Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Virginia Beach / The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, Autograph Collection
The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, Autograph Collection
Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States · Autograph Collection · Core Luxury
Opened to national acclaim in 1927 on a hill overlooking the Virginia Beach oceanfront, the 'Grand Dame of the Shore' hosted F. Scott Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, and Al Capone, plus Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy. The U.S. Navy used it as a radar training school in World War Two. Saved from demolition in 2012, an $85 million restoration reopened it in 2018 with Tarnished Truth, billed as the country's first craft distillery inside a hotel.
- 85 rooms
- Opened 1927
- Neighborhood: Cavalier Resort / Oceanfront
About The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, Autograph Collection
- Coors Brewing heir Adolph Coors was found dead below a sixth-story window here in 1929.
- Ginger Rogers, Doris Day, and Bob Hope stayed in the early years as well.
- SeaHill Spa, the Crystal Ballroom, and the Hunt Room survived the Gold Key|PHR restoration; the original 195 tiny rooms are now 85 keys.
History
The Historic Cavalier Hotel opened to national acclaim in 1927 on a hill overlooking the Virginia Beach oceanfront, quickly earning its nickname as the 'Grand Dame of the Shore.' Its early guest list was extraordinary - F. Scott Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Ginger Rogers, Doris Day, Bob Hope and Al Capone among them, along with Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy - and during the Second World War the U.S. Navy used it as a radar training school.
After facing demolition in 2012, the Jeffersonian-style landmark was saved by Gold Key|PHR, which completed an 85-million-dollar, four-year renovation and reopened it in March 2018 as an Autograph Collection hotel. The restored building preserves original terrazzo and woodworking and features the Crystal Ballroom, the Hunt Room, SeaHill Spa and Tarnished Truth Distilling Co. - billed as the country's first craft distillery inside a hotel.
The setting
4 miles from Cape Henry Lighthouse. 4.5 miles from Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.
Restaurants and bars
- Hunt Room — Restaurant · American
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
Open The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, Autograph Collection in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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