Historic Cavalier Hotel

The Cavalier Hotel blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)

Standing proudly atop well-manicured rolling hills, the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach dates to 1927,

The building itself is an art-deco gem writ large in bricks - over half a million of them - which is the most ever used on a single building in Virginia. It featured a massive sunken garden that produced flowers used as decorations throughout the hotel.

Bathtubs were initially equipped with an extra handle that allowed guests to run seawater baths, and sinks featured ice water taps that drew from a giant ice-filled tub on the roof. The Cavalier’s radio station, WSEA, was the first to broadcast a congratulatory statement from the mayor of Norfolk to Charles Lindbergh on his Transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

During WWIi, The Cavalier was taken over by the U.S. Navy as a radar training center. The Cavalier closed between 1973 and 1976, during which time a sister hotel was built on the boardwalk. A forced sale in 2012 resulted in a major renovation that saved The Cavalier from demolition. It has been restored using many of the touches that made the original hotel a beacon for celebrities and entertainers over the years. This roster includes ten U.S. Presidents, Bette Davis, Liz Taylor, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Muhammad Ali, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and countless others.

The Cavalier was built at a time when spirits were high (and still legal). Tipping a cap to its early roots, it is home to Tarnished Truth - the nation’s first in-hotel distillery. This treat for tipplers has issued several award-winning spirits, including bourbon, rye, vodka, and gin.

Know Before You Go

The Cavalier Hotel received a historic marker in 2018. The marker reads as follows:

The Cavalier Hotel, completed in 1927 is emblematic of Virginia Beach’s transformation from small town to major resort during the Roaring Twenties. The hotel’s luxurious accommodations attracted visitors from across the country, including several U.S. presidents. It’s 500-watt radio station, WSEA, was the first report on the return of Charles Lindbergh to the United States after his transatlantic flight in 1927. The Cavalier Beach Club regularly hosted big band performances featuring international stars. During World War II, the U.S. Navy operated a radar training school at the hotel. The Classical Revival building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.