The Jefferson Hotel has been the gold standard for discerning visitors to Richmond (including 13 U.S. presidents) since 1895. Not content to rest on their laurels, the hotel completed a renovation in 2016, restoring its landmarked public areas and refreshing and expanding the guest rooms and suites. The new rooms feel more like posh apartments, with doorbells, foyers to the sitting and dressing areas, and luxury touches like soaking tubs, walk-in showers, and in-mirror televisions. The alligator drawer pulls are a nod to the creatures who used to live in the lobby fountains in the early 20th century. The Rotunda and Palm Court lobbies, with their Tiffany stained glass ceilings, have overlooked many power meetings and celebrations, and provide a magnificent backdrop for decadent afternoon tea or the popular champagne Sunday brunch. The four-star Lemaire restaurant serves a New American menu of Virginia ingredients in their distinctive dining rooms, while the more relaxed TJ’s bistro is open for hearty breakfasts and classic lunch fare. Guests of the Jefferson may work off all that locally sourced food at the 3,000-square-foot gym or in the indoor pool with skylights and an outdoor pool deck.
The Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel
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Jefferson Hotel Lobby
On a recent weekend trip to DC, I made my way to Monticello and eventually Richmond, VA. Jefferson is truly Richmond’s adopted first son and the Jefferson hotel is a must-see in the city. The lobby is grand and historical with a statue of Jefferson in the centre, underneath a gorgeous stained-glass ceiling.
Tradition At It's Finest
Technically, if you visit Richmond, Virginia there is only one place to stay: The Jefferson. It is one of the oldest and most well known hotels in the country, and located right downtown, it’s also terribly convenient. My Dinner With Andre was filmed here (as was the far lesser known 80’s flop, Rock N Roll Hotel), it’s where the celebrities stay, whether they are rock musicians playing a show at the nearby venue, The National, or the actors from the Lincoln movie. The Jefferson reeks of old money and Southern Tradition. I’ve been told that it’s worth the price to stay a night in one of the exquisite rooms. However, as a broke artist and a local, I feed my occasional need to feel sophisticated by dropping by the lobby bar for classic cocktails done right, specifically Southern staples like old fashioneds, mint juleps, or any sort of bourbon.
