I recently flew to Richmond, Virginia, to attend the annual Birthday Bash for Edgar Allan Poe. It is held at the Poe Museum. I stayed at the Berkeley Hotel which is a 12 minute walk from the museum. The Berkeley is located in the Shockoe Slip area in the business district.
Fashionable Shockoe Slip is a downtown dining hub, with Southern-style restaurants, BBQ joints, gastropubs, and taprooms tucked down narrow alleyways and in former warehouses.
This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
The boutique hotel seems period, however, it was built in 1988. The original owner was careful to fashion it architecturally after the other historic buildings in the area. Alan M. Voorhees designed it to be in a European style and named it after the Berkeley Castle and Plantation in England. Mr. Malcom Jamieson, the owner of the Berkeley Plantation, was the very first guest at the grand opening in August 1988. The entrance leads into an elegant lobby with burnished wood and an always courteous, professional staff. Every question I’ve asked on my 2 stays has been answered. The lobby winds past their in house restaurant and bar around a corner to a chandelier outside 2 elevators that are also wood paneled with mirrors. Sounds minor but one of my favorite things about the hotel are the elevators because they set the tone for the hotel’s elegance. My room on both of my stays has always been spacious, clean, and pleasing. It again has a period feeling and is quiet which is something I like in a hotel.
The hotel restaurant offers a variety of dishes and a full bar. I must say the servers have been excellent on every visit. The restaurant has dinner, breakfast, and room service.
A beneficial thing about the Berkeley’s location is its proximity to restaurants and bars as well as shops along a cobblestone street. I found an independent bookstore this visit on my walk to dinner. The Fountain Bookstore has a good selection of books and fun items like unique purses, socks, shirts, and more. I bought David Sedaris’ recent book, Calypso, and turns out he’d been to the Fountain for a book signing. I had an enjoyable chat with the staff about him.
You can find places to eat and coffeehouses on the street. I like to go to Sine, an Irish pub, that is about 2-3 blocks down from the restaurant. You should try their crab Benedict!
I will be going back to Richmond for next January’s Poe bash and definitely their centennial celebration in 2021. I plan to stay at the Berkeley Hotel again and am looking forward to it.
