PHOTOS BY BUZ NACHLAS
Photo by Buz Nachlas
Opened in 1937, the Williamsburg Inn has once again this year earned a five-star award from Forbes Travel Guide.
One of my first visits to Williamsburg was on a field trip, as a sophomore in high school, flying in from Minneapolis to Washington, D.C. and taking a tour bus there. I still remember watching a blacksmith and visiting a tavern at Colonial Williamsburg.
Fast forward to today. As a resident of Northern Virginia, I still enjoy visiting Williamsburg, checking out all the colonial architecture and history. But I recently took the R&R factor up a notch when I got a chance to stay at the Williamsburg Inn, which is kind of like visiting a very wealthy uncle's beautiful country estate.
Photo by Buz Nachlas
Luxurious and historic, the Williamsburg Inn is reflected in a pool at its entrance.
The 62-room inn, located at 136 E. Francis St., just across the street from Colonial Williamsburg, is an easy two-and-a-half hour drive from Alexandria (an EZ-Pass comes in handy in backed-up traffic on I-95, both ways). The inn opened in 1937 and was built by John D. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, who undertook the restoration of Virginia's colonial capital. The inn has hosted political dignitaries Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Emperor Hirohito, not to mention Salvador Dali, Shirley Temple and Betty White.
Photo by Buz Nachlas
Flowers arranged by an in-house florist brighten the Williamsburg Inn lobby.
The first thing I noticed when I arrived was the top-notch level of customer service offered to visitors and the attention to detail in the hotel's decor. I was met with helpful and friendly employees — from the bellman to the folks at the front desk (which is actually a desk and not a counter). The spacious lobby is flanked by fireplaces and historic photos, with sparkling chandeliers overhead and bouquets of fresh-cut flowers in beautiful arrangements created by the inn's in-house florist. The lobby has plenty of comfortable seating areas and looks out on a stone patio, burbling fountain and pristine golf course surrounded by woods and tall trees.
I stayed in a very spacious and comfortable room on the same floor where Queen Elizabeth stayed. She visited the inn twice — in 1957 for the 350th anniversary of the nation's first permanent English settlement and again in 2007 for the 400th anniversary. (The inn is the only hotel she's ever stayed in while visiting the United States.)
Photo courtesy of the Williamsburg Inn
The family pool at the Williamsburg Inn is heated to 83 degrees.
In addition to three golf courses, the inn also features a fitness center, a 20,000-square-foot full-service spa (The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg) offering skincare, massage treatments and salon services, as well as three swimming pools — one indoors, an outdoor family pool (heated to 83 degrees) and a tranquility pool for grown-ups where loud cell phone use is discouraged. There's also a snack bar at the pool where you can order lunch.
In addition to golf, spa treatments and the swimming pools, Colonial Williamsburg has loads of activities scheduled daily, which you can check on here.
Dining at Colonial Williamsburg
Dinner at one of Colonial Williamsburg's taverns (we tried King's Arms Tavern, an easy walk from the inn) is a real treat. (Be sure to make a reservation.) You'll wait outside the tavern before a hostess comes out to call your name. We were seated right at the time of our reservation and decided to try Mrs. Purdie's Salet, a baby iceberg lettuce salad with heirloom tomatoes, crispy bacon and Blue Cheese dressing; we followed that with the Chesapeake Smoked Fish Dip, made with Corvina, and it was delicious. Of our two entrees, the Madeira Braised Shank of Lamb got more raves than the Chef's Catch.
Photo by Mary Ann Barton
From the inn's Terrace Room: Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd, Orange Blossom Scented Strawberries and Whipped Cream
Just off the lobby of the inn is The Terrace Room, a great spot for Sunday brunch with live music and delicious menu options. All of the table locations are good but if it's a beautiful day out, try to get a spot by the window. You can opt for three courses (which includes the Signature Hummingbird Muffin with Spice Butter as well as coffee, tea, juice or milk). For a first course I tried the Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt Parfait which was sublime thanks to the marinated berries added to it. My brunch companion tried the Hot Smoked Loch Duart Salmon and loved it. For our next course we both tried the Eggs Benedict which was also very tasty. We somehow had room for dessert — an Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd, Orange Blossom Scented Strawberries and Whipped Cream. It was heavenly!
Other Restaurants Nearby
Outside of the hotel, we also tried Le Yaca French Restaurant, at 1430 High St., just a short drive away. The Saumon d'Ecosse (salmon) was delicious as were the Coquilles saint-jacques (scallops). We finished off the meal with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. The service was great.
For a more casual lunch, visit the lively Riverwalk Landing's Water Street Grille, 323 Water St., in Yorktown, about a 20-minute drive from the inn. You can sit inside or outside right by the river. We tried the Sweet Chili Calamari and Cobb salads — both were excellent. If you're lucky, you might catch some live music in the park next door after lunch.
If you've got the family in tow, you might want to check out Busch Gardens, which is now open to the public. You must have your ticket before you go or you will be turned away from the front gate even before you get out of your car (which happened to the car in front of us). And if you plan to go, go early. There are long lines to get past a "toll booth," where one person in each booth is responsible for two lines. Although a lot of restaurants and rides are closed, it's a beautiful place for strolling around on a pretty day and you can stop and see one of the Clydesdale horses at Highland Stables and visit Lorikeet Glen to visit the colorful Lorikeet birds. They'll perch on your shoulder or on your head and be careful, they might even peck your neck!
Only two hours from Alexandria, Williamsburg is a getaway that offers a setting that is not only interesting for history buffs but offers lots of relaxing activities from golf to spa treatments to fun dining experiences to exploring Colonial Williamsburg. Enjoy!
