Sonesta Select Durham Research Triangle Park

Reviewed January 2026. This hotel is Durham's Overlook Hotel (from the Shining). Hopefully, based off other reviews, they will start to make serious changes. I don't understand how they have such a high rating.

Check-in: No complaints, it was easy. My co-worker and I were booked to stay here for a longer stay, 6 days and 5 nights.

Lobby: First appearance, looks nice - lots of seating, a fire place, what looks like a little restaurant area. They have one of those ultrasonic essential oil diffusers (that put out a stream of mist mixed with essential oils) to cover the bizarre smells that you will encounter through out the hotel.

Room #1: We always do a quick check of the room before we get settled in - look in the beds, around the room, etc. We found lots of hair and even crumbs in the beds, a used towel behind the couch that was covered in very questionable stains, and trash along the bed, under the skirt. The room had an odor to it - old cigarettes and something else. We tried to call the front desk as well as housekeeping from the room phone but both numbers were out of service. We went back to the front desk and they put us in the room next to the original.

Room #2: Much cleaner, the couch had no stains, less of an odor, and this room had a balcony which overlooked the pool and sadly a homeless encampment in the woods where we could see people and a dog roaming. The wall thermostat was not functioning so we had to use the controls on the wall unit itself. It was very challenging to get a comfortable temperature in the room - either freezing or stuffy. Just a heads up, not every room has a fridge and microwave. There is a lobby microwave.

Fitness center: They keep it locked, your key will not open it. You have to go to the front desk every time you wish to workout. The TV has audio but no picture. There are two treadmills, one makes a strange noise, a stationary bike, and an elliptical machine. There is a decent rack of dumbbells and an adjustable weight bench. You can not control the temperature in the room. There is no security camera in the room, I think they should consider adding one.

Lobby Bathrooms: Across from the fitness center are the lobby bathrooms, both of which are not open for use. If you are working out, you need to go back to your room to relieve yourself, then go back to the front desk to be let back in to finish your workout. Employees are generally available to let you in, but they do step away.

Breakfast: Despite the presence of what looks like a great kitchen, there is no breakfast or any food served here. They have coffee in the morning. No breakfast is not the end of the world, but there is a screen in the lobby that seems to promote eating at the hotel restaurant. Since our employers booked this hotel, I don't know what 3rd party site they used, I hope that breakfast is not listed.

Safety: Several of the other patrons staying at this hotel made us feel unsafe. The man a few doors down from us who was pacing the hallways and lingering near our door. He also would pop out of his room we suspect when he heard us or the elevator. There was another man who was constantly staring out his window into the parking lot every time we were at our vehicle. We were not the only ones with concern for our safety - when we went to the front desk to get our keys reactivated after they suddenly both deactivated our first few hours at the hotel, another woman was telling them security needed to be called for the man pacing the halls (which could be seen on the camera via the video behind the front desk). There were plenty of security cameras.

Bugs/insects: We read other reviews and we consider ourselves lucky. Some people encountered spider infestations and bed bugs. We came across what looked like little black ladybugs and a very active stink bug.

Smells: Old cigarettes, weed, urine, essential oil diffuser - it was a smelling adventure anytime we walked through the hotel.

This was by far the worst experience I ever had at a hotel. When I arrived there about 8pm to check-in with my 2 kids we walked in the room and instantly noticed the horrible smell in the room as if someone was just using the room. Then when we went to check the bed there were stains everywhere on the blankets and the sheets including blood stains on the mattress. The pull out bed had food crumbs and tissue paper in the bed along with blood stains. When I went to the front to get another room the lady at the front desk was very rude and did not care. I was told there weren’t anymore rooms and there was no one there that could come and clean it for us and there was nothing else that they could do. I Immediately checked out the room and could not get a refund.

Overall 2.5. I don't think I got bedbugs. The building doesn't look like it can be very old but my room had been around the block. Carpet badly stained, furnishings scratched/a little dingy, and the bed was sort of broken - something wrong with the springs? But the bathroom was clean, it was quiet, the tv worked, and I felt safe. (Solo traveler - and I got back to the room late one night). Front office staff were friendly. My linens weren't changed or replaced & and no new coffee. And the pool is under repairs/not usable.
I got a super deal through my union ($58 per night plus tax!) so it was worth it. But I would have been sad if I'd paid $100/night. About 15 minutes from Durham, 12 to the airport.

The floor was crunchy. Would have been nice if they vacuumed whatever the debris was. In a week's time I was only able to get them to make up the room and replace the towels once. Everyday the key card stopped working and they had to reprogram it.

Suites were accommodating. Comfortable king bed with plenty of pillows. Nice assortment of furniture. Typical hotel amenities found in the bath area. Room was clean AND BUG FREE.