Opening this month in Richmond’s Fan District, Shenandoah Mansions is boutique hotelier Ash’s fifth creation (its fourth, the Ulysses in Baltimore, opened in 2022). The elegant six-story brick hotel was once a luxury apartment building financed by suffragist and entrepreneur Ellen Kidd, who made her fortune in the pickle business.Â
Decor throughout the 73-room hotel includes hand-painted lamps with motifs inspired by early American folk art, vintage textile upholstery and bathrooms done up in Delft tile. Several high-ceilinged guest rooms and suites feature a mahogany four-poster canopy bed with dramatic, textured-cotton drapes. Some also include a writing desk.
Richmond’s Firehouse Theatre, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia Museum of History & Culture and a handful of parks are all a five- to 20-minute stroll away. Pop into the hotel’s Phone Inn, an intimate cocktail bar serving drinks such as the Star Daughter (named for Shenandoah Valley starry nights), a refined take on an espresso martini featuring Richmond’s Cirrus Vodka and a homemade espresso liqueur made from Blanchard’s Beartrap espresso beans.Â
If you’re partial to living like a local, visit Common House, a social club for co-working, coffee, events and music, or work out at the nearby Gold’s Gym—passes for both are complimentary. Use of a cruiser bicycle is, too.Â
Catch a concert downtown at the new Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront. The outdoor venue’s star-studded summer lineup includes Boyz II Men, the Dave Matthews Band and Alison Krauss, among others. Rates begin at $239. Four-legged (dog) friends welcome for a $75 fee.
Shenandoah Mansions, 501 N. Allen Ave., Richmond, Virginia, 804-381-0099