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Durham · Hotel shortlist

Hotels with an airport shuttle near the station in Durham

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Updated 1 September 2026 · 49 Durham hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Durham, out of the 49 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.5.

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club is the one I would book myself.

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

Highest rated of the five

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

★★★★★4.7 from 1,615 reviews

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 1,615 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under city centre and around $333 a night on the dates we checked.

49 hotels in Durham qualified for this list and five made it. Embassy Suites by Hilton Raleigh Durham Airport Brier Creek is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out

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All five, ranked

  1. Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club1

    Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

    ★★★★★4.7 from 1,615 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  2. Embassy Suites by Hilton Raleigh Durham Airport Brier Creek2

    Embassy Suites by Hilton Raleigh Durham Airport Brier Creek

    ★★★★★4.5 from 1,750 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

    Check rates Read more

  3. Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham Airport3

    Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham Airport

    ★★★★★4.5 from 1,452 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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  4. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Raleigh - Cary4

    DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Raleigh - Cary

    ★★★★★4.5 from 936 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  5. Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh Cary I-405

    Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh Cary I-40

    ★★★★★4.6 from 626 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

49 Durham hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Works weekends at an animal shelter and saves the pay for off-season flights. Hostels, night buses, and volunteering at animal sanctuaries for a bunk. Six countries in three years.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.