21c Museum Hotel Durham

I was attending a course in my field and stayed at this hotel. I really wanted to love it. The staff was professional and the artwork was great. I had to study for my course but could not because the room was intentionally dark and dimly lit with no way to increase the lighting. (Think studying by candlelight or mood lighting). We asked for another room with possibly more lighting. They tried to accomodate us but I don't believe they actually have a room with regular lighting. In fact, even the hallways and the elevators were dim. We ended up leaving for another hotel were we could have access to normal light and they refunded us. I noticed in the pictures for the hotel rooms, they are showing the rooms in the daylight which I think is significant. If dim lighting would bother you after the sun goes down, I would not stay at this hotel. Otherwise, the hotel itself is beautiful.

There was only candle light in the rooms. How can you read or find things in a room that you are new to with out any light in the hotel rooms?? We had to leave. Found a room at a Hilton that was far better.

I booked my 2-night stay at 21 C Museum to bring in the new year of 2026. I attended a local Kwanzaa event in downtown Durham, so the location was perfect walking distance. Upon arrival, the check-in process was very long as there was some technical issue with their system, so I had to wait for the system to come back up. My room was on the 3rd floor, which was a decent view. The room was ok, although I was expecting more art and décor considering that this a museum hotel. The room was missing creativity, but everything was clean and usable. I was disappointed with the small television and basic cable channels. You cannot stream shows via Netflix, Hulu, etc. The bed was comfortable and there was an extra blanket in the closet. The bathroom was nice, but a bit small. The mirror had cool LED lighting, but one side of the mirror was out. The shower was simply AMAZING. Nice hot water and great water pressure. I was completely relaxed after my shower, and ready for a good night’s rest. During my first night, the window shade on one of the windows would not pull all the way down, so there was a lot of light in the room. The following morning, I went down to the front desk and let a hospitality member know about the shade. They mentioned they would send maintenance up to my room to fix it. When I got back to my room later that night, the shade was not fixed. I’m very disappointed that I slept another night with light from the street streaming into the room. I ventured into the museum gallery, which was a nice touch to the hotel. I was hoping to see more exhibits, but I appreciated the visuals. The elevators in the hotel were VERY confusing. There are elevators that are used for the hotel, and a separate elevator for the gallery and amenities area. The restaurant was very nice. I ended up having a drink at the bar, although the restaurant had not opened. Sherry was a wonderful mixologist and was so friendly and energetic. I had hoped to receive a massage while I there, but there was no availability. I ended up going down to the sauna and steam room. I really enjoyed these amenities. The steam room was fantastic, and I’m so happy it was accessible during my stay. I was also able to get a later check-out, which I appreciated. Overall, I had a good stay at 21 C Museum. The rates can be pricey, so I’m going to book again at a reasonable rate.