This New Richmond Hotel Is Set in a Gorgeous Historic Building — And We Got A Sneak Peek

Richmond is one of Virginia’s most dynamic cities, with top-notch restaurants, comprehensive museums, a thriving waterfront park in the heart of downtown, and multi-faceted neighborhoods. Now, the city is getting a new — and much-needed — boutique hotel in the Fan District, an 85-block neighborhood home to Virginia Commonwealth University, stunning Queen Anne-style homes, and a lively food and beverage scene.

Today, Travel + Leisure can exclusively announce that Shenandoah Mansions, the fifth hotel from Ash, has launched reservations ahead of its February 2025 opening in Richmond. Occupying a six-story historic apartment building that dates to the early 20th century, Shenandoah Mansions will feature 73 rooms and suites, two bars, and the third outpost of Ash–Bar, the brand’s all-day restaurant. There will also be a small garden for coffee or cocktails.

“Richmond is a city of contradictions. North and South, urban and nature, charm and grit. Culturally, Richmond is self-confident and creative, art school meets old school,” Ari S. Heckman, cofounder and CEO of Ash, told T+L, explaining why the company looked to Richmond for its next opening. “I’m so excited for first-time visitors to experience what we have.”

Heckman shared that Shenandoah Mansions was named for the Victorian “mansion blocks” in London. “They often used ‘mansions’ as a suffix to indicate the grandeur of the flats within,” he said, adding that the hotel sits inside Richmond’s first luxury apartment building — financed by suffragist and entrepreneur Ellen Kidd, who made her fortune in the pickle business. (Yes, really.)

Shenandoah Mansion’s guest rooms will have four-poster beds with block-printed quilts, gesturing to the long tradition of quilting in the Shenandoah Valley. Rooms have bay windows, pine wood floors, and American folk art motifs, while bathrooms have handpainted tiles.

Four suites speak to the region’s history. For example, the Lady Estelle suite — which features a queen-size canopy bed, writer’s desk, and lounge seating area — is named for Virginia Estelle Randolph, a Richmond native who was one of the state’s first Black educators and was instrumental in developing vocational education theories in the late 19th century. Meanwhile, the Van Lew suite honors Elizabeth “Lizzie” Van Lew, an abolitionist and philanthropist who ran a spy ring for the Union Army during the Civil War.

A hallmark of Ash hotels is their thoughtful but cheeky design details that weave in the hotel’s location and history. For example, Ulysses in Baltimore — which was named to Travel + Leisure’s It List in 2023 — has flamingo bedside tables that nod to Baltimore artist and filmmaker John Waters. Hotel Peter & Paul, in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans, plays up the building’s history as a Catholic church, schoolhouse, rectory, and convent, referencing saints and sinners. (Care for a “Mother Superior” cocktail from their Elysian Bar?)

Heckman told T+L that guests at Shenandoah Mansions could expect similarly playful experiences. “The hotel will feel like a grand home guests are invited to explore,” he said, adding that “unexpected relics from a long-ago Grand Tour” can be found around every corner.

We’re already thinking about booking our long weekend getaway in Richmond.

Reservations are available for Shenandoah Mansions beginning Feb. 12, 2025.