The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond is a historic, grand property that has been around since 1895 and played host to many celebrities, Presidents, and more. The hotel went through an extensive renovation earlier this year and reopened completely this summer. Kris and I stayed there when we visited Richmond a few weeks back, and WOW. We knew it would be incredible, because we heard so much about it from friends and from just the history of it, but it was much more than we expected.

The hotel used to have live alligators at one point. Thankfully, no more!

Location

The hotel is located in the Monroe area of Richmond. It’s close to the VCU campus and Fan District, and I’ll confess I’m not really familiar with Richmond and its neighborhoods. For our intents and purposes of the weekend exploring Richmond’s incredible food and drink scene, it served as a great location. We could walk to a number of restaurants/bars, and was never more than 10 minutes from anywhere we took an Uber to, including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Scott’s Addition area, Carytown, the Capitol, etc.

The Property

From the landscaping and fountain features in the driveway, to the opulent lobby with gleaming floors and lush furnishings, the Jefferson exudes the feelings of rich and royal.As I mentioned earlier, the 3 phase reconstruction of the hotel is complete, and the property is absolutely spectacular. It really packs a punch as a first impression when you walk in. Old school glamour with elegant draperies, a rich color palette, chandeliers, a statue of Thomas Jefferson in the lobby, and a grand rotunda. There’s a lot of detail to take in, and we noticed new things every day that we were there. If I had one word to describe it, I would say opulent. But exquisite :)

The Room

Okay, I’ll just say I wish I never had to leave the room! Luxurious but tastefully decorated, the room had a welcome foyer, a dressing area, a work desk, coffee maker (super important for me to be able have coffee without requiring to go anywhere!), and one of the most comfortable beds I’ve slept in. Seriously. I guess I didn’t expect any less from a luxury hotel like the Jefferson. But the bathroom was one of the absolute highlights. Marbled baths and a separate standing shower, lush bathrobes and large bath towels, and a TELEVISION IN THE MIRROR. In the mirror in that it actually blends into the mirror, and you only see it when you turn it on. Say whaaat? The room is fantastic even without this, but this just pushed it over the edge of epic-ness.

I also loved that they had turndown service each evening and left us a little chocolate and free bottles of water.(IMO - All hotels need to provide free bottled water, it really annoys me when I have pay for a bottle, hotels should get a thing as simple as this.)

Plus, there are power sockets in useful places – by the bed, by the working area, etc. We all know how annoying it is when we can’t charge our devices within hands reach.

My only issue was that there was one window in the dressing area where the curtains did not block out much light, which mainly was a problem in the morning when the sun came up at 5am. We had a makeshift solution for the second night by stuffing some pillows etc, plus an eye mask, but it would be nice to have the blackout curtains there too so there is no light coming onto the bed.

Service

From the front desk, to the concierge, to the housekeeping staff, service was warm and hospitable. We needed an early check in and the staff was super accommodating. When we ordered room service for breakfast, we had a pleasant gentleman set up a wheeled in table for us and clear things away quickly as well.

My experience

My favorite parts about the hotel were the spacious lobby and the pieces of history that are displayed around the hotel, the super awesome bed, and the luxurious bathroom. The hotel bar is fantastic for a late night or pre-game drink, and although I didn’t have a chance to try the restaurant Lemaire, it consistently ranks in the top dining destinations in the city. I felt genuinely welcomed, slept like a baby, and would definitely make it my luxury hotel destination if I’m back in Richmond.