Hotel Dupont

Beautiful wedding Pick

Beautiful grand old hotel that needs to be refreshed. The big dining room is spectacular looking, but is terribly let down by the service and the food. Such a disappointment to see a menu with little thought, no creativity and no distinction. This beautiful dining room deserves to be a destination, but it is not. The rooms are very nice, large, everything you would need, big comfortable bed and quiet. Carpet needed top be tightened a bit in our room. They gave me four papers daily; I was ecstatic to see the WSJ and Financial Times. Check in/​out was quick and desk people were excellent. I don’t know who owns this hotel, but they need a manager and kitchen manager who know what they are doing. It is a shame to see the hotel and especially the dining room in this state.

I love coming here for afternoon tea! They feature a new menu every month which is always yummy! I’ve had birthdays, bridal showers, and get together a here for a while now. Staff is always very accommodating and friendly.

A humongous building on its own, the Hotel Dupont is home to a fantastic historic hotel, the Playhouse theater, and a couple of restaurants. Not a single detail was left unaccounted for in the lobby, hallways, or rooms, creating a pleasant experience which really makes you feel like you’ve traveled back in time to the early 1900s to stay in a hotel. Room service was prompt and on time for our Breakfast order and the staff was always very helpful.
As for the negative side of things, we found the room to be constantly cold (even with the thermostat set to 75) and valet left a lot to be desired. Of the two times we called for our car, one time they took a long time (during low-​traffic hours) and the other time they misplaced the keys. Thankfully, we found them.

I recently enjoyed my second stay at the historic Hotel du Pont in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. On both occasions I stayed in one of the luxury king rooms, the first time on the 10^th floor and the second time on the 7^th.
The rooms are exquisite. My girlfriend and I were fully impressed by the enormous bathroom, replete with oversized bathtub, glass-​paneled shower and lengthy counter top. The living room area has a comfortable couch and an executive writing desk. The bed is tremendously comfortable, with substantial pillows.
The view North towards the Brandywine River affords a great panorama of the city and surrounding environs. The hotel’s décor is posh and impressive; one might use the term «fancy.» The location is also quite nice, within walking distance of many of Wilmington’s main attractions and organizations.
I also appreciate the extra mile that this hotel goes. There is a shoehorn in the bedside table, garment bags in the closet, and complimentary slippers and bathrobes. The minibar is well stocked and affordable priced.
My only grip was that I twice spoke with the front desk and requested champagne glasses to my room, but the glasses never materialized. Ah well; you can’t have everything!
This is a truly first-​rate hotel and I recommend it highly.
(Originally published at
)

I had to stay here for 2 weeks for a trial. Place is a grand old hotel. Staff was excellent from the front desk to the restaurants to the valets. Very good location, 2 blocks from the federal court house. Only bummers were the bar prices, crazy. And for some reason the cleaning woman would ring the doorbell at 8am to wake you. My fault for not putting the do not disturb hanger on the door. They make up your room twice a day. Then another person will knock on the door daily to see if you need clean glasses. Then another person will knock daily to check the room bar/​fridge. I had put some bottled water in the fridge and there are sensors so whenever you open the fridge hotel thinks your swiping liquor. So they come in and inspect the stash. Overall i enjoyed the hotel. But found it very intrusive as far as the room staff.

My friends planned their dream wedding here for last weekend, but the evil Jonas Blizzard (not to be confused with the Brothers, who I hear are lovely) had something else in mind… While vendor after vendor and guest after guest cancelled on my friends, the Hotel Dupont stepped up, accomodated all the guests who came in early on Friday and wanted early checkin Saturday, and put up 50 of its employees in (gorgeous) rooms, to make sure my friends’ special day was as perfect as it could be under the circumstances.
The ceremony was intimate and classy upstairs, then it was down the stairs to the cocktail hour area, with an impressive spread of cheeses, slider station, veggies, and passed hors d’oevres. The ballroom was one of the most incredible wedding venues I’ve ever seen, and the food was delicious (chicken or salmon). The signature almond cookies were the perfect way to end the meal. We ate so much we had to dance it off, and that we did, until it was time to retire to… the after party (side room with lots of space and a bar), and then the after after party (no noise/​hotel complaints!).
The room rates for the wedding ($ 159), were totally reasonable for the beautiful suite-​style rooms, complete with boudoir and fancy mirror that magnifies all imperfections, big tub, shower, couch, desk, TV, robe, slippers, and mini bar fridge (call to get a non-​mini bar fridge to stow food).
The brunch buffet is a pretty high price point ($ 38) but the spread is incredible. The bar menu /​room service is your typical $ 15 sandwiches.
I can think of worse places to be snowed in.

Souless establishment whose manager found it appropriate to cancel a good samaritan’s gift of a one-​night reservation for a homeless family on Christmas. 3 hours before they were due to check-​in, no less.

I think because I am originally from Delaware and I know a bit about the DuPont family (yes I had to take a Delaware class in 4^th grade) I appreciate the history and enjoyed my stay in this beautiful hotel. This is definitely not your chain Hampton Inn or Mariott where everything is predictable. Contrary to what other Unilocal reviewers said, I actually love that there’s not a coffee machine in the room. I never drink the coffee in the hotel room. Something about it just tastes dusty. There’s always a Starbucks on every block so I usually just go out for coffee. Anyways, the hotel is elegantly decorated. There are baroque and Victorian and art deco touches everywhere. Since it is a historical site, it’s good that there have been updates like the huge stand up shower and soaker tub. I also think the wooden enclosure that houses the TV is cool because it swivels so you can watch from the bed or the sofa in the sitting area.
My favorite part-​the vanity. It’s separate from the washing area and in our room it had a purple stool!(that’s my favorite color) So my husband didn’t have to wait for me to get out while doing hair and makeup. Apart from that I love how you open drawers and find little goodies like a sewing kit, shoe horn, and lint remover sheet.
The first night we stayed there was turn down service and they also provide little bottles of water. That’s very considerate for out of town guests like us. Also, valet is pretty prompt. On the ticket it says to give them 20 minutes to get your car but we never had to wait that long.
One complaint-there’s no comforter on the bed. At a fancy hotel like this I’d expect a plush duvet, but all there are are sheets and a thin blanket. I got cold in the middle of the night and had to get the extra blanket, which isn’t that thick, so I had to turn up the heat.
I prefer modern kind of techie hotels of the future, but I enjoyed my stay here. It was a nice place for my family’s reunion and I would recommend Hotel DuPont for an enjoyable old world experience.

Very large and comfortable rooms with a sofa, desk, and separate bed alcove along with a lighted vanity. The furnishing is pretty classic with a Victorian-​theme and there is even a robe and slippers in the closet. The only downside is that there is no coffee maker but they do have 24-​hr room service. Valet parking is $ 22 vs. $ 18 for self-​park. There are plenty of dining options and a few delivery options, including Grotto Pizza and Chinese, which do deliver to your room. The bathroom has both a shower and a bathtub along with a ceramic hair dryer. Overall, a great option in Wilmington!

I’ve stayed here a number of times over the past 10 or so years but never reviewed it before. First the good points: the rooms are huge and well appointed, stocked with good amenities and everything you could need like water, minibar, hairdryer, robe, slippers, magazines etc. Really the best in that regard. Need for improvement in the following areas: when you get out of a cab at the entrance to this hotel, there is NO effort on the part of the bellmen to help with your luggage, open the door or get you to check-​in desk. I’ve never seen anything like this before. At most hotels you are fighting the bellmen off! Second, the carpets and wallpaper in the rooms and hallways could really use a refresh. The old hotel is so lovely but it needs to look like somebody is taking care of it. Finally, ten years ago the restaurants here were very good, particularly the Green Room. The last time we ate there (a couple of years ago) it felt like a mausoleum with terrible food and the slowest service on the planet. Needless to say, we haven’t dined in the hotel since, even though we’ve stayed there at least once a year.
I hope somebody can get things right in this grand old place. It would be a terrible shame if it didn’t survive as a hotel. That’s why I always try to stay there when I’m in Wilmington even though the place isn’t perfect.

I’ve stayed in this hotel a couple of times now, and both experiences have been great! The hotel is a nice historical, establishment that is not the normal «cookie cutter» hotel. I’ve stayed in a single room and a room with double beds. Both have a seating area with generous seating. Pocket doors close off the bathroom from a vanity area that is a nice spot to get ready for the day. I enjoy having real hangers (and not those crappy hangers that come apart to prevent people from stealing) in the two closets. The rooms are clean, the towels are soft, and the linens on the bed are nice.
The only real complaint I have is not having a coffee maker in the room. Having to pay for room service to bring a pot up is a small, yet necessary, inconvenience for me. It cost about $ 13 for a large pot of coffee. That’s why I give it four and not five stars. Making guests pay for coffee is not acceptable this day and age because a coffee maker in hotel rooms are common place.
The gym on the 12^th floor is a decently sized gym with a variety of machines. There are also free weights and foam rollers. Plus, they have cold water bottles, hot towels and even a sauna up there.
The staff is friendly and helpful, especially maid service. I had a package that was going to arrive before I checked in and Lisa was great with answering all my questions when calling about that. Check in was a breeze (even at 12:30am) and my package was given to me upon arrival.
As with a person who complained about valet service… It states directly on your valet ticket to call 20 minutes ahead of time for your car to be delivered. Plan accordingly. So you can’t really complain when others get their car before you.

These two stars are for the quality of the room which was amazing. It was quite spacious included with drawers and two closets — great for an over packer such as myself. The room also had a stand up shower and bath tub. The spacious bath tub included a bath menu so it is perfect to set the mood for a romantic get away.
There were plenty of downers which mainly revolves around the service. The front desk attendants are not very friendly and quite dismissive. I’ve stayed in tons of hotels who were happy to answer all questions and just very inviting which surprisingly, this «historic hotel» lacked.
Secondly, let’s talk about the valet parking. When coming in, they did not greet us. We pulled up and waited till we had to get out the car and get someone to help us out. They did not offer a bell hop service or even help us with our bags. When checking out, we waited 20 MINUTES for our car to be brought to us. People who came out after, received their car before we did even with the front desk employee calling prior and telling the valet person again once we were outside.
They then lost a key on someone’s car key for another person who stayed at the hotel. Even gave him attitude about it and said, we are wasting our time finding this for you… Wasting OUR time? Excuse me, you just lost a key for someone. That could have been to their house or somewhere important. Are you insane?
My boyfriend was also overcharged. We had a package that came with a free breakfast, he was charged for that. We removed, but did not USE any of the amenities in the mini fridge. We ordered champagne and brought wine that we wanted to keep chilled in the fridge, but because he opened the fridge, he was charged. Although these charges were refunded, it’s a debit card meaning he has to wait a few days to see the refund posted on his account. Were they apologetic? Did they try to service us in another way? Absolutely not.
Not to mention, there was an open soap bar which is kind of gross if you think about it. Just for the money that was spent for the packaged deal did not match the quality of service which means everything.

Beautiful historical hotel, came in for wedding. Rooms are a great size and lots of lovely details. Food also good.

Bummer, I spent almost a month here last year and came back again for another month of work this year and they stuck me in a room with the un-​upgraded bathroom. Seriously? The shower is AWFUL. Yech.
Otherwise it is much the same. Still a rough part of town. It is highly recommended NOT to walk from the train station to the hotel
There is also now a Starbucks and another Brewha right down the street, but neither are open on Saturdays or Sundays, leaving the still unpleasant Java Corner downstairs as your only option.
There still continues to be no one helping anyone in through the heavy doors, which is a pain with luggage. And although there is a pretty well hidden handicap button that should open the doors for you it seems to be broken.
And talk about no bells or whistles (much less smiles or even much of a hello/​enjoy your stay) as a number of us checked in for our month-​long stay.
It’s my understanding that some part of the hotel (or at least the attached theater) is being sold by the Duponts as they are pressured by investors to get out of the hospitality industry:
Finally, there is also a one-​day laundry-​by-​the-​pound and dry cleaner behind the hotel, which can save you significant cash if you want to go that route. I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually do the laundry for the hotel and you can simply cut out the 500% surcharge by going direct to the source. Instead of paying $ 3.50 for a pair of socks you pay $ 3.50 for a pound of laundry. Currently Unilocal has it in the wrong location on the map.
This is it:

Stayed here again for a wedding– bunch of idiots manage this place. They double booked my room! While getting ready and changing in between ceremony and reception, a man and his daughters busted in on me. #awkward. Luckily I was decent, but had it been another room, perhaps they would have barged in on someone’s afternoon delight. Again, granted I’m in wilmington, so my expectations are lower than NYC/​DC, but seriously?
I had to call front desk. No one followed up with me to apologize etc. only when I went to the lobby to head to reception and approached the front desk did I learn my room had been comped, with minimal apologies.
Total clowns!

Great hotel in Wilmington. Totally not creepy like some other ones *cough*Doubletree*cough*. Clean and comfortable beds. The best thing about it is the rooms have doorbells and if you travel with a group, it’s fun to ring each other’s doorbell and then run away.

2-​star service, 2.5-star experience, 4-​star historicity (if that matters)
Taking the statements made on the website one by one:
«Infused with luxury» = half-​truth. Large rooms with large bathrooms are a luxury. rattling air vents, mediocre room service food, and rude, untrained staff are not
«Hotel du Pont is located in the heart of the legal and financial district in downtown Wilmington, Delaware» = true
«A perfect venue for business meetings, mock trials, weddings and social events» = true if you remove the word «perfect» and replace with «good»
“The prestigious Hotel du Pont in Wilmington offers sophisticated style and exceptional service to business and leisure guests alike.” = false; the service is 2-​star. It’s like they pull unemployed, uneducated folks off the street and give them a job here with no training on high-​end hotel service. Like the place is run by a bunch of high-​school drop outs and drug addicts.
«Opened in 1913, the Hotel du Pont is a landmark Wilmington Delaware hotel.» = true
«Our Brandywine Valley Wilmington Delaware property is one of the finest examples of European craftsmanship in North America.» = what about the statue of liberty?
«the historic Green Room is newly enhanced to offer more boldness and life to the spectacular dining room» = true
«Our Wilmington Delaware hotel features a bar and lounge, a self-​service restaurant, and state of the art meeting facilities.» = true if state of the art is 2003
«The Hotel du Pont is perfect for a romantic Brandywine Valley Wilmington Delaware weekend getaway, or as an elegant Wilmington Delaware vacation home base while enjoying local cultural and Brandywine Valley Wilmington Delaware entertainment attractions including Longwood Gardens and Winterthur Museum and Country Estate.» = true, if you replace «perfect» with «good»
“Hotel du Pont is the place to be for a special occasion, celebration, or a quick get-​away.” = true if you are limited to Wilmington
«We will exceed your expectations in every way.» = false, unless you are expecting a 2-​star experience

This is a review of afternoon tea in the Green Room, not of the hotel itself. I decided to come for tea because the Winterthur Museum Sunday afternoon tea was sold out, and I am so glad I did!
This place is the lap of historical elegance and luxury, like you’ve been transported back in time. You must have a reservation for tea, which is Sunday afternoons starting at 3. The reservation has to be made by Sunday morning because they prepare the tea sandwiches for the exact number of people. Cost is $ 28 per person which is actually very reasonable as far as afternoon teas go.
You have a choice of 5 amazing loose-​leaf teas, inspired by the DuPonts and the region. There is one fruity, non-​caffeinated option for those who don’t like black tea. They have a course of savory tea sandwiches, including gourmet variations on egg salad, cucumber, Waldorf salad, and smoked shrimp. This is followed by the scones and dessert course. The scones were amazing; one was treacle, a light spiced molasses flavor, the other had currants. These are served with Devonshire cream, which I believe is clotted cream mixed with lemon curd. There is also jam. Sooooo good! Then there are numerous small desserts, which we were too full to eat most of, but they provided us with to-​go boxes.
Wait staff was fantastic, attentive, and extremely knowledgable about the complexity of the ingredients and the history of the hotel itself. The Green Room is a huge, luxurious dining space with heavy turn of the century decoration. They have valet parking, but on Sunday, free street parking is easy to come by in downtown Wilmington. Great place, loved my visit!

I was pretty lucky to get to stay here for work. The hotel building is huge. It has guest rooms, gym, conference rooms, along with a restaurant, a lounge and even a theatre! Anyhow, the hotel has a rustic and historical look to it – high ceiling with pretty beautiful carvings.
The front desk staffs were just okay. They didn’t look or sound too friendly, whereas room staffs were super nice! The room is okay. It looks like typical hotels with everything provided except for a coffee machine. There is also no refrigerator space because it was filled with automated items for sale. The bathroom was not as nice as expected. The wall and floor were made out of small tiles.
Room service was awesome though. You can pre-​order breakfast the night before and oh my goodness, they are super prompt with orders and deliveries.
The hotel is also very walkable distant to many restaurants and bars. Overall, a pretty nice area to stay at in Wilmington.