A Charming Hotel and Things to Do in Virginia Beach
Last month some friends and I took a road trip to Virginia Beach. We chose Virginia Beach because it was halfway between us and no one would have to fly. Since it was May, we didn’t plan for beach weather so it didn’t matter that our hotel was not on the beach. We were just looking for a relaxing place to spend time catching up with each other. The Founders Inn and Spa was just what we were looking for…
A Charming Hotel in Virginia Beach:
Apparently, the name of the Founder’s Inn represents the Founding Fathers who drafted the Constitution. The hotel definitely had a historic vibe between the architecture and the period furniture. As we walked around, we kept saying how the place felt “very Virginia” to us.
As you can see, the gardens on the property were beautiful. It’s the perfect place to host an event. In fact, the first night we watched a large group taking prom pictures and the second night we witnessed a wedding.
Since it wasn’t warm enough we didn’t swim in the pool but it looked like a great place to lounge with the family in the summer.
And speaking of lounging, we loved these rocking chairs on the porch. Obviously, I must have a thing for hotels with rocking chairs. On our girls’ trip last year, we relaxed on colorful rocking chairs overlooking the water in Martha’s Vineyard. Let’s make rocking chairs a requirement for our next girls’ trip!
Like I said, the hotel was furnished with period furniture…
This was one of the lounge areas off the lobby. Throughout the hotel, there were plenty of common areas.
At the end of our hallway, there was even a darling lounge…
And part of our “welcome” included champagne and chocolate covered strawberries! You can’t beat that southern hospitality!
As you can see, the rooms were very charming and southern feeling with florals and cheerful colors…
I must note that the beds were very comfortable. Maybe we were just extra tired after the long drive (and the champagne) but I definitely slept well!
For our first night, we ate dinner at the Swan Terrace in the hotel. Since we knew we would be tired from driving the first night, it made the most sense. Also, I had read some good reviews on the restaurant. The menu was simple but good and we also enjoyed the huge buffet breakfast there each morning.
Apparently, the Swan Terrace must have been named after the swan on the property.
We spotted this one strolling around one morning. I believe someone told us her name is Abigail.
Things to Do in Virginia Beach:
Besides spending time at our pretty hotel, we explored a bit. The first morning, we drove to the beach area of Virginia Beach and walked around. Weeks earlier, I had tried to get everyone to commit to horseback riding on the beach. I think I was the only one interested so that kind of fell through. We did watch the Kentucky Derby on TV that evening…Does that count? The hotel didn’t have any planned Kentucky Derby activities like we had on last year’s Martha’s Vineyard trip. It was a good thing, because I forgot to bring a derby hat!
We knew there were lighthouses in the area and after some confusion, we realized they were located on a military base. In order to visit them, we had to go through a check point with a car search and strict instructions on where we could and could not go.
We were only able to visit the Cape Henry Lighthouse. The other lighthouse on the property was in the restricted area of the military base…but we took pictures of both from a distance….
From there, we drove into downtown Norfolk. An outdoor wine tasting festival was going on but after a long Mexican lunch to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, there wasn’t much time to attend the event. We did explore the waterfront area of the city though.
My kids would have loved this old ship!
Mermaids are the symbol of Norfolk…
There were so many different ones around the city.
We also stumbled upon an enchanting Japanese garden…
I think I enjoyed the gardens at our hotel just as much though. The classic look of boxwoods and flowers have always appealed to me.
Well, that’s another girls’ trip for the books! If you are looking for a charming hotel in Virginia Beach, give the Founders Inn and Spa a try!
If you are thinking of the Founders Inn for your girls’ weekend, here are a few fun things to do in the area:
- Flowering Almond Spa (at the Founders Inn) – (Perfect for a girls’s weekend
- Cape Henry Lighthouse (Be prepared for a car search and bring ID!)
- Spirit of Norfolk Harbor Cruise (It was on our list but we didn’t get a chance)
- Virginia Beach Horseback Riding on the Beach – (Doesn’t that sound like so much fun?)
- See the “Visit Norfolk” website for festivals and other events
Are you planning any weekend getaways?
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The hotel looks lovely. I too would love the grounds with the boxwoods and flowers.
Isn't it pretty? I feel like putting more boxwoods in my yard now!
What a beautiful hotel. I love all the historic charm and red bricks. It sounds like a wonderful girls trip!
It really was a nice getaway. Definitely not the typical Virginia Beach hotel.
Shelley, I am all about a beautiful hotel and this one looks charming! Did you do any spa treatments? I have been to Virginia Beach a couple of times, both in the summer and my memory was that the beach was extremely crowded! I enjoyed great food though! Thanks for taking us along with you!
The hotel was actually a few miles from the beach which was what we wanted. The beach area looked like the typical boardwalk/promenade type of beach with lots of hotels and things. I could imagine it getting crowded in summer. No, we didn't visit the spa. We really should have stayed one more day so we could. We just did lots of exploring, eating and catching up with each other. The spa treatment menu looked wonderful though!
Shelley I love how you do this girls' trip every year! My friends and I always talk a big game, but in reality an overnight happens about every 5 years! This hotel looks really pretty and the perfect spot to catch up!