Frankly, my dear! The historic Jefferson Hotel in downtown
Richmond, Virginia, makes you feel like a proper Southern belle.
How could you not feel that way going down these steps?
Since 1895, The Jefferson Hotel has been one of the grandest
hotels in America. Debutante after debutante
has made her debut down these historic steps.
More than 100 celebrities, including presidents, have graced these
steps, and now my family had the honor as well.
I stopped at The Jefferson for a quick overnight this summer
on my way to Williamsburg, Virginia. Boy,
was I impressed.
As soon as you drive up, you know big things are in store
once you step inside this five-star historic jewel.
From Tiffany-stained glass ceilings to a life-sized marble
statue of Thomas Jefferson, The Jefferson Hotel is luxury on a grand scale.
But this gem of a hotel has had a storied past. Major Lewis Ginter, a millionaire and
Confederate Army veteran of the Civil War, dreamed of building the finest hotel
in America. He finally opened his $8
million dollar dream hotel in 1895, but died two years later, and his dream
nearly died when a fire destroyed three-fifths of the hotel in 1901. The Thomas Jefferson statue by sculptor Edwin
Valentine was saved, by the sculptor himself, but the head broke off in
attempts to get it out the door.
Could that have been a sign that this elegant property would
eventually fall on hard times? Even though the sculptor was able to reattach
the president’s head, it took several years before the hotel was opened to its
full glory again in 1907. The hotel was
the “it” spot for elite travelers to stop on their way to and from Palm Beach. Strangely, guests even left behind baby alligators
in their rooms, which were sold as pets in Florida during this era, and the
hotel decided to let the alligators grow to their full size in pools in The
Palm Court, which now serves as the current lobby of the hotel.
World War II and another fire in 1944 put the hotel in a huge
state of decline. The last alligator to
live in the marble pools was “Old Pompey,” and he died in 1948. America’s elite no longer stopped here as it
was no longer the type of property they would frequent.
Eventually, The Jefferson Hotel closed its doors in 1980 and
remained closed until 1986. It took more
than $34 million to restore this beauty to its former glory. In 1994, the hotel received five-star status
and once again became Ginter’s living dream as of one of the finest hotels in
America.
Our Suite in the Jefferson Hotel
There are currently 261 luxurious guest rooms and suites at The
Jefferson Hotel. The theme here is richly residential. It’s plush, elegant, and fits the image of a
historic hotel.
We had a one-bedroom suite with a pull-out sofa. It was a great space for our family.
The hotel made our children feel right at home with special
gifts of soft, plush alligators. The
alligator is the mascot for the hotel, and is another way the hotel remembers
its glorious past and the memory of “Old Pompey.” My daughter continues to
sleep with her pink alligator at home, and it’s a perfect memento of our stay.
This hotel is five-star, but it’s not too stuffy for
children. I never once felt that my children were out of place.
The beds are luxurious, and the room has up-to-date modern
conveniences, including complimentary Wi-Fi.
The bathroom was gorgeous, extremely spacious, stocked
with Molton Brown bath products, a wall-mounted television, and everything else you expect in a luxury
property.
Turn-down service is always a treat, and I especially love it
when housekeeping at luxury hotels takes extra care to get old friends and new
friends ready for bed. The Jefferson
Hotel passed my “luvie” turndown test with flying colors.
When we were in Richmond, it rained most of the evening. The Jefferson Hotel has a lovely indoor pool,
and, of course, my two tested it out during the storm before dinner in town.
This is a great space in the hotel, and, in nicer weather,
there is also a beautiful terrace for guests to use.
Afternoon Tea is a Delight at Jefferson Hotel
Dining in Richmond
While in Virginia’s state capital, I had the opportunity to
meet the lovely blogger behind Sundresses and Smiles. I’ve been corresponding
with Allie since we first started blogging and wanted to meet her while in town
during our short stay. We met her and
her boyfriend Bryce at the locally owned Tarrant’s Cafe, which is located a few
short blocks away from The Jefferson Hotel.
Tarrant’s is housed in an old Richmond downtown drugstore,
and the food was delicious. It prides
itself on upscale food at an affordable price. I really wanted something light
after that huge afternoon tea, and the menu at Tarrant’s had something for
everyone, as well as local Virginia craft brews. The kids also had a lot of great options,
too. I’m glad Allie suggested it.
Unfortunately, my stay was too short to have dinner at the
hotel’s signature restaurant, Lemaire, so I’ll have to save that for another
time. Lemaire showcases a farm-to-table
menu in a fun and casual atmosphere with small plates starting a $5 and no
entrée above $30. It’s one of Richmond’s
top-ranked restaurants.
TJ’s Bar and Lounge, also in The Jefferson Hotel, would have
been another great option for a lighter meal that evening, but you all know I
like to combine my hotels with a little bit of the city I’m visiting, too. I had no time to sightsee on this trip in
Richmond since my final destination was Williamsburg, and I really wanted to
make some time to visit with Allie.
I will definitely have to head back to Richmond to see
more. Richmond, Virginia, is about two-and-a-half
hours from Raleigh.
In HinesSight on my Stay
I definitely recommend The Jefferson Hotel as a place to stay
while in Richmond. I think it would be
extra special during the holidays, too.
My Mom told me that Richmond used to be the place that Southerners would
go to shop every holiday at the five-story Miller and Rhoads department store.
That building is now an apartment building, but The Jefferson is still a
popular spot to celebrate the holidays, during the hotel’s busiest time of the
year.
My only disappointment about the hotel is that it currently
does not offer in-room coffee aside from room service. They, do, however, offer
complimentary tea and coffee in the lobby every morning, but I missed that
detail at check-in. A pot of coffee for two for room service is $10.75 plus tip
and room service charge. The hotel says it
is currently evaluating its in-room coffee services, but it has not yet found a
product that rivals the taste of the coffee in the lobby. If you do stay, do make note that there is
complimentary coffee and tea each morning.
Not sure if robes are welcomed there, though.
Regular room rates begin at $365 per night. Suites range from
$435 to $2,100 per night. The hotel does
offer special rates quite regularly, though, and you can find a package for the
holiday season for $245 with a $50 resort credit. The hotel was renovating some rooms while I
was there, and I did stay in a freshly updated room. As with any historic
properties, rooms constantly need to be enhanced.
The Jefferson is a member of the Preferred Hotel and Resorts
and Historic Hotels of America. The
hotel is locally owned by the Keswick group, which has some great Southern
hotels in its portfolio. The Jefferson is one of only a handful of hotels in North America to hold both the Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond Awards.
Disclosure: This Pack
Your Bags feature was made possible by a media visit. I did have my own expenses, and my
experiences and opinions are my own, as always.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Social Icons