Williamsburg Inn; Colonial Houses and Historic Lodging
Providence Hall Guesthouses
Williamsburg, Va.
What service can you provide to groups that they normally might not receive?
We can arrange for a private conversation with a Founding Father (interpreters who portray Gen. Washington, Patrick Henry or Thomas Jefferson); a Fife & Drum escort to dinner at an 18th century-style tavern; and a behind-the-scenes tour with the curatorial staffs at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum.
What are your group restaurant recommendations?
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Hospitality Group operates 10 restaurants, including fine dining at the Regency Room located in the Williamsburg Inn and private dining rooms at the Williamsburg Lodge and three 18th century-style taverns located in the historic area: King’s Arms Tavern (famous for their peanut soup), Christiana Campbell’s Tavern (known for crab cakes) and Shields Tavern (an 18th century-style coffeehouse).
However, if the group wanted to dine outside the Historic Area, there are numerous restaurants within a half-mile, such as Berret’s Seafood, The Blue Talon Bistro, The Fat Canary, and Seasons and The Trellis--all with wonderful reputations and varied menus.
What are your bar or nightclub recommendations?
The Garden Room at the Williamsburg Lodge is the perfect place for a nightcap while listening to live music. Chowning’s Tavern, a true 18th century-style rum and ale house, is ideal, with balladeers and costumed staff teaching period games of chance.
Can you recommend a good place to take a stroll?
The historic area, encompassing over 300 acres, with shops, restaurants and beautiful gardens, is the perfect place to unwind…perhaps ducking into the Raleigh Tavern bakery for a ginger cake and slice of cheese. For the more adventuresome, we highly recommend Bassett Trace, which begins at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr. and ends at the Golden Horseshoe Green Course. This wooded 1.5-mile path is perfect for guests interested in flora and fauna.
Are there any quirky places we should check out?
The Capitol in the evening to attend the reenactment of Grace Sherwood’s trial for witchcraft.
What has been an unusual request from a group?
While attending a meeting and too busy to go shopping himself, a guest requested that a concierge purchase and ship to his home an authentic Civil War cannon.
One morning, a couple from Paris decided they would like to be married in the afternoon. While they were filling out the paperwork, purchasing wedding rings and selecting a wedding gown, I secured flowers, a photographer, dinner reservations in the Regency Room, a bottle of champagne from the Inn’s general manager, provided the pianist a list of their favorite songs, contacted the marriage commissioner, and selected a personal gift for him from the bride and groom. It all went perfectly! The couple was delighted and has returned to the Inn on subsequent anniversaries.
What’s a unique event that has taken place at your property?
In May 2007, we were privileged to have Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as overnight guests. They had also stayed at the Inn in 1957 while visiting Jamestown on the 350th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement. In February of 2007, we were selected as the location for the State of the Black Union meetings. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan hosted the Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations meetings at the Williamsburg Inn.