Photo courtesy of Salamander Middleburg
Salamander Middleburg Grand Lawn
Several Virginia resorts, restaurants and spas were recognized Wednesday, Feb. 12 by the Forbes Travel Guide annual awards program, earning the guide’s 2025 Star Awards.
Eight Virginia hotels in all were recognized, with two receiving five stars, three in the four-star category and three in the “recommended” category.
The hotels and driving times from Alexandria are below, with comments from the Forbes review:
In the 5-star category:
Photo courtesy of The Inn at Little Washington
The Inn at Little Washington
- The Inn at Little Washington (Washington), (1 hour, 20 minutes)
Savvy epicureans book a room — and a table — at The Inn at Little Washington. Tucked away in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the inn offers visitors a taste of the good life, complete with afternoon tea with scones and tartlets.
- Salamander Middleburg (Middleburg), (1 hour) (see top image)
A stylish addition to Sheila C. Johnson’s Salamander Collection, the luxurious Salamander Middleburg is perched on 340 scenic acres in the heart of Vir
ginia’s horse and wine country.’
In the 4-star category:
- The Inn at Willow Grove (Orange), (1.5 hours)
Image courtesy of The Inn at Willow Grove
A front porch at The Inn at Willow Grove
Inn at Willow Grove is a beautiful, plantation-style estate set amid panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and unspoiled Central Virginia farmland
- Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards (Bristol), (5 hours, 45 minutes)
Escape to Nicewonder Farm & Vineyard’s 450 acres of rolling hills, lush green vineyards and luxurious dwellings, all in the stunning Virginia Highlands.
- Williamsburg Inn (Williamsburg), (2 hours)
Photo by Buz Nachlas
Opened in 1937, the Williamsburg Inn has once again this year earned a five-star award from Forbes Travel Guide.
Situated across the street from the historic downtown, the hotel is steeped in the Regency style of early-19th-century England with large columns, iron railings and a portico entrance, a contrast to the predominantly simple colonial architecture of Williamsburg.
In the Recommended category:
- Boars Head Resort (Charlottesville), (2 hours, 15 minutes)
Boar’s Head Resort may rest on a 1734 land grant, but Charlottesville’s historic inn exudes modern, Southern swank.
- The Jefferson Hotel (Richmond), (2 hours)
This architecturally magnificent hotel was the dream project of New York-born Lewis Ginter, who made a fortune in his adopted hometown and decided to leave Richmond with a lasting legacy.
- The Tides Inn (Irvington), (2 hours, 15 minutes)
Photo courtesy of the Tides Inn
Tides Inn, Irvington, Va.
Like something out of a James Michener novel, the picture-perfect property that has welcomed visitors to its own peninsula since 1947 could not be more scenic.
In the restaurant category, the restaurants are:
- Harrimans Grill (at Salamander Middleburg): 5 star
- The Inn at Little Washington (at Inn at Little Washington): 5 star
- Vintage Restaurant (at the Inn at Willow Grove): 4 star
- Rockefeller Room (at Williamsburg Inn): Recommended
Two spas received recognition: The Salamander Spa received five stars and The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg, located at the Williamsburg Inn, received four stars.
One of the key trends noted by the guide: Hotels are embracing an increasingly adventurous luxury clientele exploring less-traveled locales, as evidenced by new destinations on the 2025 list. Authenticity is key; inspectors noted a sense of place created not only by décor and cuisine, but also through the thoughtful integration of local customs and history.
Forbes Travel Guide is the only independent global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruises. The 67th annual list spans more than 2,100 properties in 90 countries.
It features 336 Five-Star, 645 Four-Star and 567 Recommended hotels; 79 Five-Star, 128 Four-Star and 64 Recommended restaurants; 124 Five-Star and 224 Four-Star spas; seven Four-Star and seven Recommended cruise ships; and three Four-Star and three Recommended cruise ship restaurants—a new rating accolade.
