We’ve recently welcomed two new boutique hotels to the area: Hotel Petersburg opened in its namesake city this past December, and Shenandoah Mansions is slated to open this spring in the Fan. One peek at their social media and you’ll be shouting, “Staycation!” from Hotel Petersburg’s rooftop bar.
The historic hotels are in good company, too, with peers like Quirk and The Jefferson.
There are other lovely places to stay in town, yes, but these four all double down on one very important promise—an elevated, in-house dining experience.
Modern comfort, historic charm
We’re a quarter of the way into the 21st century. Whether you’re operating a single-room Airbnb or a historic manse, you better have a bar, a restaurant, and a few signature cocktails on deck. Even La Quinta has a continental breakfast each morning.
While the options abound, the question remains: Can hotel dining ever really overcome its middling reputation?
In 2023, Roger Sands wrote for Forbes about the “resurgence of the hotel restaurant,” a movement “perhaps inspired” in part by the hit HBO series “White Lotus” [side trivia: current season three features former Richmonder Leslie Bibb].
Sands briefly profiled four high-end hotels, two in New York City, one in Playa del Carmen and one in Turks and Caicos, places that are a far cry from the River City. But what Central Virginia lacks in glitz and glam (and sandy beaches) it more than makes up for in rich history.
“I’ve always admired [the hotel building],” says Hotel Petersburg owner and Petersburg native Nat Cuthbert. “It’s my favorite period of commercial building, the first quarter of the 20th century. They’re substantial and built on a grand scale, but there’s plenty of detail that’s interesting to the eye,” he says. “There weren’t any nice hotels in Petersburg—I thought this would fill a niche.”
Cuthbert acquired the six-story, circa-1915 building in 2017. “It seemed to be calling out,” he says.
Hotel Petersburg officially opened the first week of December 2024. Accommodations include finely appointed king rooms, queen rooms and suites outfitted with 55-inch flat-screen TVs; complimentary coffee and tea; spacious bathrooms; and huge, handsome old windows. There’s a 24-hour fitness center in the basement and a “Ladies’ Writing Room” in the lobby.
The hotel design effortlessly blends the charm of the early 20th century with the convenience of 21st century amenities. Cuthbert and Richmond-based boutique hospitality firm, Retro Hospitality, saw to it that no detail was overlooked during the years-long renovation process.
And there is perhaps no more successful blending of old and new than the hotel’s myriad dining options.
“I think the food was certainly an important part of the early days of the hotel,” says Cuthbert, who notes that the original Hotel Petersburg served as a hub for social and business engagements of Southside Virginia.
The hotel’s main restaurant, Shirley’s, “hearkens back to another time,” says Cuthbert. The name is a nod to the hotel that came before Hotel Petersburg, The Shirley Hotel, built on the same site.
The menu, too, feels a bit nostalgic, with regional favorites aplenty including fried green tomatoes, bread and pimento and a veg-heavy, Virginia farm plate.
The dishes are far from stale, though.
“We designed the Shirley’s menu to be Southern at its core, but modern Southern with nods to flavors from around the world,” says Executive Chef Mina Mahrous. Those fried green tomatoes, for instance, are served with burrata, melding classic Southern and Italian flavors.
Mahrous oversees all restaurant operations, as well as the hotel’s other dining ⇒
concepts: the adjoining Shirley’s Bar (they make an exceptional espresso martini); the speakeasy-style cocktail lounge, The Boiler Room located in, yes, the former boiler room; and soon-to-open rooftop bar, 20 West.
“[Overseeing] food and beverage at a hotel is a 24/7 operation,” says Mahrous. “It really never stops.”
A portal between time and place
Just a quick drive down I-95, veritable Richmond landmark, The Jefferson Hotel, houses its own luxury accommodations—and plentiful dining options.
There’s signature restaurant and bar Lemaire, the more laid-back TJ’s restaurant, plus a separate afternoon tea service and Champagne Sunday brunch. Hundreds of guests—both tourists and in-the-know locals—filter in and out of the expansive 19th-century building, sipping, supping and sleeping.
If the hustle and bustle of hotel hospitality could threaten to dilute the quality of the restaurant experience, Lemaire Executive Chef Patrick Willis answers that threat with his artfully curated menu of vibrant, seasonal dishes that honor the state’s Tidewater, Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountain regions.
“I have found that guests want an extraordinary experience with hotel dining,” says Willis.
Part of what makes the hotel dining experience, when done well, extraordinary is the otherworldly joy one feels when feasting on divine fare in a gorgeous setting, with your room only an elevator ride away.
The highly anticipated Shenandoah Mansions—the latest property from New York based hotelier, Ash—is no stranger to immersive experiences, promising to create a “dreamy version of Richmond” within their walls, says a spokesperson.
Located at 501 N. Allen Ave., Shenandoah Mansions, originally luxe apartment buildings, then a senior living facility, was designed at the turn of the 20th century by Richmond-dwelling, German-born architect Carl Ruehrmund, who was often contracted by John D. Rockefeller for work on various projects.
Shenandoah Mansions has 73 guest rooms, each inspired by different historic residences throughout the state. For dining, it will have the third iteration of Ash—Bar plus a daily café and specialty bar, The Phone Inn. The latter’s cocktail menu will “showcase Shenandoah classics alongside timeless hotel-era cocktails from the late 19th-to mid-20th century,” says a spokesperson for Ash. The food will range from classic European dishes to regional cuisine.
They want all of their properties—located in Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans, Providence and now, Richmond—and their various nooks and crannies to feel “absolutely transporting,” while also drawing upon their home city “for motifs that really define the space.”
Stay a while
“Every hotel wants to encourage their guests to fall in love with the city, they want you to visit again,” says Quirk Lobby Bar Executive Chef Felipe Bolivar. “They don’t want you to stay in the hotel the whole time.”
For Bolivar, the beauty of hotel restaurants, versus their standalone counterparts, is that you’re getting the best of both worlds.
“As a hotel restaurant, we can meet your needs in ways other places might not be able to,” he says.
Built in 1916 as the J.B. Mosby and Co. Dry Goods Store, the building at 201 W Broad St. that now houses Quirk Hotel is certainly just as charming and historic as Hotel Petersburg and The Jefferson.
But where Shirley’s and Lemaire feel imbued with nostalgia, Quirk Lobby Bar feels a bit more referential. There’s a nod to the history of the building and the city—and Bolivar is always on top of using the freshest seasonal, regional ingredients in his dishes—but there’s a sense that you’re somewhere else entirely from Richmond.
The design of the restaurant lends itself to gatherings of all shapes and sizes, with an open invitation for guests to stay for one drink, or stay all night.
The Lobby Bar’s menu is purposefully “heavy on the share plates,” says Bolivar, with a few entrées that are creative enough to entice the local diner but familiar enough to comfort the weary traveler.
“There’s this understanding when it comes to our hotel guests that you have to be able to meet their every need as much as possible,” Bolivar explains. “We want guests to venture out, to go to Adarra, go to Alewife. But there’s that peace of mind that when you come back, we’ll be here for you with a nightcap, maybe some snacks. And your room is right upstairs.”
Locked in for staycation mode? Stay here, go there:
Hotel Petersburg
20 W Tabb St.
Dine: It may not look like much (you will likely pass it and have to double back—keep your eyes peeled) but History Breakfast and Brunch makes a bangin’ breakfast sandwich. And it’s only a five-minute walk from the hotel.
Visit: Owner Nat Cuthbert recommends a visit to Blanford Church which houses 15 original Tiffany stained-glass windows.
Quirk
201 W Broad St.
Dine: Located smack dab on Broad Street, Quirk is within a stone’s throw of myriad dining options. It’s a five-minute walk to Grace Street’s Elegant Cuizines (read more about the West African fine dining restaurant on pg 17); new cozy spot Sweet P’s is across the street serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch (save room for the chocolate souffle); and Birdie’s is right next door with all the fresh seafood your central Virginia heart desires (read more about the café and bar on pg 34).
Visit: Inspired by the art-forward hotel? Grab a latte from the Quirk Café and pop into Quirk Gallery before moseying down Broad to 1708 Gallery.
The Jefferson Hotel
101 W Franklin St.
Drink: You need not go far to enjoy one of the best happy hours in town. Sidle up to the bar at Lemaire for $8 old fashioneds and cosmos, $4 select beer and $6 house red and white wine.
Dine (and drink some more): Penny’s Wine Shop is only a seven-minute walk from the Jefferson. Savor seasonal plates and choose from a hella fun wine selection.
Shenandoah Mansions
501 N Allen Ave.
Dine: With a coveted Fan address, this boutique hotel is smack dab in the middle of plenty of walkable dining options. Check out Polpetti deli or Joe’s Inn for a hearty lunch (and read more about both on pg 12 and pg 18).
Visit: Immerse yourself for the first time—or the 100th—in Richmond’s music scene with a visit to The Camel, a four-minute walk from the hotel.
Pro tip: For locals, the Ash team suggests a staycation in one of the 6th floor suites, which have “large sitting areas, wet bars and luxurious bathtubs with views over the Fan district.”
