A literary critic once said of "The Wind in the Willows" that it was the sort of book that you gave your girlfriend if you were considering a marriage proposal. If she liked the book--propose. If not, well then, she really wasn't the right one. The Cavalier is the same sort of thing. There is a cadre of patrons who go to the Cavalier every year as I do because...well... it's The Cavalier and there is nothing else like it on the Beach. The hotel is really two. There is the older original hotel on the hill and the newer hotel on the beach. This alone should tell you this property is unique. Other Virginia Beach hotels are crammed on a lot with a parking garage. The Cavalier sits on acres of property. The original hotel on the hill, built in the 1920s, has a wonderfull atmosphere of another era. A veranda wraps around the front and is a great place to read or to take in an afternoon summer storm. The rooms on the hill are well done and all upgraded with high end furnishings. We found the bed comfortable and the views breathtaking. Play tennis, shuffleboard, horseshoes, swim in the indoor pool or just lounge in a hammock under the trees. There is plenty to do without ever going to the beach. But the beach is only a short walk away and there sits the second hotel. Built in the 1960s the Beach hotel is well maintained, clean and updated on a regular basis. The rooms are small and unless you get an ocean front room you are going to look over roof airconditioners before seeing water. Tip: get the upper rooms for better views. Rooms overlooking the pool and the Sandollar Restaurant will be treated to loud live music every afternoon so if that bothers you get the south side of the building or make sure you are on an upper floor. The food in the restaurant is a little pricey but for convience it is worth the price. Next to the Sandollar is the kiddie pool and the other outdoor pool. And the beach...well it is great because it is not crowded. Really, the thing about Virginia Beach that I dont like is the crowded beach. Because the Cavalier is at the north end of the commercial strip, and because the public boardwalk stops before the Cavalier, the beach there is much less crowded--even on the weekends. Now, about the staff. They are usually from another country --but I have found them to be pleasant and always willing to go the extra mile. Are there hotels on the beach with more luxurious lodgings --yes. Are there hotels with easier access to parking--yes. Are there hotels with better restaurants--yes. But having said all of that there is something about the whole package of the Cavalier that makes it the premier hotel on the beach. Would I go again...definately, I've been doing so for over 20 years.
- Cavalier Resort Virginia Beach
- Cavalier Hotel Virginia Beach
- Virginia Beach Cavalier Hotel Resort
