21 Best Hotels in Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, Virginia

Historic details and curated art add flair to this luxury downtown hotel, with views over the Elizabeth River. It’s within easy walking distance of more than 50 restaurants—though its three dining options will entice you to not step out the door.

This Hilton is the only four-star hotel in Virginia Beach; towering 21 stories over the oceanfront, it has shops, three restaurants, a rooftop bar, and infinity pool. The seafood restaurant, Catch 31, receives consistently good reviews, and there is great outdoor seating overlooking the boardwalk. At night the bar is a happening scene for thirtysomethings. Rooms use muted tan textiles to give the space a warm feeling. Flat-screen TVs are in both bedrooms and the bathrooms. Most rooms have balconies with panoramic views, but if yours lacks a beachfront view, you can always hang out at the rooftop pool with rails of glass looking down to the boardwalk. Recently upgraded, the three floors of the Empyrean Club level have really taken it up a notch: the bathrooms even have built-in TVs in the mirrors. Book early, as the Hilton sells out quickly, even in the off-season.

This manicured 2,900-acre resort on the James River owned by Xanterra is easily the nicest resort in Williamsburg and the largest golf resort in Virginia: it hosts the LPGA's Kingsmill Championship each May. You can play year-round on three championship courses. The guest rooms have fireplaces and Colonial-style furniture. There are three restaurants on the property: Bray Bistro, James Landing Grill, and Elements 1010. All guest rooms have been renovated, and a Lazy River pool with sandy beach is perfect for kids.

It's hard to argue with a hotel that presents luxury in a great location. A marble-and-granite lobby with colorful couches, a fireplace, and views of the giant outdoor fountain sets the tone. Rooms have plush beds dressed in yellows and blues and comfort touches like high-speed Internet or flat-screen plasma TVs. There is a beautiful two-story piano room, great for hosting parties and wedding receptions. Marriott is walking distance to the City Center at Oyster Point, filled with open air shops and restaurants. A great central location means you'll have access to explore Williamsburg in one direction, Norfolk and Virginia Beach in the other.

A stay here seems particularly moving at night, when the town's historic area is quiet and you have Williamsburg pretty much to yourself. Five of the 25 homes and three lodging taverns are 18th-century structures; the others have been rebuilt on their original foundations. Antiques and period reproductions furnish the rooms, and the costumed staff reinforces the historical air. Modern amenities include hair dryers, irons, ironing boards, coffeemakers, and a complimentary fruit basket and bottle of wine. The Colonial Houses share the facilities of the adjacent Williamsburg Inn and the Lodge.

All rooms in this classic motel face the water and are only a few steps from a sandy public beach on the York River. The furnishings include quilted bedspreads and reproduction wood furniture. The motel also has a swimming pool and a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch daily and dinner Wednesday–Sunday. It is an easy walk to the riverfront and its shops and restaurants. The free Yorktown Trolley stops right outside the hotel.

On the second floor of Merchants Square and practically across the street from the historic district stands this family-run B&B (there's no elevator). Each room is stylishly decorated by the owner in a motif that spotlights an aspect of Williamsburg town history. Modern amenities include a hair dryer, cable TV, and in-room phones with voice mail. Rooms have either a shower or a combination tub-shower. Included in the rates are homemade cookies, nonalcoholic beverages, and a full hot breakfast.

Conveniently located in Downtown Norfolk, this boutique hotel run by Marriott occupies a reimagined historic building dating from 1912 and showcases exceptional works of glass art (Norfolk once was famous for its glass production).

This light and airy hotel is within walking distance of a mall, restaurants, and movie theaters. One interesting detail is that the hotel features the latest in "ergonomic" furniture—designed for support and to reduce fatigue. Children will enjoy the heated swimming pool. Across the street is a multiplex movie theater and numerous restaurants. Cooked-to-order breakfast is included.

Halfway between Colonial Williamsburg and Virginia Beach, this complex of buildings stands on 13 beautifully landscaped acres. Some rooms overlook the indoor pool in the atrium while others have doors that open, motel-style, directly onto the parking lot. There was a complete renovation in 2013, including the indoor pool. There's free Wi-Fi, and rates now include a hot breakfast.

Located in the redeveloped downtown area, this hotel is near the Waterside Festival Marketplace shopping area, and it's close to Town Point Park, the site of many festivals. The handsome lobby, with wood paneling, a central staircase, silk tapestries, and Federal-style furniture, sets a high standard that continues throughout the hotel. Rooms are somewhat small, but outfitted with everything the business traveler could ask for—including two telephones, voice mail, and Internet access.

As a working farm, this spot stands out from similar B&Bs in the area; inside, antebellum-era antiques original to the house, as well as Civil War maps and artifacts, decorate every room. The 1819 Greek Revival home was built for Sarah Harrison, sister of President William Henry Harrison, by her husband John Minge. Rooms are generously sized, particularly for a home of this era. There's a nice pool on peaceful grounds, which will appeal to families. The Southern breakfast here might include buttermilk biscuits, Smithfield ham, apple butter, bacon and sausage, and strong coffee, served on antique china. Reviewers rave about hospitality of the hosts.

This former Ramada has everything you could want in a budget hotel: reasonable rates and a location convenient to all the museums, plantation houses, and business centers of Newport News, plus Fort Lee, NASA Langley, Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Busch Gardens. The rooms, decorated in dated paisley prints and mahogany furnishings, have refrigerators and microwaves. Don't overlook the free shuttle for Newport News Williamsburg Airport and the Amtrak station. Ask for a room in the "tower," the most recently renovated part of the hotel.

Yes, this is a hotel chain in the Marriott family, but it still stands out from the pack because all the rooms here are suites—outfitted with two flat-screen TVs, separate living area, and granite-counter-top kitchenettes. The rooms have bursts of color: red, blue, and yellow linens and carpets mixed with tropical art on the walls. Its location is close to events on the end of the boardwalk. From the balcony you can see fireworks (when launched) and free beach concerts. Breakfast is always included; the Belgian-waffle station is a standout. And parking is free—a rarity on the beach. Although it's a newer property, some of the rooms' carpets are showing damage. Ask to inspect a room before booking it.

This inn was designed by a Colonial Williamsburg architect to resemble a period structure: the two-story redbrick building at the center has a wood-frame wing. Appropriate antiques and reproductions decorate the interior. The War Hill is inside a 32-acre operating cattle farm, 4 miles from the Colonial Williamsburg information center. Those in search of privacy may want one of the cottages or the first-floor suite (other rooms open onto a common hallway).

This grand hotel from 1937 is owned and operated by Colonial Williamsburg—rooms are beautifully and individually furnished with reproductions and antiques in the English Regency style, and genteel service and tradition reign. Rooms come with such perks as morning coffee and afternoon tea, a daily newspaper, turndown service, and bathrobes. The Providence Wings, adjacent to the inn, are less formal; rooms are in a contemporary style with Asian accents and overlook the tennis courts, a private pond, and a wooded area.

Charming and hospitable, this redbrick inn near the historic district is modeled after a plantation-style house from the 1700s. Rooms have 18th- and 19th-century antiques, pewter pieces, four-poster beds, and pleasant views of the city. The suites are particularly inviting: each has a separate sitting room, French doors, and a porch overlooking gardens. There are no phones in the rooms, but local calls are free from the inn's foyer.

An official Colonial Williamsburg property with contemporary furnishings, this 300-room hotel is adjacent to the Huzzah restaurant and the visitor center complex. You can enjoy the extensive free Continental breakfast indoors or on the large patio. There's gated free parking so you can abandon your car and walk to the free shuttle buses.

Away from the boardwalk, the hotel feels like a quiet getaway—rooms that do not face the ocean directly have either a partial view or overlook the swimming pool. The modern lobby has a skylighted atrium. The Surf Club Ocean Grill serves—predictably—seafood. Tuesday nights are great for kids with movie-night big-screen TVs outside by the beach.