Vintage Virginia

The transformation of the hospitality industry over the past decade has provided overnight travelers numerous alternatives to the comfortable familiarity of chain hotels. Among those new options are inns, motels, and other architectural treasures from the 1950s and 60s.

Many of the mid-century structures that dot the Virginia landscape passed their prime decades ago, but a handful of these weathered, old bones have become a labor of love. With vision, elbow grease, and more money than most care to admit, entrepreneurs in Virginia and beyond have revived the mid-century motel and furnished it accordingly, offering lodgers a distinctive spot to stay and a portal to the past that doesn’t require sacrificing the amenities that make modern travel so seamless.

Here are four accommodations across the commonwealth that offer noteworthy stopovers by taking guests back to the days when the family station wagon was king of the road.

The Holbrook Hotel, Danville

Danville has undergone something of a renaissance in the past decade, shedding its former image as a gritty mill town and rebranding as a Southern Virginia hub of arts, dining, and culture. The Holbrook Hotel has been an integral part of that transformation.

“Tourism is growing rapidly, and we like being a part of that,” says General Manager Madison Eades. “We accommodate people who are looking for that boutique hotel experience.”

The Holbrook served Danville residents for nearly six decades as the Doctors’ Building, built in 1957 and situated at the junction of two established neighborhoods — Old West End, historically home to the city’s white residents, and Holbrook-Ross, a center of Black community life. A group of nine doctors practiced in the building.

The building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was repurposed in 2023, and Eades says that the interior redesign was an intentional nod to its mid-century origins. Replacing parts of the structure that were past their time was necessary, but maintaining the historical character was also essential — remaking old ceiling tiles, for instance, and installing custom windows that aligned with the original look. Rooms are furnished with mid-century modern furniture and feel bright and colorful with ample natural light. Most of the hotel’s 45 rooms contain all the features of a typical suite, such as a kitchenette.

Eades says that her staff prioritizes hospitality, and they pride themselves on showcasing local partners such as coffee shop and wine bar Crema & Vine and neighborhood grocery Midtown Market, both local favorites.

The mid-century brick exterior hints at what might be inside, but crossing the threshold confirms that the Holbrook is something special. “Everybody is shocked once they come in by how beautiful it is,” Eades says.

 Read more about the revitalization of Danville. 

Little Mod Hotel, Charlottesville

When most people think of Charlottesville, they think of the stately, red-brick buildings of Mr. Jefferson’s university, but tucked away just steps from campus is a rarity in the city — a mid-century gem with a gleaming white façade. Little Mod Hotel began life in 1963 as the University Motor Court, a short-lived inn that soon transitioned to student housing and through the decades started showing its age.

By the time Bill Chapman and his team bought the structure, it needed a complete overhaul, but it still sang with the charm of its original use, so he ran with it. “It was fairly obvious to take advantage of the assets we had,” Chapman says.

That meant honoring its early ’60s beginning with furnishings, styling, and a color palette reflective of the era. The 15 guestrooms and five studio king suites for longer stays are cheerful, light, and airy. Among Chapman’s favorite features is the multi-colored mosaic tile lining the bathroom walls.

In a town with no shortage of lodging options, Little Mod incorporates quirky and period-appropriate touches in its rooms, such as a pink landline telephone and foam green record player alongside a curated selection of vinyl to spin on it.

Chapman and his team found no evidence that the original building had any sort of central kitchen — the units were individual apartments, after all — so they got creative and brought in the Mod Pod, an Airstream trailer-turned-food truck. The Mod Pod is open for breakfast and lunch and serves up Tex-Mex favorites with a smattering of beloved sandwiches.

Chapman says that the vibe is very intentionally fun and upbeat. “It’s the newest hotel in Charlottesville, and with 20 rooms, you get a lot of staff attention,” he says.

Grey Pine Lodge, Afton

Grey Pine Lodge sits at the nexus of several quintessential Virginia experiences that bring travelers to Afton Mountain: Skyline Drive heading north into Shenandoah National Park; the Blue Ridge Parkway starting its long descent south toward the Great Smokies; the Appalachian Trail and all its day- and thru-hikers. To the west, down in the Shenandoah Valley, lies the foodies’ delight of Waynesboro.

Owner Chase Hoover says that there’s so much to do around Grey Pine Lodge that the lodge is really a place to hit the sack after a long day of adventure. But the team aims to make that stay as unique and easy as possible.

The Oak Bower Motel was built in the 1960s as a true roadside motor court, where the old family wagon, laden with luggage and a gaggle of kids, pulled right up to the door where they’d be staying. The property went through several iterations over the decades until Hoover and his team bought the property — by then showing its age — in 2021. “We joke that we should have just knocked the place down and built cabins and we would have spent less money,” he says.

But the property retained its most important features, and Hoover chose to emphasize what makes it special: its location and its character. The property has fire pits and an onsite hiking trail. All those adventure and culinary experiences are within easy reach.

Grey Pine Lodge has wide appeal among the older crowd who seek its nostalgia and among Gen Z and Millennial travelers who are searching for unique lodging experiences. Hoover says technology has been a savior for diamonds in the rough like Grey Pine Lodge, allowing mobile booking and contactless check-in. “That’s where the opportunity lies, and that’s where you’ll see a resurgence in properties like these,” he says.

The Rochambeau Roadside Inn, Williamsburg

The beating heart of Williamsburg may be a restored 18th century town, but Virginia’s colonial capital features plenty of other historical snapshots from different eras. The Rochambeau Roadside Inn is one such example — a slice of the not-too-distant past that nods at the city’s colonial origins.

The Rochambeau (pronounced “ro-sham-bo”) is named for a French general that helped secure American independence more than two centuries ago, but it is distinctly mid-century in its look. Originally opened in 1954 as the Rochambeau Motel, it is a classic, single-level motor court, built to accommodate travelers descending on what was already then a destination tourist town.

The current owner Lyle Schiavone says that he had a tricky task at hand — incorporating all the modern amenities that today’s travelers expect while keeping all the elements that make the property so charismatic. He bought the motel in 2023 from the son of the original owners and says that financially it could only work with a specific business plan — Williamsburg’s hotel occupancy rate is normally just above 50% — which is why patrons book it as they would an Airbnb. “The vision of how to operate this took time,” he says.

The 22 rooms contain tiled walk-in showers, SmartTVs, and high-speed Wi-Fi, but they feel like stepping into the 1950s. Arched ceilings, original doors, and vintage wallpaper give the rooms character, and they’re thoughtfully curated with an eclectic mix of local art, vintage artifacts, and furnishings from local secondhand shops, such as The Velvet Shoestring. The inn partnered with Virginia Beer Co., which produced Rochambrew Motel Kolsch.

Colonial Williamsburg is no longer the only tourist draw in town — there are theme parks, shopping, and a thriving dining scene. Many out-of-towners come for special occasions at William & Mary. Schiavone says that he’d like to expand the accommodations for big families and large parties that come to experience all that Williamsburg has to offer. “The suite and the bunk rooms have been a top destination, and we’d eventually like to make cottages,” he says.