Experience a unique combination of timeless European design, comfort and true authentic southern hospitality when you meet at the AC Hotel Durham. Located adjacent to Duke University, just four miles from the eclectic Downtown Durham, you’ll enjoy the city’s celebrated food scene and award-winning restaurants. The property features an on site restaurant and cutting-edge event space facilities, featuring the latest high-tech equipment.
I think parking cost $20 a day here. There's also a $100 deposit at reservation. There was no microwave in the room. I've paid for cheaper rooms & got more. That's why I gave this hotel 4 stars. The room was nice. I did love the shower!
K D
Jul 14, 2025
3
Pros:
Relatively new construction
Free coffee in lobby
Bed is comfortable
EV chargers avail with a fee in garage
Cons:
Lightly staffed
Door card scanner already broken.
I had separate consecutive reservations for a 2-night stay. I had to follow up with front desk staff separately each day to not be checked out, and have our keys reprogrammed.
Parking garage is a tight squeeze and fills up.
Matt McCulloch
Jun 27, 2025
3
I’ve stayed here at least eight times probably. Very clean, newly renovated rooms, easy location to duke activities. On site bar and restaurant, nice staff. Would love to have 24 hour room service but I understand that’s beyond the scope of a hotel that’s three stars. The curtains don’t fit the window correctly and let quite a bit of light leak through.
Edit: One of the front desk staff women were incredibly rude for no reason while I was picking up my DoorDash order. Haven’t heard that tone of voice or gotten an eye roll from somebody in customer service and quite a long time.
Sachin Bansal
May 26, 2025
4
🏨 Room Quality
Room felt modern and spacious.
Bed and linens were comfortable.
🚿 Cleanliness
Room was very clean.
🌐 WiFi and Connectivity
No issues with the wi-fi
👥 Staff and Service
The staff are a bit hit-or-miss. Big props to Ron Karlosky, their GM, for a warm greeting and helping us get a king-bedded guest room, but I had to follow-up on a few minor requests that I made to the staff.
🍽️ Food and Beverage
Food options are very, very limited at the hotel itself -- there are a series of snacks for sale at the front desk.
🏊 Amenities and Facilities
The gym was good, but 3 out of the 4 Peloton bikes had their subscription lapsed so they weren't working. I was told by their GM that this was due to a management company change.
🌇 Location
The #1 aspect of this hotel is (a) it is brand new so overall everything feels new/modern; and (b) the location is AMAZING -- super close to West Campus (the only thing closer would be Washington Duke or JB Duke, but both can be pricey).
💵 Value for Money
Compared to WaDuke or JB Duke (we went for Duke Reunion weekend), it was excellent value for the money/points.
📝 Extra Notes
There are several great restaurants just outside of the hotel within less than a 2-3 minute walk from the front door of the hotel. We ate at one of these spots. If you walk a bit further (less than 10 minutes), there are a lot of other options as well.
Aj Inman
Mar 27, 2025
3
The room was absolutely AMAZING! Everything you would possibly need! Now for the bad part. The gentleman who checked me in reached for my ID repeatedly because he barely made eye contact at all even when retrieving my ID. I get paying for parking but the parking garage for the hotel was below par. I drive a very compact car and it was so difficult to park on both levels.
Merissa Ferrara Elisei
Dec 8, 2024
3
Pros- comfy bed. Great food and drug store within walking. Great lobby. Easy parking. Every staff member I spoke with was professional and helpful. That is worth a lot. I am giving them 4/5 stars on service only because they should never have booked a single room in the middle on a floor that was mainly booked to a soccer tournament.
Cons- if you have light or noise sensitivity this is not the place for you. curtains leave a light gap. We overlook a parking structure and heard most street sounds. There is very little insulation so you hear everybody walking above you. And they have a metal barn door style sliding door for the bathroom which means there’s very little privacy as the door is noisy and not quiet.
our shower door did not stay closed. It kept rolling open to the halfway point.
Tip- ask to stay on an even side of bldg room because they may have less commotion in the evening.
It’s one of those places that looks really nice but would expect more from a higher end accommodation.
Jesse Lucatino
Nov 23, 2024
5
This was one of the best stays I've had in recent memory. The hotel itself was clean, roomy, and was located in a great spot. I especially enjoyed the Entertainment services, where Netflix and other streaming services were offered.
Steve Vargas
Nov 12, 2024
5
Stayed here for my daughter's wedding that was about 15 minutes away. It was great. Nice location, good sized rooms and very clean. Service was great, the bar was good, and the gym was great also. Would stay again.
Michael Usey
Nov 8, 2024
5
We rented a block of rooms for a wedding, and had a very good experience. Parking was easy, and nearby campus. The local restaurants were great, especially the sushi place. Front desk folk and the bartender were especially good and helpful. Breakfast is quality, but a bit spendy at $17. 9/10, high recommendation. Beds were extremely comfortable. Art work was early ennui, needs some help.
Ramona Metz
Oct 22, 2024
5
A great place to stay if you have a family member attending Duke University . Rooms are nice and spacious , clean and comfy . European style breakfast with variety of coffee specialties offered only downside is you have to pay for breakfast not included in room rate 😢. Nice lounge area and bar too .
Close walking distance to the University
Queen Precious-Jewel Zabriskie
Oct 4, 2024
5
Great re-grand opening... everything is beautiful, the fitness center has updated equipment, including peloton, bikes, and a rower. The housekeeping and kitchen manager make everything great. The bartender is amazing & he makes an amazing mocktail ...
GM David, Mike, Shannon and the team are top notch...
