Press Release

DURHAM, N.C., January 18, 2017 – JB Duke Hotel, North Carolina’s new, contemporary lodging destination located on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is now open to guests. Recognized with a 2017 Top New or Renovated Meeting Site Award by ConventionSouth, the full-service hotel and event space features a distinctively modern design with welcoming accommodations.

Inspired by the materials and colors of North Carolina’s natural surroundings combined with Duke University’s global sophistication in the world of business and academia, the sleek JB Duke Hotel welcomes guests with a modern twist on Southern hospitality. Light-filled spaces abound throughout the hotel, offering views of the surrounding Duke Forest, landscaped courtyards, terraces and plazas, which connect guests with the outdoors. Local décor and furnishings invoke a sense of craftsmanship important to the history and community of North Carolina.

“Travelers from near and far will experience the very best of Southern hospitality at the JB Duke Hotel, nestled in the heart of Duke’s iconic campus,” said Gregg Hilker, general manager of the JB Duke Hotel. “The hotel’s contemporary design, convenient conference room features and attentive staff offer the perfect backdrop for visitors of Durham’s flourishing cultural, culinary, athletic, academic and business scenes.”

The hotel layout features guestroom and meeting room wings intended for a variety of collaborative spaces and social functions, along with a full-service restaurant and two bars, all connected by a grand hall with a soaring two-story glass wall.

SLEEK AND COMFORTABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The JB Duke Hotel features 198 guestrooms, including 11 unique suites. Design inspiration from natural settings extends into the guestrooms where neutral tones of warm grey and gold set a backdrop for the room with accents of deep blue, inspired by Duke University’s colors. Comfortable and modern furnishings invoke a residential quality, selected to play host to weekend and overnight guests as well as global executives, business professionals and students for extended stays. Sophistication extends into the guest bathrooms, inspired by a spa aesthetic and featuring complimentary Gilchrist & Soames London Collection soaps, lotions and shampoos.

WELCOMING AMENITIES: The JB Duke Hotel also features MarketPlace, a full-service restaurant specializing in a la carte and conference dining as well as two full-service bars. The Lobby Lounge serves as a main gathering space and MarketPlace Bar, located adjacent to the main dining room, celebrates the surrounding athletic atmosphere.

STATE-OF-THE-ART EVENT AND MEETING SPACE: The hotel also features the Thomas Executive Conference Center, 25,000 square feet of meeting and event space designed with a focus on hospitality, flexible event set up and adherence to the quality standards set by the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC). Social, academic and corporate events and meetings alike find inviting hospitality-focused service in the distinctive environment to meet its demands. The facility offers a 5,450 square foot ballroom, several multi-purpose spaces, two state-of-the art boardrooms, two fixed-tiered classrooms seating 65 attendees, generous pre-function spaces and a business center. State-ofthe-art systems in each room will assist its global and local clientele. For information on event packages and facilities, visit jbdukehotel.com/meet. The JB Duke Hotel connects to Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, consistently ranked among the top business schools in the country.

Conveniently located within walking distance of athletic and academic facilities, guests of JB Duke Hotel can stroll across Science Drive to top Duke sporting venues, including Cameron Indoor Stadium, Wallace Wade Stadium and Koskinen Stadium, and take a short walk to West Campus, the Duke medical center, Duke Chapel and Sarah P. Duke Gardens. The new Science Drive Parking Garage, located conveniently adjacent to the hotel, accommodates 2,200 vehicles.

The JB Duke Hotel represents a $62 million investment by Duke University in the Durham community, creating more than 120 career opportunities. The hotel and its conference facilities will be used by Duke’s MBA programs for working professionals and non-degree executive education courses hosted by the Fuqua School.

The namesake of the hotel is James Buchanan “J.B.” Duke, the son of Washington Duke for whom the university was named and one of the most successful industrialists of the 20th century. In 1924, J.B. Duke established The Duke Endowment and transformed Durham’s Trinity College into Duke University, today one of the world’s leading institutions of higher education and health.

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club and JB Duke Hotel are “father and son” properties, owned by Duke University and managed by WDI Hospitality, LLC of Durham. JB Duke Hotel continues the lineage of unparalleled service, gracious staff and attention to detail set by its father property in its own contemporary style.

The JB Duke Hotel is located at 230 Science Drive in Durham. To learn more information about the JB Duke Hotel, please visit jbdukehotel.com. Reservations for group business and individual lodgers can be reserved by calling (919) 660-6390.