DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront in Jacksonville

I was disappointed with my stay at the DoubleTree, especially considering the amount I paid. The hotel and room felt outdated and did not reflect the quality I expected for the price.

The biggest issue was that the water was turned off when I checked in, which was extremely inconvenient after traveling and arriving at the hotel. What made the situation more frustrating was that I was not offered any compensation, adjustment, or other accommodation for the inconvenience.

For the price of the stay, I expected a much better experience. Between the outdated condition of the hotel and not having access to water upon check-in, I do not feel the stay was worth what I paid.

Cons: older motel, no fridge/microwave in my room, slanted bathroom, stained carpet, small elevators. Pros: pool area, balcony, location next to river/riverwalk, Ruth-Chris Steakhouse inside hotel, friendly staff. Also, $25/day parking, overpriced $25 breakfast buffet. Owners need to spend money. Btw, I did see "Dog"Chapman and his wife there on July 4th, 2026

The location on the St John’s is a stellar location especially for 4th of July and the fireworks. If it wasn’t for that would not stay here. Hotel is in terrible need of renovations and then they need to maintain it.

It's a beautiful place to stay with great staff and fun for everyone. Very comfy beds and lots of things to do close by. Will definitely be back 😁

The hotel experience overall was okay, but there were a few factors that would make me question another stay at this location. Upon checking in I discovered that I had to pay to park my car and was given two choices: pay a lower fee and park myself or pay a higher rate and have the valet handle it. There was no issue finding a space to park so it wasn't an issue, but I'm already paying you for the stay, no need to gouge me there. When I got to my room the key cards did not work and someone from maintenance had to let me in. I was told the cards were bad and should get them replaced. I got new cards and then when I attempted to enter the room again, the new keys also did not work. Maintenance was called again and this time they had to disassemble the locking mechanism to uncover the issue which turned out to be an internal switch in the wrong position.
May I suggest that housekeeping or maintenance test all locks regularly if that isn't already a thing.
Finally, the breakfast buffet at $20 per person was a little much and once was enough, especially since my kid was basically charged $20 for a bagel and a few slices of bacon. The next morning we went elsewhere for breakfast.
One last minor nitpick was the fact that there was only one small bar of soap in the bathroom. Two would've been ideal, one for the shower, one for the sink, but again we made it work.