I came to Virginia Beach chasing ocean breezes and stumbled into one of the most fascinating legends on the Atlantic coast. The Cavalier Hotel blends Gilded Age glamour with whispered ghost stories that still ripple through the hallways.
Renovated to a brilliant shine yet steeped in verified history, this grand dame has a past that refuses to fade – and yes, it’s still open today. Guests continue to check in for luxury, lore, and a brush with the unexplained.
Come explore what remains of the haunted hotel everyone forgot and see why it’s more alive than ever. Its doors may be polished, but its mysteries remain delightfully intact.
1. A Gilded Landmark Reborn
When I first stepped onto the hilltop where the Cavalier Hotel stands, I felt the weight of 1920s elegance still hovering above Virginia Beach. Opened in 1927, the hotel attracted a stream of notable guests and set the tone for high society on the waterfront. After decades of wear, an extensive restoration completed in 2018 returned the building to its Georgian Revival splendor with careful attention to historic details.
I wandered past marble floors, stately arches, and grand staircases that have seen nearly a century of footsteps. The preserved façade, red brick symmetry, and commanding lawn still announce its prominence. Modern comforts blend with restored craftsmanship so well that time feels pliable. I could admire original design motifs while also enjoying a perfectly brewed coffee in a bright lounge.
This is not a museum although it could be one. It is a living landmark that captures the romance of travel when train trunks and tailored suits ruled the lobby. If you love historic hotels that do not sacrifice comfort, the Cavalier sets a high bar. It proves that thoughtful restoration can rescue both beauty and soul.
2. Echoes Of Famous Guests
The Cavalier was never just another seaside resort – it was a playground for the famous. Guests once included Judy Garland, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra, who used the ballroom as his stage. In its early decades, the hotel’s social calendar sparkled with dances, military banquets, and oceanfront galas.
It served as a favorite destination for high-profile travelers arriving by train from Washington, D.C. The elegant Hunt Room still carries whispers of jazz and laughter from nights long gone.
The guest list reads like a time capsule of 20th-century fame, but some visitors, according to legend, never checked out. Today, the hotel still operates at full luxury, its legacy polished with modern comfort but edged with mystery. You can order a cocktail where a president once dined—and maybe catch a flicker of something unseen in the corner.
3. The Ghost In The Hall And Other Whispered Tales
No haunted reputation appears overnight, and the Cavalier’s took decades to form. Stories began circulating about eerie happenings during the mid-20th century, when guests and staff reported lights flickering, footsteps echoing in empty corridors, and music playing faintly from nowhere.
One of the most retold tales involves a former guest who supposedly jumped or fell from an upper window during the 1920s. Another centers on the indoor pool, where some claim to hear phantom splashes after midnight.
Though there’s no formal record verifying these incidents, the consistency of the reports gives the hotel’s lore its lasting chill. Visitors today often say the building feels charged – beautiful but watchful. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the stories are part of the Cavalier’s charm. They turn a luxury stay into something you’ll talk about long after checkout.
4. A Fall And A Rise: The Cavalier’s Second Life
By the early 2010s, time had caught up with the grand old hotel. After decades of wear and shifting tourism trends, it closed its doors in 2013 for safety concerns and much-needed restoration. Many locals feared it would never reopen. Instead, an ambitious $85 million renovation began, preserving the building’s historical integrity while updating it for modern travelers.
Craftsmen restored its moldings, chandeliers, and marble details by hand, matching materials from the original 1920s design. In 2018, The Historic Cavalier Hotel reopened, gleaming once more but still echoing its past.
The project revived not just a landmark but a piece of Virginia Beach identity. Today, it stands again as a hotel that bridges centuries, luxury layered with legend.
5. Checking In With History
Staying at The Cavalier is like stepping into an elegant museum that happens to have room service. The lobby’s soaring ceilings, vintage elevator doors, and oil portraits transport guests back to another era. The hotel’s modern suites blend polished wood, crisp linens, and ocean views with subtle nods to its past.
The staff often recount bits of verified history to curious visitors – how the building once hosted wartime officers, how the ballroom survived hurricanes, how its basement stored Prohibition-era liquor.
You can still sense the 1920s craftsmanship in every brick and railing. Travelers often book a night here not just for comfort but for connection to Virginia Beach’s golden age. It is the kind of place where even the silence feels storied.
6. Spirits Of A Different Kind
If ghost stories make you shiver, the hotel’s hidden corners might intrigue you instead. Within its walls lies a space that honors the region’s Prohibition-era past, where secret cellars once held contraband and whispers of rebellion.
Today, it’s a place where history is preserved and storytelling thrives. Guests can explore the building’s rich legacy, uncovering tales that blend mystery, humor, and hospitality. Some even joke that these are the only spirits they hope to meet during their stay.
The atmosphere invites curiosity, with every hallway offering a glimpse into the past. It’s a rare blend of elegance and enigma that keeps visitors coming back for more.
7. The Hunt Room: History Served Warm
The Hunt Room, a restaurant within the hotel, is where culinary craft meets storytelling. The menu focuses on regional ingredients: Virginia oysters, local beef, and heritage grains, all served in a setting of dark wood and flickering firelight.
The bar’s design pays homage to the original 1920s tavern that once hosted hunters and dignitaries. Staff often share anecdotes about notable guests who once dined here, adding a personal touch to every meal. Even skeptics of the supernatural find the room’s atmosphere captivating.
Some visitors claim the energy changes late at night, as if history itself leans closer to listen. Whether or not that’s true, the restaurant offers the coziest form of time travel on the coast.
8. More Than Ghosts: A Living Landmark
While the haunted stories draw curiosity, the Cavalier’s survival story is the real marvel. Its revival sparked new development across Virginia Beach, inspiring restoration efforts and renewed interest in heritage tourism.
Guests come for the paranormal intrigue but stay for the craftsmanship, art, and impeccable service. Weddings, galas, and high-profile gatherings once again fill its halls. The ocean breeze through the open windows feels like a sigh of relief from a building that refused to fade away.
Walking its hallways, you sense pride as much as mystery, a hotel that has seen nearly a century of change and remains at the heart of the city’s identity.
9. The Beach Club Beyond The Hill
Part of the Cavalier’s charm lies in its sister property: the Cavalier Beach Club. Guests can shuttle or walk down to the oceanfront retreat for sunbathing, dining, and live music. The Beach Club revives the glamour of the 1920s seaside scene, complete with striped umbrellas and coastal cocktails.
Its infinity pool overlooks the Atlantic, where pelicans glide in neat formation above the waves. Travelers say it is the perfect contrast to the quiet majesty of the main hotel, a modern echo of the same spirit.
Spend the day here, then return uphill for a nightcap at the Hunt Room, and you will have experienced both sides of the Cavalier legacy.
10. Staying The Night With History
Today, the Cavalier Hotel operates as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, open to travelers year-round. Visitors can book guided history tours, spa treatments, and distillery tastings, or simply explore the hallways that whisper of old glamour.
Every detail, from the original staircase to the revived gardens, tells a story rooted in verified history and careful restoration. Whether you come for romance, architecture, or a touch of ghostly curiosity, the experience feels timeless. The Cavalier is not a forgotten ruin but a restored legend that still commands attention. You can check in, unpack, and share a drink with history – no haunting required, unless you count the memories that never quite let go.
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