Duke University to Build $62M Hotel on School’s West Campus

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke University plans to develop a $62 million hotel on its west campus in Durham. Located at 230 Science Drive, the 198-room JB Duke Hotel will feature two bars, a restaurant, landscaped courtyards and terraces, local décor and furnishings and a grand hall with a two-story glass wall. The hotel will also feature the 20,850-square-foot Thomas Executive Conference Center, which will comprise a 5,450-square-foot ballroom, multi-purpose spaces, two boardrooms, two 65-seat classrooms, pre-function spaces and a business center. Duke University’s MBA programs will use the hotel and conference facilities for working professionals and non-degree executive education courses hosted by the school’s Fuqua School of Business. The hotel will be within walking distance of Cameron Indoor Stadium, Wallace Wade Stadium, Koskinen Stadium, the Duke medical center, Duke Chapel, Sarah P. Duke Gardens and a 2,200-space parking garage that is currently under construction. Duke University has selected Durham-based WDI Hospitality LLC to manage JB Duke Hotel, which is a “father-and-son property” with Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, which is also owned by Duke University and managed by WDI Hospitality. Duke University expects to start taking reservations at JB Duke Hotel in January 2017.