DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jacksonville Riverfront

I booked two rooms at the DoubleTree Jacksonville Riverfront expecting the 4-star experience advertised on AAdvantage Hotels. Instead, I was met with rooms in a state of advanced physical decay. The specific "1-star" conditions I encountered: • Grossly Unsanitary Bathroom: The bathtub was not just "dirty"; the enamel was literally peeling off in large chunks, revealing rusted, porous surfaces underneath that cannot be properly sanitized. It is a breeding ground for bacteria (see photos). • Structural Neglect: The mattress/box spring was ripped open and heavily stained. The carpeting was matted, stained, and felt deeply soiled, clearly not having seen a professional deep-clean in years. • Poor Maintenance: The room felt "patched together" with low-quality repairs. This isn't just a cleaning issue; it’s a total failure of property management to maintain a safe and habitable environment. When I showed these photos to the Front Desk, the response was indifferent. I was told they were sold out and "nothing could be done." When I called Hilton Corporate, I was told I’d have to pay for a third reservation out of pocket if I wanted to be relocated. I paid over $600 for two nights of "4-star" quality and received rooms that should be out of service for repairs. If you value sanitation and getting what you pay for, stay anywhere else in Jacksonville.

Let's begin with the positive because there are two and I want to be fair. The Cookies and the Riverview the warm cookies that check-in is still fantastic and the location on the river is actually beautiful.. Jacksonville deserves a great riverfront hotel and this spot has a potential to be one. Unfortunately, that's where the positivity ends This property feels like it has moved far beyond lipstick on a pig at this point it feels like the pig, the lipstick and the entire barn needs to be replaced. The building honestly needs to be shut down, completely gutted and remodeled from the ground up. The location is wonderful which almost makes the experience more frustrating because you can clearly see the potential if someone would just start over. When you walk in, there's an odd smell that seems to drift through the lobby at certain times of the day. While waiting at the front desk I noticed a small refrigerator with so much dust on top of it that it looks like it had been there since the early 2000 considering this is directly at the front desk. You would think someone would wipe it off daily.. It was one of those moments when I immediately thought "this is probably not going to go well." To be fair, I do not personally book this hotel. It was booked for business had I've been choosing myself. Doubletree would not have been my first choice. The reservation was originally for a king room, but due to an event in town, I was told none were available. I even called the next day hoping one might open up still no Kings available, meanwhile people are checking in constantly so draw your own conclusion there. Instead, I ended up in a very small double room and when I say small, I mean shockingly small there is almost no space to move around once your luggage is in the room. It feels more like a compact cruise cabin than a hotel room And somehow, despite the tiny size, there is no refrigerator not even one of the tiny ones tucked in the the issues continue and the hot water which is kind of a basic expectation when you The TV system is outdated and glitches pixelates throughout the day with no YouTube or Netflix and the volume randomly jumps between whisper and movie theater loud with absolutely no middle The carpet is honestly alarming. It looks like is this old as the building itself and walking barefoot is something you would not even consider. The room doesn't feel like they've ever properly deep clean just use the surface touchups if you happen to end up here, I would strongly suggest avoiding room 506 Which is unfortunate because again this location is fantastic. Right on the river with an amazing views in a great part of the city. With a full shutdown and renovation or honestly a complete rebuild. This could be an incredible hotel until then enjoy the cookies and maybe keep your shoes on in the room.

Bad choice. There is no way this is a four-star hotel. The rooms are outdated, musty, and smelly—likely a former smoking room—and full of quick “landlord special” fixes (for example, thick caulking in the shower covering poor tile work). I booked a top-floor suite for $400 per night, yet the noise from the elevators at night is unbearable. The windows are very thin, so you also hear highway noise throughout the night. Service is also very poor. When they do answer the phone, the staff seem uninterested in helping. At the front desk, one person often disappears to the back while the other handles everything, making service extremely slow. When I complained about my stay the following morning, one staff member told me there was nothing they could do, while another laughed. That response was extremely unprofessional. Parking is not free. And for a supposed four-star suite, the room was stocked with single-ply toilet paper. Unbelievable. I will not stay here again. Edit 1: I received a text asking me to rate my stay, and I replied with a 1 (the lowest rating). Shortly afterward, I received another message saying: *“Sorry you received an automatic response due to the reply of the unsatisfactory rating.”* Apparently, honest feedback is not welcome.

Staff were extremely helpful & friendly

Beds were a little harder than I liked

I had the most awful encounter checking in with the rudest attendant I have ever met. She didn’t even acknowledge me when I walked up and a few minutes later when she did she was so rude. She ended up yelling at me regarding an upgrade which I was asking if I could pay for and never acknowledged my Diamond Status. When asked if waters were in the room she just said no. It was a horrible experience overall. I asked for the manager the next morning and the attendant claimed she was in a meeting. I asked for her to call me and she never did. I called customer service and no one ever followed up from there either. Very poor customer service over all for Hilton. Not to mention the room was so old and nasty looking. I would never stay at this hotel again and probably will not stay at another Hilton again after experiencing this type of customer service and being a Diamond member.

Good location for me and a few restaurants

It was very unclean and quite frankly for a Hilton location very much below par. The restroom was dirty, damaged and dated. The room smelt musky, the hallways on level 5 were dirty. This hotel has seen better days and desperate need of maintenance and general upkeep. Disappointing given I stay at hiltons/doubletrees a lot