7 Best Hotels in Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, Virginia

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.

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.

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.

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.