Best Virginia Beach Hotels

This branch of the Hilton is as good as hotels get in Virginia Beach. You get 21 floors of resort-y goodness, many with wraparound balconies that offer views out to the ocean, the sunrise, the barrier islands of North Carolina if you’re facing south and, on nice mornings, never-never land. Just kidding—but the views are pretty good. City-view rooms aren’t quite as impressive, if only because the views of the city itself aren’t as pretty. Rooms are outfitted in cool neutral color schemes and come with a superior selection of linens, furniture and amenities.

This lovely beach cottage features five unique rooms all awash in varying degrees of maritime/Victorian cute. Super cute. Like a kitten playing in a sandbox on a beach dotted with candy cane lighthouses cute. The Garden Room is a combination of green plant life and wrought-iron elegance, while the Lighthouse Room melts the heart with a sun-kissed color scheme and plenty of natural light. The other rooms are similarly appointed—have a look and choose the one that best fits your fancy. The owners are warm and hospitable and extremely knowledgeable about what to do in Virginia Beach.

This historic mansion is one of the most atmospheric spots to catch 40 winks within Norfolk. Seven individualized rooms are decked out in varying levels of Southern charm, antique cuteness and European accents, like old-school day beds. The effect, thankfully, is one of understated elegance rather than over-the-top baroque wedding cake. The location is great, as well—in a pretty, oak-lined residential area that still keeps the best sites of Norfolk at your fingertips. If you’d like to add some urban proximity and cozy intimacy to your vacation, this is a good bet.

Beach Spa is a B&B and, as the title suggests, a bit more. Come here to experience not just the intimacy of personalized accommodation and service, but the added pampering perks of spa spoiling. There’s a wide range of massage options and a sweet hot tub with perfect jets of soothing water. The rooms are great, as well—there are quite a few for a B&B, and while the sense of individual attention may be reduced a bit as a result, you’re getting better, more tasteful rooms than what you’d find in a larger hotel. If you want to splurge or are in a group, consider the attached 1937 manor house cottage.

The Atlantic is a steal—this is one of the best deals in town. First caveat: This isn’t a beachfront hotel; it’s across the street from the beach, so if you have to be on the sand, fair enough—you may want to try elsewhere. When it comes to the positives we’re mainly referring to the price, yes, but beyond that is a genuinely pretty hotel that does a nice job of mixing up deco decorations and the clean lines of contemporary interior design. Rather than trying to class up already lowbrow maritime chic, the 19 Atlantic has opted to create a visual experience based around judicious use of color and geometric patterns—it’s a nice visual break. On the practical side of things: flat-screen TVs and complimentary high-speed Internet. Online rates easily drop this hotel well into budget range.

The "Cav" is a Virginia Beach classic. This elegantly muscular hotel towers over the main beach, beckoning guests with a mix of historical legacy and comfortable rooms. The aforementioned chambers are usually refreshingly lit by natural sunlight, although their unimaginative bedspreads are a little boring for the money you’re paying. More impressive are the massive interior and exterior pools for guests’ convenience and the grande dame lobby, sadly renovated with bad carpeting, but still a little suggestive of the Golden Age of Virginia Beach tourism.

If you need a moderately priced option on the beach with nice views out to the ocean, the Capes is a good bet. Weekends are a little much for what’s on offer, which are perfectly serviceable if unremarkable rooms decorated in various shades of saccharine pastel. With that said you’re getting almost all of the service more expensive options try to provide, and still have access to private balconies with ocean views—and didn’t you come to Virginia Beach for ocean views? Kitchenettes, free HBO and a central location round out the deal.

If you’d like a camping experience that isn’t quite as rustic as what’s available at False Cape, come to First Landing, You’ll be situated amid a similarly beautiful Tidewater marsh and forest-scape, but the facilities are a little more modern. There are electric hookups here, bathhouses with hot water and room for RVs up to 50 feet if you’re traveling in one. Plus, you’ve got easy access to the quiet beauty of nearby Chesapeake Beach and are centrally located between Norfolk and Virginia Beach’s boardwalk and Virginia Beach.