, even though we booked a rate which included parking (they gave us a code to use in the phone system). The system kept timing out without taking the code. We were told if we couldn't get it to work by the next day to stop by the front desk and someone would help us for $15 🤬. Eventually we realized the issue was very slow hotel wifi, once we used data instead it worked. Fortunately the wifi got better by the next day. But spending an hour fighting with that system and being told we'd be charged to get help did not start things off well Staff are really nice and trying but they're not empowered to do anything. Fire pit doesn't work, in spite of lovely photos posted by the hotel 3 days before our arrival, showing it running sourounded by comfortable sofas. Reality is it doesn't work and the seating is hard metal benches. Housekeeping has been reduced to trash and towels every other day (bed not made, coffee not replaced, etc) with a full clean once a week. Harder to reach areas, like the windowsill behind the desk, were not clean upon arrival. Bath fuxtures are pulling away from the wall. It feels like ownership is cutting lots of corners and trying to maximize profits. It's too bad because they have a caring staff and a great location. There's real potential here to have an excellent property and instead it's run down, and guests feel nickled and dimed. In our case this means we'll choose to stay elsewhere on our next trip to Durham. We've been here 14 nights (2 more to go). Location is excellent. It's an easy walk to lots of eateries, etc and the bus stop is right by the hotel. There is ample parking which you pay for via phone with a QR code. Staff are very friendly and always helpful at breakfast or the front desk. Front desk is usually able to get any refills we might need if we stop by (coffee, toilet paper, etc). Breakfast is well done and kept fresh and clean and refilled. The laundry room is large and bright and clean. Rooms are pretty small for a Residence Inn. Kitchens are stocked with a weird mishmash of items and the dining are is just a small bar with 2 stools. Housekeeping is abysmal. Every second day they make the bed, empty trash and swap towels. Full cleaning is only on every 7th day: even then the floor was only swept (or maybe vacuumed) in the middle; nothing near the edges, under the desk or bar, etc. Counters were never wiped cleaned other than what we did ourselves with a washcloth. Recycling (under the desk, where the container was when we arrived) had been overflowing for a week now and never emptied even after we messaged the front desk and asked and were told it would be..I honestly do not think a housekeeper has gone far enough into the room to see it, even thought we have had two "full cleans" now. There's a shuttle we have not used: the driver is dangerous and cuts people and pedestrians off frequently and leaves the shuttle parked blocking the view as you turn out of the parking lot (there is ample space in the overflow lot across the street to park it and not cause an issue). If you stay here, hunt out the room on the first floor next to the original hospital entry it has a nice museum like display about the building's history. A hidden gem!

The HVAC system is loud. It’s not ear piercing loud, but a constant buzz that’s just loud enough to hear over the tv and keep you awake at night.

I had the most AMAZING experience here!! The front desk staff that checked me in was absolutely WONDERFUL. She displayed complete professionalism when treated very rudely by two guests back to back. I really commend her and hope that this establishment knows how great of an asset she is!!

Pro: Staff was really awesome! Everyone was friendly and the breakfast was standard stuff but very good. Room size and bathroom size were very spacious. Easy to park, but only maybe 12 covered parking spaces in a cramped/weird garage situation. Only a few handicap parking spaces. However, there was a large surface lot to park across the street. Showers were really good and bedding was clean. Kitchenette was stocked with basics. Con: There is a regular passenger train route by the hotel and they blow their horn every time, which is frustrating if you aren't on a work trip. The room was not very clean, the ice maker was dirty, bathroom door had dirty man hand prints on it, and floors were dirty. Dishwasher was not screwed in at all, and any time I opened the bottom rack the entire thing would tip out and the bottom rack would roll out. For a new hotel it seemed like the maintenance crew or the people who are supposed to arrange fixes were not doing what they needed to. Again the staff were great. They always brought things timely, including a big ziplock bag of ice when the ice maker tray was dirty. They also were helpful getting us a room by the elevator.

My husband and I stayed for just one night and wished the stay was even longer. The hotel room was clean and the items were well-stocked. The reception staff were welcoming, friendly and most helpful. I must commend Ms Tiffani, at the front desk, who checked us in though we were a little early. She was able to chat with us and we found that refreshing. Her colleague, Mr Barry connected with my husband and chatted about cricket. Both made us feel at home and it was our FIRST visit to the hotel. Staff like them are assets and marketing is not necessary as they are the face of the hotel. The buffet breakfast was hearty with a good spread. We did not want for anything - it was all available at the buffet. The location of the hotel is certainly a plus point, close to the Gardens and the Duke University, easily accessible by courtesy of the hotel's FREE shuttle service, managed by Brad who is well-informed, polite, caring and punctual. I am more than glad my daughter picked Residence Inn by Marriot Durham! And, am looking forward for a reason to stay again!!

As a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime member, I stay in Marriott properties frequently, so I have a solid frame of reference. The positives: the location in Durham is convenient, the room was spacious with modern décor, and the bathroom was exceptionally large with a generous vanity area — definitely a highlight. Unfortunately, the stay itself was not restful. The HVAC unit was extremely loud and cycled on and off throughout the night. There was no apparent way to turn it off for sleeping, and it repeatedly woke us up. The refrigerator was older and made a constant ticking/compressor noise, which only added to the disruption. Parking is also very limited — minimal surface spaces, a very small garage, and paid parking on top of that. We reported the HVAC noise and missing body wash to Tiffany and a woman who appeared to be a manager (Scott). While they were polite, no points or compensation were offered. Given the noise issues and parking limitations, we would choose other nearby hotels in Durham if future visits are required.