Williamsburg, Virginia, is a small city with a lot to offer. It boasts the College of William and Mary, Busch Gardens, and of course Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest living-history museum, and much more. It’s also close to the historic sites of Jamestown and Yorktown.
The purpose of this post is to help you choose the best lodging for your visit to Williamsburg.
If you’re planning to spend most of your time exploring Colonial Williamsburg, I recommend staying at one of its official properties. The advantages to staying on site often include: length-of-stay tickets, convenient parking, access to exclusive events like walking tours, and proximity that allows you to get the most out of your visit. As of this writing, Colonial Williamsburg hotels are offering a 10 percent discount to Virginia residents. You have several options:
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Williamsburg Inn
Over the years, this luxury hotel has hosted luminaries including Queen Elizabeth II and Ronald Reagan. The rooms are tasteful and beautiful, with spacious marble bathrooms. The Inn is steps away from the Historic Area. It is my favorite place to stay in Williamsburg.
Colonial Houses and Tavern Rooms
These historic accommodations feature period rooms with modern bathrooms right in the Historic Area, so you don’t have to break the magic. You can choose a stand-alone Colonial House or a private Tavern Room. I once stayed in a Tavern Room with a canopy bed, a fireplace, and a fabulous location just off Duke of Gloucester Street.
Williamsburg Lodge
This midscale hotel offers comfortable rooms with a rustic ambiance a short walk from the Historic Area. It is affiliated with the Marriott Bonvoy frequent-travel program. I often stay here for one- or two-night working get-aways to Williamsburg.
Griffin Hotel
The midscale Griffin Hotel offers a quiet location, with a nature trail out back, a short walk from the Historic Area. It is something of a detached appendage to the Inn, with no on-site personnel or interior amenities.
Woodlands Hotel & Suites
The family-oriented Woodlands Hotel & Suites provides simple rooms and complimentary breakfast. It is near the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, a long walk or a short shuttle ride to the Historic Area.
If you’re planning to spend most of your time elsewhere, or if you simply prefer not to stay on site, greater Williamsburg offers a range of hotels:
Kingsmill Resort
This upscale resort features three golf courses and a fabulous location on the James River. It also offers local shuttle service.
Great Wolf Lodge
The two main draws of this all-suite family hotel are its on-site water park and its proximity to Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que, the best barbecue spot in Virginia.
If you like the casual convenience of select-service hotels, you’re in luck, because Williamsburg has lots of them. A few of the better ones are:
- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Williamsburg East
- Holiday Inn Express Williamsburg Busch Gardens Area
- Hampton Inn & Suites Williamsburg Historic District
I fell in love with travel on a trip to Mexico when I was nine years old. Since then, I’ve travelled the globe from Israel to El Salvador. I’ve skied the Swiss Alps and hiked national parks like Acadia, Zion, Shenandoah, and Virgin Islands. I’ve marvelled at masterpieces in the Prado, the Uffizi, the Huntington, and the National Gallery of Art. I’ve stayed in a cabin on a mountaintop in Norway and on a kibbutz along the Sea of Galilee, and been kicked out of the Ritz at the Place Vendôme. I’ve taken cooking classes from New England to the Caribbean, and watched a chef prepare traditional shakshuka in the kitchen of his restaurant in Tel Aviv. I weave historical research and my personal experiences together in writing this blog. I hope you find it helpful. Read more …