Where: Richmond, Virginia
When: year-round
If you like: urban escapes, history
Why you should go: Richmond’s Fan District, a fashionable address since the Victorian era, is welcoming its first boutique hotel, Shenandoah Mansions, which gets its name from grand London apartment buildings called mansion blocks. The historic high-rise first opened in 1906 and was most recently a retirement home; this spring, after extensive renovations, it’s set to return as a seventy-three-room showstopper. The property’s developer and manager, Ash, is known for what it calls the “cinematic style” of its outposts in New Orleans, Baltimore, Detroit, and Providence, Rhode Island. Cofounder and CEO Ari S. Heckman said rooms at Shenandoah Mansions resemble well-appointed bedrooms where “guests should feel ‘in-residence’ rather than transient visitors.” And its café and bar are designed to appeal to locals as well.
This spring makes a great time to visit as Richmond marks the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, which was delivered at Historic St. John’s Church in the Church Hill neighborhood. Stop by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to learn how the patriot’s words changed history.
G&G tip: St. John’s Church is a short stroll to cozy Libby Hill Park. Visit the overlook for a panorama that gave Virginia’s capital its name because it reminded the city’s founder of a view of Richmond Upon Thames, a leafy London borough. The city recently purchased property to preserve the viewshed.
