Hilton's wellness-first Tempo brand touched down in downtown Raleigh in December 2024 with Peloton-equipped rooms, a hydration bar and a 13th-floor rooftop lounge billed as the Triangle's tallest. It's the brand's second U.S. hotel and the first in North Carolina.
The essentials
Group Hilton (Tempo by Hilton)
Opening December 2024
Rooms & suites 127 rooms
Segment Upscale/Lifestyle
Designer NC
Entry rate NC Learn more → The place A brand-new 13-story tower at 200 W. Davie St. in downtown Raleigh, built alongside a sister Homewood Suites under one shared lobby and event space, a short walk from the Raleigh Convention Center.
The concept Tempo by Hilton Raleigh Downtown is only the second U.S. outpost of Hilton's wellness-focused lifestyle brand, and North Carolina's first. It opened December 19, 2024 with 127 rooms built around a fitness-and-recovery routine: Peloton bikes and Therabody devices in guestrooms, yoga mats, a hydration bar tied to a Planet Water Foundation partnership, and flexible 'Get-Ready Zones' for working or meal prep instead of a traditional desk.
Dining & wellness Moonsong Bar + Cafe anchors the lobby in partnership with Australian coffee concept Bluestone Lane (avocado smash, smoothies, bowls, craft cocktails), while Urban Oak, a 13th-floor rooftop bar billed as the tallest in the Triangle, serves tapas, cocktails and live music with downtown skyline views.
Our take The wellness positioning is more thoroughly executed here than the usual gym-and-smoothie lip service, and Urban Oak is a legitimate reason to visit even if you're not staying the night. Rooms themselves are efficient rather than spacious, so this reads as a brand exercise more than a design destination.
Google guest reviews 4.3/5 · 185 reviews
I would like to give a huge kudos to your front desk staff, Jeremiah and Dee, at the Tempo by Hilton Downtown Raleigh. My family and I visited on Saturday, July 13th, and the customer service we received was absolutely superb.
From the moment we arrived, Jeremiah and Dee were welcoming, professional, friendly, and genuinely focused on ensuring we had a great experience. Their positive attitudes and willingness to assist made us feel valued as guests and truly set the tone for our stay.
Exceptional customer service can make all the difference, and these two went above and beyond. They are outstanding representatives of your hotel, and you need more team members like Jeremiah and Dee. Please recognize them for their excellent service and dedication to providing an exceptional guest experience.
Thank you for making our visit such a pleasant one. We look forward to returning in the future!
Urban Oak’s rooftop bar is a great spot—really loved the vibe up there. The drinks at the bar were excellent, but it was a little strange that when our server brought us the same cocktail, it came in a much smaller glass for the same price. Still, the views were fantastic and I even caught some fireworks in the distance. My hotel room was spacious and spotless. This was my second stay at Tempo, and I’m definitely coming back!
Well when we checked in we were informed that it was valet parking only for $30 per day, ok no biggie. We went up to our room and it looked like someone had sex in it right before we walked in, it was dirty. My husband's was pretty ticked off about this. We went back down to get another room ans Ashley was working Saturday July 18 front desk, and she was really rude. She told us to get back in line so she could take care of other guest. I had already waited in line. Once she found us another room she went upstairs to check the room but not before checking in a few more guest before going up. Wouldn't be comfortable referring this hotel. Valet was very rude as well. Oh yeah nice view of the Jail though!
Homewood Suites & Tempo by Hilton – Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina
Headline: Great Property, Frustrating Follow-Through
Qualification for this review:
* Business traveler
* Road warrior 8 months out of the year
* Date visited: July 4, 2026
* Length of stay: 2 nights.
* Hilton Honors Gold Member
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Review
On paper, this property checks a lot of boxes. The location is excellent, the facilities are new, and the overall appearance of the hotel is exactly what you’d expect from a newer Hilton property in downtown Raleigh.
Unfortunately, my stay was overshadowed by a series of service failures that left a lasting impression.
The first issue was with the air conditioning in our Homewood Suite. Despite running continuously, the room remained at 78 degrees. After contacting maintenance, a technician came to inspect the unit and confirmed that it was operating as designed—but essentially admitted that the unit was too small for the size of the suite and wasn’t capable of adequately cooling the room. As a result, we couldn’t comfortably open the blinds or even take a shower without the room becoming uncomfortably warm.
To their credit, the front desk initially attempted to resolve the issue by offering us a room at the connected Tempo hotel. While it wasn’t a suite and represented a downgrade in room type, we appreciated the effort and agreed to the move.
We then went out to enjoy the Fourth of July festivities and returned around 11:00 PM expecting a smooth room transfer. That’s where the experience began to unravel.
When I approached the front desk to obtain the new room key, the employee working that evening seemed dismissive from the start. After I explained the situation, he appeared unfamiliar with the arrangement and spent roughly 15 minutes checking records and making phone calls before finally confirming that the room move had been approved.
Once the new room was confirmed, I was told I would need to go upstairs, remove all of my belongings from the original room, return to the front desk with the room keys, and only then would I receive the key to the new room. I asked if I could simply receive the new key first, move my belongings directly to the new room, and then return the old keys afterward. This seemed like a reasonable request, especially given the circumstances, but he refused.
What should have been a simple room transfer turned into an unnecessarily difficult process. At one point, the employee disappeared into the back office and left the front desk unattended until another guest arrived. By the time I finally received the new room key, approximately 45 to 50 minutes had passed.
Following the stay, I filed a formal complaint with Hilton Customer Care. Unfortunately, I never received a callback from hotel management or from Hilton regarding my concerns. In fact, during the interaction, the front desk employee even suggested that Hilton Customer Care should call him directly if there were any questions.
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Highlights
✔ Excellent downtown Raleigh location
✔ Modern facilities and newer property
✔ Initial effort by staff to offer an alternative room
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Areas for Improvement
* Air conditioning capacity in Homewood Suites
* Room transfer procedures
* Front desk professionalism and communication
* Follow-up on guest complaints
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Verdict
This property has all the ingredients to be a great stay: a prime location, modern facilities, and strong brand backing. Unfortunately, the combination of an inadequately cooled suite, a frustrating late-night room transfer, and the complete lack of follow-up after a formal complaint significantly impacted the experience.
The most disappointing part wasn’t the air conditioning issue—it was how the situation was handled afterward. Problems happen. Service recovery is what separates good hotels from great ones.
Would stay again: Maybe
🛫 Air Warrior Score: 5.5/10
“From takeoff to checkout.” — Air Warrior
The Road Is Home Traveler · 2/5 I enjoyed my stay at Tempo by Hilton Raleigh Downtown. The hotel is modern, clean, and beautifully designed — I absolutely loved the layout of the hotel, it’s gorgeous. Check‑in was quick and easy, my room was comfortable, and both housekeeping and guest services were excellent. Everyone I interacted with (outside of breakfast) was friendly, helpful, and attentive. The Bluetooth capabilities built right into the bathroom mirror were such a nice touch and made getting ready even better.
The only downside was the breakfast experience. Breakfast was wrapping up, but the way the attendant spoke to guests felt unnecessarily personal and rude. I could overhear her conversations, and at one point she said, “If we make food and you don’t eat it, we have to throw it away… and you should’ve come earlier. I’ve been here since 5:30 and breakfast starts at 6.” Her tone came across as dismissive and unprofessional, which didn’t match the otherwise great service from the rest of the staff. Parking is also on the expensive side, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Overall, it’s a great hotel with strong service in most areas, and I’d stay again.
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