I travel to Richmond often for business, so an affordable rate in a good location is important. I love to stay in elegant boutique hotels and have stayed at the nearby historic Thomas Jefferson many times, but recently those room rates have been prohibitive. I'm happy to have discovered the moderately-priced Doubletree. It is comfortable, clean, and the staff has always been friendly and accommodating. The mattresses, pillows and down comforters are comfortable, clean and new- an absolute requirement for me.

A previous reviewer expressed concern over the safety of the area. The Doubletree is one block from The Jefferson, one of the nicest hotels in town. It borders the VCU Campus on one side, and is surrounded by wonderfully preserved historic homes and storefronts. Crime is a fact of life in most inner cities, and the visitor should be aware his surroundings and cautious after dark, but the Doubletree feels safe, and if you are uncomfortable walking, the hotel shuttle will take you and pick you up from wherever you want to go.

Parking, as in most cities, is scarce and expensive, so be prepared to pay the hotel's fee (currently $18) to valet park your car. It is a small price for the security of your car.

Bottom line: this is a clean, comfortable, moderately priced lodging.

I stayed at the doubletree when I was in town to run the Richmond marathon. I was looking for a place close to the start and finish of the race and this seemed to do just fine. I was afraid at first because of the negative reviews but I found nothing wrong with the hotel. The service was decent and the rooms were clean. The free wifi was an added bonus. We also took advantage of the free shuttle service to and from a few places around town. We only had one problem when they picked us up from the race expo...they changed drivers and couldn't find where we were waiting so we ended up waiting for an hour. That was the only real problem. It's also in a nice part of the city from what I could tell. We had food options within walking distance so that was great too. I would stay here again if I visit Richmond in the future.

We went down for the Richmond 1/2 marathon and wanted to find a dog friendly hotel. When we travel, we always go to dog friendly hotels. The arrival was strange in that within 1 minute of pulling into the driveway, a non-valet asked me to open my trunk so he could unload my bags. Unsettled, we reluctantly gave the keys to the staff and hoped the car would return. Front desk staff was not very interested in us or providing service. They explained there was no grass for our dog, we would have to find a place. Out we went with the dog for a break and within 1 block, came upon a drug deal going down about 7:00 at night. We took the shuttle to the Asge center for packet pickup and went by a mobile crime unit for the police within 2 blocks of the hotel. We were very concerned for our safety. Rooms were okay - a tad on the small side, but clean and comfortable. Perhaps the valets don't need to honk as they drive around the corner where the rooms are. It was annoying and an easy fix. Install a light so you don't disturb guest when the windows are right about it.

Overall, the hotel was fine and I would stay again if it weren't for the concern over the surrounding area at night. Hard to believe VCU is right there in the middle if this. Kind of reminds me if Hopkins in that respect.

I'm here now. The only reason I've given it a three is that I am impressed with the employees - check-in, restaurant, bar and valet were all very professional, helpful and informed. They were all 5 star employees. Unfortunately, there are things that I expect from Hilton, regardless of where the property falls on the star scale - I do not want my room to reek of perfume, I want a decent mattress, when I order a nice glass of red wine from your restaurant I would like it served in a red wine glass (I do not need to hear how the guests run off with your red wine glasses. That is a management issue, not a guest issue.), and finally, I would like the ice machine to work.

This was really I mixed bag. I certainly expect more from Hilton.