Even though I like older houses, I'm not much of a bed-and-breakfast person. I booked this property because the location fit my needs. It was a pleasant surprise. From my initial telephone call to departure, the staff was uniformly friendly and willing to help with anything necessary to make the stay comfortable. The room -- a second floor "porch room" attached to a screened-in-porch -- was spacious and had beautiful large windows as well as high ceilings. It would have been nice to have a second easy chair for relaxing, as there was room for it in the room. The bathroom had a good selection of amenities and the bathrobes came in handy. Turn-down service never materialized, but a call to the front desk for ice (it was supposed to come with the turn-down service) brought ice to the room within a minute or so. There is a nice selection of hot and cold beverages off the lobby for hotel guests. We did not encounter the noise problems other reviewers noted, but the room next door was empty. Breakfast was well prepared; the menu offered pretty much anything most people would want for breakfast. Now the downside: there was a reception/event while we were there and, even though it supposedly ran only for a couple of hours, the tents and preparations hindered our enjoyment of the grounds prior to the event starting and certainly while it was going on. Returning nearly an hour after the reception supposedly ended, we had to elbow our way through a crowd on the steps (who were none too accommodating) just to get in the front door. So the occurrence of events probably helps the room rate a little bit but detracts from the overall experience.

We stayed at The Duke Mansion this past weekend. I would give 3.5 stars if available.

We had read up on the mansion and being from the triangle and being a "Duke family" we decided to try out the b&b.

The house is impressive from the outside and the grounds are very lovely, even in the August heat.

The staff was attentive and were available as needed.

The room was well appointed, but a bit unimpressive. Example: they have a flat screen tv up on the wall, but it was a small tv (not that we expected a 50 inch) :-)... The bathroom could've used a makeover - it was clean, but looked like no new fixtures had been put in in over 15 years. The toiletries were generic. The doorknobs were painted over and peeling. The house just needs a good scrub down and paint job (like most older B&B's).

They have a complimentary afternoon mixer. But it's in a very small lounge area that accomodates about 2 couples. They also have complimentary snacks for guests available all day long.

They do a turn-down service in the evenings, where they bring in water and ice and place chocolates on the pillows and put out the robes.

All those little things do add up to make your stay pleasant. Again, the staff was very attentive.

Buffet breakfast was included in with our room charge. Breakast was ready for us when we we went down. The serving staff was attentive and the food was fresh and well prepared. It was a full breakfast - not just a continental breakfast.

The hotel does not have a restaurant.

For us, the best part of the hotel were the grounds and the neigbourhood. It's a great place for an evening or morning walk or jog. Just lovely. The grounds have plenty of shady seating areas (there were some mosquitos in the afternoon).

The location is good if you prefer to be away from the city center. But still close enough to shopping and dining.

Ideal for older couples or young couples that want quiet. I wouldn't think young families would be too comfortable.

All and all - we would stay there again.

I live in Charlotte and cannot wait to take a trip back to the Duke Mansion!! We booked a room for one night the night before my daughters wedding. The hotel and it's staff were amazing. The room was huge and the bathroom wonderful. The history of the house is also interesting. It was perfect when everyone came the morning of the wedding to get dressed and gather prior to leaving for the church. It also had a wonderful screened in porch that looked out over the back yard. The service was amazing and they were great about making sure that everyone had breakfast... which also was wonderful.
Thanks so much Duke Mansion for being part of my daughters wedding weekend. I cannot wait to come back just to take a mini vacation in my own back yard.

I was in Charlotte on business this week and spent two nights in the Dowd Suite. First and foremost, the staff is the greatest asset to the inn. Very warm and friendly, and attentive. The room was gigantic with a wonderful screened porch off the back, two-person marble shower, garden tub, 10 foot ceilings (maybe higher?), flat screen television, wireless internet and there was even a bidet in the bathroom. The bed was very comfortable, and having gone to college in the area, I especially appreciated the Springs Industries linens. Nice touch! The breakfast was great - loved the cheese grits. I enjoyed have a selection of great newspapers in the morning - Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, etc. I will not hesitate to stay at the Duke Mansion for future trips to Charlotte. Glad to see they're members of Select Registry too. I enjoy SR properties very much.