I have fond memories of this branch of Starbucks, dating back to 2013, I tried my first Pumpkin Spice Latte here for example on a trip to Durham. This is one of two Starbucks locations inside Durham, technology wise it is probably one of the worse mainly down to the fact they don't have online ordering and they don't accept Starbucks cards, which is the opposite compared to the other store.
For me, this is another moment where I feel I have reviewed this place before but it seems I have not.
Inside, the branch is quite nice and uses traditional Starbucks decor, which can be uncommon sometimes for Starbucks branches inside hotels which are franchises, with this one being owned by Marriott rather than Starbucks, there are entrances in and out through the Marriott, in which this branch is located in and street level too.
The service always seemed good when I visited in the past, but sadly on a recent trip on a more recent trip to Durham in 2017, where I spent a couple of hours in the town on a trip to Newcastle and the Tyne and Wear region, I struggled to even communicate with a member of staff who told me "Yes this is a Starbucks", when I asked about the acceptance of Starbucks cards.
This branch sadly in a service aspect seems to have declined by a significant amount, and in a way I'm beginning to question even the need for this branch, with it being inside the hotel and not in the more central location in which the Framwellgate Bridge Starbucks is around a 1/4 of a mile away in Durham, so I sadly feel this branch only deserves two stars, which also puts into consideration the slightly higher pricing with the store being a franchise. read more