Cavalier Hotel

The Cavalier Hotel, formally known as The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, is a landmark luxury hotel situated at 42nd Street and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, Virginia. After two decades of rumors swirling concerning the construction of a world-class beach resort, the Historic Cavalier Hotel was officially completed in 1927, reflecting the prosperity and extravagance of the Roaring Twenties. The hotel was built during the period of prosperity known as the Roaring Twenties and was a major element of the development of Virginia Beach as a resort area. Known colloquially as the "Grand Dame of the Shore," the grand Cavalier has stood sentinel over the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for nearly a century, perched on a grassy hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and welcoming ten U.S. Presidents, countless celebrities, and distinguished guests from around the world. The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Architecture and Design

The seven-story Cavalier Hotel is Virginia Beach's most prominent landmark and an opulent reminder of luxury travel in the first half of the twentieth century. Constructed during the boom years of the 1920s with funds raised by public subscription, the hotel was evidently positioned to compete with other, more established resorts in the commonwealth and along the Atlantic Seaboard.

Designed by the Norfolk firm of Neff and Thompson, the building is distinguished by the use of Jeffersonian details on its exterior, tying it visually to some of Virginia's most esteemed architectural landmarks. The approach to the hotel's northern entrance is framed by serpentine walls that mimic the enclosed gardens of the University of Virginia, and the entrance pavilion is a variation on the east portico of Monticello. The three wings of the Y-shaped building, crowned at their juncture by an ornamental cupola, provide guest rooms with maximum exposure to the ocean.

Typified by exquisite plaster ornamentation atop columns, the Cavalier's Jeffersonian-inspired architecture was designed in the spirit of Monticello, with nods to locations such as Woodlawn, as well as The Lawn at the University of Virginia. Influences derived from notable architects and historical places are among the most remarkable aspects of the architecture of this grand hotel on the hill. James Gibbs, and his work at places such as the Church of St. Mary-Le-Strand at Aldwych in London, inspired the decorative water tower which crowns the Cavalier.

Standing proudly atop well-manicured rolling hills, the Cavalier Hotel dates to 1927. The building itself is an art-deco gem built with over half a million bricks — the most ever used on a single building in Virginia. What set the Cavalier Hotel apart from its competitors was the distinct beauty of its oceanfront setting, which at the time of its construction was sparsely developed. Even today the hotel maintains a commanding, isolated position on a large, beautifully landscaped hill that slopes gently down to the beach across Atlantic Avenue.

When it first opened, the Cavalier offered amenities that were extraordinary for the era. When the hotel opened in 1927, the first guests were awed by world-class amenities and extravagances almost unheard of at the time, from private bathrooms in every guest room to an indoor swimming pool filled with cool, fresh ocean water. Guest rooms included bathtubs with an extra handle to draw a seawater bath and sinks with an ice water spigot that brought water down from a large wooden ice-filled tub on the hotel roof. Additionally, the Cavalier's radio station, WSEA, was the first to broadcast a congratulatory statement from the mayor of Norfolk to pilot Charles Lindbergh on his transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

The Golden Age: Notable Guests and the Beach Club

On April 4–9, 1927, a grand ceremonious opening for the Cavalier was held. The Ben Bernie Band played for the festivities, and the hotel received congratulatory telegrams from Sophie Tucker and Al Jolson.

On Memorial Day weekend in 1929, shortly before the stock market crash, the famed Cavalier Beach Club opened on the oceanfront at the bottom of the Cavalier Hotel and drew big dance bands such as Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller, and Lawrence Welk, and other performers, including Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Between 1930 and 1950, the Cavalier would become the largest contractor of big bands in the world. One of the worst hurricanes in Virginia Beach history tore through the Cavalier Beach Club in 1933, but it was rebuilt quickly, and the dancing continued.

Since its opening in 1927, the stately property has extended its hospitality to 10 American presidents and a virtual constellation of stars, including Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Muhammad Ali, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. Ten U.S. Presidents have walked through the hotel's grand entrance, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy. American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and wife Zelda often took extended vacations at the Cavalier, and Fitzgerald was even said to have been inspired to pen The Great Gatsby during one of his stays.

Until the end of World War II, the Cavalier Hotel was Virginia Beach's premier hostelry, attracting such luminaries as Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, Mary Pickford, and Will Rogers. The hotel also gained a measure of notoriety from the death of Adolph Coors, founder of the Coors Brewing Company. Adolph Coors, founder of the Coors beer company, died at the Cavalier Hotel. Exactly how he managed to fall from a window on the hotel's sixth floor continues to be up for speculation.

World War II and Postwar Years

The hotel was operated successfully until 1942, when it was commandeered by the United States Navy as a training center during World War II. It was returned to its owners in 1945, but the lost years hurt the business. More specifically, during World War II, the Cavalier was used by the U.S. Navy as a radar training center.

The Cavalier was returned to its former owners in 1945, but the years of military occupation were not kind to the hotel, and much of the regular clientele did not return to the summer vacation destination after the war. It was converted into a private club for much of the 1950s and 1960s, then reopened to the public for a few years.

After the war, competition from motels that catered more effectively to middle-class families diminished the business of older hotels. In response, a modern hotel, the Cavalier Oceanfront (1974, Shriver and Holland and Associates), was constructed across Atlantic Avenue, next to the site of the hotel's beach club, and the old building was closed for several seasons. In 1973, the Cavalier opened a sister hotel, the Cavalier Oceanfront, just across the street, and the original was renamed the Cavalier on the Hill. With brand new rooms outfitted with the latest in comfort and amenities in the Cavalier Oceanfront, the historic Cavalier Hotel was shuttered, but the modern luxury hotel could not replace the splendor of the original; it was once again reopened to guests in 1976.

For the next 25 years, the two Cavalier Hotels would be mainstays for the Virginia Beach community and vacationing guests. In 2002, both the Cavalier on the Hill and the Cavalier Oceanfront underwent massive multi-million dollar renovations, but the upgrades were short-lived; in 2014, both hotels were closed, and the Cavalier Oceanfront and Beach Club were completely demolished.

Restoration and National Register Designation

In 2012, the historic Cavalier Hotel, perched high on the hill at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, was facing demolition and, with it, the end of an era for all who had walked its prestigious halls. Community and governmental efforts ultimately preserved the structure. The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, a Virginia Beach icon, earned the distinguished honor of being accepted to the National Register of Historic Places. National Register properties are chosen based on age, integrity, and significance of the property to the history of their community, state, or nation.

Constructed in 1927 by architect Clarence Neff, the Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club underwent a two-year renovation to be restored to its original grandeur by Gold Key | PHR Hotels & Resorts in conjunction with the architecture firm Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company and the general contractor W.M. Jordan Company.

The project team shored up the structure while preserving historically significant elements such as the Hunt Room fireplace, cementitious terrazzo floors with brass dividers, marble columns, decorative molding, and ornamental cornice work. The Cavalier on the Hill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places to protect the priceless property from a similar fate, and after an $85 million restoration, it was reopened in 2018 with the original name: The Cavalier Hotel. Due to the historic status, the renovations were painstaking and meticulous. Windows on the first floor were removed from their frames and repaired by hand.

The Cavalier Hotel officially opened on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, with a "Grand Reveal" event at the historic property. Now part of the Autograph Collection, a premier Marriott flag, the reimagined hotel features 85 rooms, including 23 suites. Six of these suites, dubbed the Heritage Suites, uniquely represent the personalities of the partners who made the Cavalier's revival possible. The seven-story hotel offers two fine dining restaurants, the Hunt Room Tavern, and an on-site distillery named "The Tarnished Truth," along with a refurbished indoor saltwater pool, the SeaHill Spa featuring a Himalayan Salt room, and the grand ballroom.

The project has been recognized with several awards: Engineering News Record MidAtlantic awarded the Restoration of the Cavalier Hotel an Award of Merit in their 2018 Best Projects awards program in the Renovation/Restoration category. ABC Virginia recognized the project with three Excellence in Construction Awards. The Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Estate gave the project an Award of Excellence in the Best Renovated or Historic Rehabilitation Project category.

Current Operations and Amenities

What began as a celebrated 1920s hotel has evolved into Virginia Beach's premier luxury resort. Born from the revival of The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, the storied destination has hosted presidents and icons alike. Today, the Cavalier Resort is home to three distinctive hotels, nine exceptional restaurants, six stunning pools, a serene spa, a craft distillery, and endless ways to relax and unwind.

The historic hotel features 85 well-curated, opulent guest rooms, a luxury spa and signature bourbon distillery on-site, three restaurants, a resort-style pool, a Beach Club, access to a semi-private beach, and 9,885 square feet of elegant event space for grand occasions. The hotel retains 21 of the original 350 acres, with the land surrounding the original structure used for an exclusive townhouse community.

One of the most distinctive features of the restored Cavalier is its on-site distillery. The Tarnished Truth Distilling Company is the first craft distillery to be located inside a hotel in the entire United States. Tipping a cap to its early roots, it is home to Tarnished Truth — the nation's first in-hotel distillery. This treat for tipplers has issued several award-winning spirits, including bourbon, rye, vodka, and gin.

In addition to the Hunt Room and the Raleigh Room, guests can enjoy an evening dining at Becca, the hotel's modern farm-to-fork restaurant offering decadent American fare crafted from the freshest local ingredients. The name Becca is a nod to the namesake for the hotel's original signature restaurant, Pocahontas, who changed her name to Rebecca when she converted to Christianity.

The Beach Club has been rebuilt, with semi-private beach access, an infinity pool that looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean, and a poolside bar and grill, all available only to guests of the Cavalier Hotel or residents in the private community. The hotel's indoor pool is another iconic feature that underwent renovations and now features poolside service, private cabana rentals, and stylish lounge areas.

Many Cavalier Hotel visitors mention its famous front lawn as an ideal spot for receptions and al fresco functions. The property also hosts regular movie nights and welcomes the Virginia Symphony Orchestra from time to time for concerts.

See Also

• Virginia Beach Boardwalk
• National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Beach
• Virginia Beach Tourism