We stayed here as a layover for our anniversary vacation which was at Hot Springs VA. My wifey researched the Durham area and opted for 21c due to their spa. She tried to reserve a couples massage prior to our arrival, but did not get confirmation. Upon checking in, on Friday afternoon, they still had not secured another LMT but were going to call us. Saturday morning came, no confirmation... so I made other plans and told my wife to call and let them know - where she was told they have a 24hr cancellation policy. Uhmmm hello, how about you implement a 24hr confirmation policy? Heh Anyway... it got all sorted out and the new manager handle it all for us and gave us a credit. Just was a little frustrating - the total opposite of why we were going to stay there. Why 4 stars? Why not 1 or 2? Because the manager's willingness to make this right. The other reviews are spot on. Check in on second floor. Check out the museum, the vault, and the ultra cool glass bathrooms. The Counting House bar is great. The beds are comfortable. The noise from construction was not unbearable. read more

This is such a cool space and concept. We came in on recommendations from friends. It's a hotel, but they have a bunch of art throughout, making it a museum as well, and then they have a restaurant and bar attached. And it's open 24 hours! My friends and I grabbed drinks at the bar and spent some time perusing the artwork and wandering around. It was a fun way to kill time and see some new, kinda funky art in a different sorta setting. Worth checking out for sure. The food looked pretty good too, and the dining room was trendy and fun. read more

Lovely rooms; stellar art collection. Where else in North Carolina can you go see amazing art for free 24/7? You read that correctly. The art is on view for free to the public 24/7. The infamous burger is worthy of the hype it gets. The tapas menu at the bar is amazing if you want tasty nibbles. read more

21c Museum Hotel Durham - Hotels Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I have continued to stay here several times since my first visit, and each time is better than the last. The level of service and attention to detail at this hotel is so far beyond most any other I have ever stayed at it's truly amazing. Whenever there has been a problem (and it's only been very small things, like a lightbulb being out) the customer service response has been so amazingly over the top it makes me wish that all of my business and personal travel included a stay at a hotel like the 21c. My husband and I have the chance to stay here again in May and already I am being taken care of above and beyond! I cannot recommend this hotel enough! read more

You can't ask for anything more. Well appointed rooms, killer culinary cuisine, fantastic art exhibit and spa! Special thanks to Donald who made us feel at home and like VIPs! Thanks for ensuring we had an amazing stay. 100% would stay again. read more

Perhaps the bar is decent, but as an event space the 21c leaves worlds to be desired. The service is inattentive, the bartender made a "martini" by pouring 2 shots of rum into a highball glass and asking what I wanted it mixed with, the "fries" were steamed potato sticks that were mushy and cold, no silverware was provided, the roasted cauliflower was limp, steamed mush that was unseasoned, and there were no mixers available at the allegedly super premium bar. If you are planning an event in Durham look anywhere else other than 21c. read more

This hotel is located within walking distance of many restaurants and the ball park and it has really good downtown views. Like a previous review, these are the good points. I checked in late at night, 12:30 am, after a long day of flying. Prior to checking in, I notified the hotel so they were aware I would arrive late. Once I got there, the front desk staff told me someone had already checked into my room. Odd I thought but maybe they had marked me as checked in when I called. He proceeded to give me a key to the room anyway! I went to the assigned room, turned on the lights and to my surprise, someone was snoring away in the bed. I rushed back to the lobby and was not happy. Safety does not seem a priority here! There was no visible security and the front desk didn't know who was in my assigned room!! He got me a new room and the next day I checked out early after contacting Hotwire, who I used to book the room. and they arranged for me to stay in a different hotel. The manager was apologetic and hoped I would return- wishful thinking! He still had no idea who was in the first room! I do not recommend staying here because of safety concerns. read more

Underwhelming. Using covid for every excuse as to why they're incompetent Like no access to the mini bar in the room stating "for your safety - contact the front desk for items" even though the mini bar was fully stocked but locked. Front desk couldn't unlock the mini bar or was unwilling to do so. Then, after calling for specific items that were clearly in our mini bar, the front desk stated they're out of stock, despite actual items being locked in the mini bar in our room. No spa, no bar, museum is closed, but the hotel across the street has a pool and a bar on their roof open to the public. No mini fridge in room so we couldn't even bring food or drinks too keep cold at our convenience. Just a boring place to stay overall. The decor was nothing to write home about either. The mid-century/Art Deco aesthetic they seem to be going for is a total rough draft in need of thorough revision. Disappointing. Would not stay here again. read more

This is not a one star review, because it's a nice enough place to stay, with a good bar. But I have to protest the $25 per day parking charges (in Durham??), the lack of any room clean-up whatsoever over the three day stay while I was there, the lack of a turn down service, and the lack of anything special to warrant the up-charges. I can live without this stuff, but if you are paying for it, you should get it. And at a true five star hotel, you would get it. I would have rather stayed at the Marriot across the street for the money. 21c is just not worth it. This place is trying to be a NYC or SF or LA designer type hotel, but it's still Durham. Finally, no one told me about the super loud overnight construction across the street, offered to compensate me for the surprise, let me know about the lack of bathtubs in most of the rooms (I had to change, and to their credit, the tub I got was great), because showers aren't what you want at a spa type hotel, and finally, the fact that you can book this very hotel for SO MUCH CHEAPER online because it never sells out. I paid 20-30% more than I would have, had I merely gone online and clicked and gotten the deal. The upside is, the museum installations were nice. The food was ok--better food is walkable to the hotel. But overall, very overpriced, and too "wannabe" for the bother. read more

This is a jewel in Durham. Full disclosure: I've never been to the restaurant or the hotel, but they look pretty awesome, too. I've been to 21c in Durham and in their sister museum hotel in Oklahoma City. The art is fantastic and free. It's also nice to recognize artists exhibited in both cities. The museum does a good job of reflecting contemporary North Carolina, as well as other American, artists. read more

The room was very loud due to thin walls and elevator noise every two minutes throughout the night. I literally did not sleep the night I stayed in this hotel. Just tossing and turning from all of the noise. They also charged me a "valet fee" despite the fact that I did not have a car, I rode in on the train. read more

Very striking art. Located in old converted bank. Walk through the old vault, see the locked old safes and safety boxes while viewing the art. read more

21c Museum Hotel Durham - Hotels Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

After touring the art museum I decided to grab a bite to eat on their restaurant, which was recommended to me, I showed up in between their normal meal service times so had to eat at the bar. The staff there were very friendly and I was able to war off their short menu. Had the chicken and dumplings and it was divine. Had a cocktail to that would get me into trouble if I had two( I asked the bartender to surprise me, and he did-don't know what it was called but it was a gin based drink that was as smooth as a cloud. read more

See all

Wonderful bed, sheets and towels. Bathroom was good size but needed towel hooks. Room was fine except poor lighting.

Turn down service? Not here. If you're used to nice places like the umstead in Cary, don't come here. All they did for "turn down service" is change the channels to CNN (they were on ABC) and sprinkle some rose petals on the bed (we paid for the "romance" package) haha...they didn't empty trash, or take dirty dishes...and they threw the wash cloth my husband used before we left in the trash can. The front desk apologized and offered us breakfast but....it's just breakfast. We also didn't have the bottle of champagne in our room when we arrived....we had to call and ask for it. They advertise a nice place...and the room isn't bad. But the service and what you should get and expect are a joke. Will stay at the umstead from now on. read more

See all

I am only commenting on the contemporary art museum. I haven't dined, drank, or stayed at the hotel or restaurant. The museum is free, open late and the current collection rivals some of the contemporary art museums that I've frequented in major cities but had to pay a hefty admission fee. Even the bathrooms are entertaining. I would recommend this place for anyone looking to enhance their time in Downtown Durham. read more

See all

PENGUINS PENGUINS PENGUINS! Also a picture of Robert Downey Jr. as Jesus from the early 2000s. Also also the transparent, non-gender assigned bathrooms. Also also also the cocktails at the hotel bar are really good. In general, the bees knees. read more

Such a cute spot! I came just to check out the museum and I love how it's built into the hotel. The must-sees are the safe / vault underneath the first floor and the bathrooms upstairs. The safe is very cool, and it's fun to walk around and check it out. The bathrooms are also a fun idea as well!! There are also some art exhibitions you can walk around which are very interesting as well. read more

Excellent experience! Rooms are comfy, like the purple bathroom night lights. High floors are best. What a nice bar, amazing cocktails and fine art to enjoy. Met a bunch of fun people in the vault, they need a waiter to take orders down there! Truly eclectic experience, top notch for any Durham visitor. Walk to DPAC and fine restaurants read more

This is a unique hotel for sure. I was in this area for work and hosted a customer event here. Before the event I had a drink at the bar, it was not busy but the service was meh. My event experience was ok. The art is cool and they areas they have for meetings and events are unlike traditional meeting rooms which is what drew me in online. There was a couple of service hiccups, but they followed up on them and made me feel valued and appreciated. Unfortunately the area around the hotel is under construction and it is not easy to get to, even with a GPS. read more

We've visited Durham many times over the past 2 years. Typically we stay at Wa-Duke but as we felt it was getting a little old & stale, we thought we'd try something new. Mistake. At least at 21c. The "rooms" are so tiny it's like living in a shoebox. The bathrooms are barely adequate. There's no "luxury" here. I've had a better stay at the Hilton Garden Inn, no offense to HGI intended. Maybe we'll Airbnb. UPDATE: Mr. Link, the General Manager of 21c in Durham, contacted me today about my disappointment with my stay at his hotel. We spoke for quite a while. He was very nice and was truly concerned about my experience - determined to improve his staff and the experience of future guests. I am very happy that Mr. Link is on top of this matter and truly cares about his guests. I wish him and 21c all the best. read more

Great bar for unique cocktails. The bonus is that this hotel has an actual museum inside where you're able to tour. Everything about this place is pretty cool, I highly recommend. read more

Desk staff deserves 5 stars because their service is very friendly........But the elevators were so frickin slow we ended up using stairs more than not. Also, the parking was a total bitch. We couldn't use valet because the valet parkers "can't drive a stick"....... Although the room was small, we had a corner room, 701 and the views were pretty sweet! read more

See all

Very cool place to wander through and maybe spend the night when you are in downtown Durham. Came here for a company meeting from (way) out of town and loved the funky vibe! Service at the bar was a little slow but staff were friendly and drinks were good. I love that you can wander around and look at art... some of it is a little weird to us rural dwellers, but I somehow feel more cultured after my visit. And you must visit the non-binary bathrooms on the first floor with the clear glass that turns opaque when you lock the doors! Beds were comfy. In-room bar was fully stocked. Bathroom had purple neon light accents and a rubber duck in the shower. Definitely a unique experience! read more

See all

This place is just cool. All of the staff with whom we interacted were also wonderful. Friendly, knowledgeable, professional. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting or anyone local who would like a special night out. We're local, but decided to stay here on a Friday night to check it out. The art is wonderful, the rooms have the right mix of contemporary with a little art deco mixed in. We didn't try the restaurant, but will next time. There are a lot of good restaurants and nightlife nearby - many within walking distance. There was a bourbon-themed cocktail event in the vault that night. You can have drinks. sitting in a vault. with tiles on the floor that look like money. The server and the host were both very friendly and knowledgeable about their bourbons. The drinks we chose were delicious. There's a gin event in October and a rum one in November. We'll be back for those. The museum is worth visiting if you are in the neighborhood. We hear the artwork rotates regularly so it would be worth a repeat visit as well. Be sure to check out the bathrooms on the mezzanine. They are glass-fronted so you can see through before you lock the doors. Then they are private read more

Durham's newest attraction definitely has some very hip art and some cool features and is definitely worth checking out....The art is definitely very intriguing and will make you think.......The prices are definitely on the pricey side but what would you expect from a boutique hotel... read more

My girlfriend and I came here to see the infamous Vault downstairs. When we walked in we asked the hostess if it was open and she and the manager said, ABSOLUTELY. We asked if we could walk around and they said yes, we could walk around and check it out freely. We sat down at the bar and had dinner. Dinner was ok, the tuna dip they had was rank that day but my girlfriends burger was pretty well executed. Drinks were decent, however their lack of basic mixers or ability to craft many flavored mixed drinks outside the limited set on the menu was disheartening. The decor was lovely, a little too bright, however it was aesthetic. The problem is when we went to look around after dinner and to the vault, upon opening the door to it, a rude and vile woman quickly placed her body in between the doorway and us. She asked if we were here for the private party and we replied no. She then yelled in a nasty manner if we couldn't read the sign. We explained that not only the hostess, manager, and bartender had all confirmed that we could look around. She in a raised voice said, 'well they are WRONG!' We left, but we were really upset how we were treated. The reason we came was because of the vault and decor, and had just one person before hand told us that it was not open to the public we would have eaten else where and come back to check it out another day. We were misled and the fact that there is such disorganization in this place, we wont be back. There is no need to lie to make people come in to eat and drink. Very disappointed in our visit because overall it looks like a great place to have wine and dine. read more

From the moment we arrived to the moment we left we felt nothing but positivity and welcomeness. I made a reservation with my girlfriend for a small getaway for 4 nights. Every employee that I encountered was so friendly and helpful. I really don't think I've ever met employees as friendly as they were. Upon checking in we learned that our room actually got upgraded to a larger size bed free of charge based solely on the fact that we were staying there for a couple of days. The room: The room was very nice. It was smaller than I had expected but regardless it was extremely clean and well kept. We didn't need lots of room so it was plenty for us. The bathroom was really nice and the view we had from our room was amazing, especially at night when the city was all lit up. Once of my favorite things about the room are the light switches actually. There were a couple all over the room with two buttons, the individual light and then a "master" light. For example, take the side bed lights. You can press one button to just turn that light on or off, but then if you're going to bed or something you can press the Master button and it will turn off every light in the room. It's just a little thing was nice to have. Hotel: The hotel was nice and the fact that it also functions as an art museum was really cool. Everywhere you go there is some art to be found and every day we would end up noticing more art that we didn't notice before. Overall, I would highly recommend this hotel. If I ever make my way to Durham again, this is where I am staying. read more

Staff was fantastic and very helpful. Me and my girlfriend got the spa package, and they were fantastic. Kendall at the front desk also assisted us and was a huge help in directing us to the right areas and in helping get everything set up. Unfortunately the gallery for the museum was closed for a private event while we stayed, but overall the rooms and services were excellent. read more

While I haven't yet stayed at 21c, the museum is great. Floor after floor of art installations accessible 24/7. The gift shop is also the only place in Durham that I've been able to find my friend his absolute favorite, Tcho Chocolate. I'll second what Katherine said. The vault is awesome and, quite honestly, my favorite part of the whole place. I got to hangout there the other night with some friends after drinks at Counting House and I absolutely love it. Hoping to attend a gathering in the vault soon! Kudos to the hotel for having abundant bathrooms throughout the common areas but be advised that the bathrooms behind glass require you to turn the lock once to secure the door and another time to frost the glass. If you don't double lock, you'll be putting on quite a show. read more

Very nice boutique hotel which is quite big with nice rooms, central location and great staff. Definitely would recommend his place.

On 5/10/19, I made a reservation on the hotel website one year in advance for three days at the rate that is refundable. I was given a confirmation code and a total $1,954.13 for the three night stay. Two days later I received an email confirmation that both increased the day rate and changed it to nonrefundable. I contacted the manager of the hotel and he said that it is a graduation weekend and they don't do refundable rooms. I explained that I booked it on the hotel website. He indicated that "all hotels in Durham have that policy." He indicated he would look into it and call me back. NO CALLS IN NEXT TO DAYS. I cancelled. I won't stay at a 21 C Hotel in the future. Seems that the customer is not their priority read more

We love this place for a cocktail and to check out the museum. We have been many times so we decided to actually try it for dinner. We had high expectations and were very disappointed. For a more "fine dining" experience we were not happy. Our waitress was not excited and had no personality, we almost felt like a nusense. It took 20 minutes to get our first order of drinks (not exaggerating), and at this point we had to rush to order because we had a show at the DPAC to see. Keep in mind we came 2 hours before the show. The waitress never apologized for the wait. We ordered an appetizer and dinner. The appetizer showed up 5 minutes before dinner. I got a veggie pasta and he got the scallops. The pasta had a lot of different ingredients in it and was tasty other then being way too rich. His scallops were rubbery and really not impressive-unfortunate. We didn't have time for dessert and had to ask for the tab when dinner came. My advice, don't waste your time here for dinner, the place was practically empty and it was a Friday night. We should have known by that. Not sure if we will try again for food, we will stick with the bar. read more

I have stayed in a lot of hotels and resorts and this hotel falls in the average range, but when you add in the kind and hardworking staff and the fact that this hotel is just plain different from your other choices in this price range this hotel is way above average. My wife and I have just discovered that Broadway Plays are shown across the street from the hotel at the DPAC theater and 21c will be our home away from home when we come to the city to hit the theater. I highly recommend 21c. read more

See all

I've been here many times and I gotta say, I am never bored. The bathrooms alone are enough to keep me entertained for a solid 20 minutes. I like the museum and the fact that the art changes every once in a while to keep you coming back. While the Penguins are kind of freaky, it's a cool concept that each 21C hotel has them in different colors. It should have been different shades of blue (less controversial than one shade of blue yet way better than pink). My dad and I loved the vault room and thoughts it was cute that the little lockers contained messages/business cards left by others. However, the last time I went it looked as though these had been closed up. The counting house is the attached restaurant. I have not tried the food yet but the drinks are always good. They have local beer on draft and are willing to make cocktails that are not on the menu (I had a mojito). I have also not tried out the hotel rooms since I live in the area. I imagine they are as nice as the rest of the place. read more

Not good experience from the start Checked in and noticed a pice of wrapper and hair by shower. Then I took wet towel to wipe floor and it was filthy I told front desk last night about the dirty floor I went to the bar where I ordered many items. Some ok. Others like fried rinds were hard and popcorn not worth eating I liked the bed but they have a flimsy sheet instead of comforter. I was given heavy TERRY CLOTH blankets to use instead It was not comfortable. Then housekeepers in the morning were loud in the hallway Then the last straw was when rob from front desk called to tell me my room was not booked for another night !!!! Then my husband booked it He never addressed the dirty floor issue Then he calls my room to pester me yet again to say the room was extended Now I want to leave and I'm stuck with a non refundable room. Very loud street noise outside read more

We did not get to stay here, but our family took us on a tour. This place is so cool, even the bathrooms. The place is a true museum with a rotating collection and exhibits. We were told to enjoy, even walk through the restaurant to see the installations. They are on multiple floors so don't miss out. Make sure you use the bathroom here. They are glass stalls and the fog up when you lock the door. They are CIA, Jack Ryan bathrooms. The restaurant and bar looked great. The bar has an amazing bourbon selection. read more

Someday I really just need to have a staycation here so I can experience the rooms. My 5 star experience is based on the bar and art gallery. The 21c has become a go to choice for when I have visitors in Durham. Guaranteed epic night on the town: pick X amazing bar to have a drink, then X amazing place for dinner, then the parlour or Rose's for dessert depending on who is open, and then when you're not ready to go home have a nightcap and walk the gallery at the 21c hotel. The art is always changing and as far as I know you can peruse 24 hours a day. I think I've been there to look at the art as late as 11pm and no one has turned me away. Make this a part of your downtown Durham experience! read more

We stayed at this hotel a few times. It used to be good. It's not anymore. It's really bad. I usually don't write reviews but this deserves one. Stay away. The service is not good. There are many better places in Durham. New ones being built. Go there. Not here. read more

Very, very nice surprise! From the valet & front doorman to the front desk, to housekeeping, to room service and Counting House service, the staff was the best! Very pleasant, helpful and upbeat. It was obvious they like where they work. Our room was beautiful and comfortable. Many nice touches. And the art in throughout the hotel is very cool! I would recommend Everyone should go through the museum even if not staying there - it's free! We had a delicious breakfast at Counting House (best grits I've ever had and I'm FROM the South!) and the service was perfect. We could walk to DPAC which was very nice. There we also pedi-cabs around, but it was a nice evening to walk. Felt very safe, even late at night. Highly recommend this hotel! read more