A Virginia Beach Holiday Getaway
1. The Cavalier Hotel: though we’re not big holiday people, we like to do holiday getaways when possible. Due to the pandemic we hadn’t done one since December 2019, so this year we booked several nights at The Cavalier, a historic hotel in Virginia Beach. It’s a beautiful property that’s super festive during the holidays. We mostly hung out at the hotel because it was very cold and windy during our stay, though we visited the Virginia Aquarium one morning. It’s always fun to see sharks and sea turtles…plus two Komodo dragons!
The Cavalier and associated Marriott across the street have great dining options, so we didn’t eat anywhere else. The hotel also has a spa and a distillery. We didn’t take advantage of either, but I did buy some things from their gift shops. We enjoyed our stay so much that we already booked another trip there! We’re looking forward to experiencing Virginia Beach and more of the Cavalier in warmer weather.
2. Cavalier Lobby Holiday Decor: I wasn’t kidding when I say the hotel is super festive during the holidays. The lobby was often bustling with people taking photos with the below display in particular, though there were plenty of photo opp spots both inside and outside the property. It’s hard not to feel festive when you’re surrounded by these holiday vibes. The Marriott lobby across the street was also very nicely decorated for the holidays.
3. Cavalier Indoor Pool: the hotel has this beautiful atrium with a pool, jacuzzi, deck, and a couple small balconies overlooking the area. The pool is connected to the Raleigh Room, which is the lobby lounge and bar. If you’re a hotel guest, you can grab a drink from the bar and sit in the pool lounge area or on one of the balconies. Which we definitely did one night to stay away from the bar crowd!
4. Becca: this is the main restaurant at the Cavalier, where we ate dinner the second two nights of our trip (as well as breakfast on Christmas morning). The food, drinks, and service were all excellent. They start each guest off with a homemade popover with honey butter, which was incredible. You also get a popover recipe card to take home with you. I enjoyed my Smoked Old Fashioned cocktail (pictured below) so much the first night that I ordered one again the next night. I got a salad as my main course both times, and thoroughly enjoyed each one.
5. Orion’s Roof: we ate Christmas Eve dinner at this rooftop restaurant, located at the Marriott across the street from our hotel. The food is Asian fusion, which is not my favorite. But we only booked our trip about a week in advance so our Christmas Eve reservation options were limited. I started off with a tequila old fashioned (I’m definitely feeling old fashioneds these days!), and we got a few sushi rolls. I’m not a sushi fan because I don’t like fish, and it’s hard for me to get excited about vegetarian sushi. However! The veggie roll at this place was SO GOOD. John and I both loved it. I would happily eat that sushi again. And I’d love to return to this place when it’s light out so we can actually enjoy the view. Next time!
I hope you all had a happy holiday no matter what you celebrate (or not). Have a very Happy New Year’s Eve!
