DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jacksonville Riverfront

Pros: location, convenience, customer service. The AC is arctic. The water pressure in the shower is equivalent to a fire hose in the best way. Very clean for an older hotel. Cons: no fridge. That’s on me. I shouldn’t have assumed there would be one but in my defense, it’s a Hilton property and it’s 2025. Fine for a night or 2 but mildly inconvenient when you have leftovers after dinner. The beds. Come on, Hilton. Y’all know 2 average sized adults aren’t fitting in those beds. The AC is leaking on the balcony causing algae to build up which makes it pretty unpleasant to stand out there. But it’s Florida so understandable. Overall, for $130 I’m not complaining.

Hilton Nightmare: A Disappointing Stay at the DoubleTree Riverside Jacksonville We checked into the DoubleTree by Hilton Riverside in Jacksonville on a Thursday, drawn in by the sleek-looking lobby and the presence of a Ruth’s Chris Steak House. At first glance, things looked promising. The lobby has clearly been refreshed, giving off a modern, upscale vibe. Unfortunately, that impression quickly fell apart. The elevator immediately told a different story—years of dents, scuffs, and damage that could have been sanded and painted. When we arrived at our room, we saw evidence of attempts at renovation, but the quality of the work was questionable at best. Paint was sloppily applied, leaving the doors sticky and hard to open. The carpet was worn and degrading, and the overall feel was one of mismanagemena. The real issue? The hot water. Or lack thereof. We went two nights taking cold showers, and maintenance came not once, but three separate times trying to fix it. Eventually, we requested to be moved and were relocated just a few doors down. Thankfully, this time the water worked. But that’s when a different problem emerged. The sliding track door in the new room—a modern design touch gone wrong—slammed shut with no safety mechanism. It smashed my wife’s finger, hard. That door is a hazard. The bathroom itself was also poorly thought out: the barrier between the static glass and the sliding door doesn’t stop water from spraying onto the floor, leading to standing water and visible mildew around the base. Electrical outlets were literally hanging off the wall. Some effort is clearly being made to improve the property, but it doesn’t seem like anyone on the management team has stayed in a room and assessed the actual guest experience. What you get is a patchwork of updates layered over underlying issues that seriously diminish the stay. The one bright spot? The service. The staff at St. Johns Provision Co. (breakfast) and Ruth’s Chris were absolutely outstanding—professional, friendly, and attentive. They provided the kind of service you’d expect at a Hilton property. Unfortunately, great service in the restaurant doesn’t make up for a broken and uncomfortable hotel stay. We expected much more from the Hilton brand. Until real improvements are made to the rooms and infrastructure, we won’t be returning.

This is a dive. The lobby is recently redone, but don't let it fool you. The entire property is run down and clearly not cared for. Broken pool chairs, stained carpet, peeling paint, splitting wall paper and janky/loud elevators. It gets worse from there. We tried two different rooms with a variety of issues: no hot water, mildew in the bathroom, tubs with peeling finish, curtains that don't close all the way, barely functioning AC, and a screwed up shower enclosure that smashed my finger. The restaurant was decent, the staff was nice but clearly underwater. I wish I had just left, but I was there for work and between my work schedule and being exhausted from getting no sleep the first night it just wasn't practical. Find a hostel to stay in. Same level of service but with better vibes at a lower price. If you want an actual hotel there's a Hampton across the street. Edit to add - still haven’t received a response to an email I sent last week. An employee offered to deposit points after the hot water issue persisted, and nothing has posted.