Reservations now open for the Fan's first boutique hotel
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Shenandoah Mansions opens in February on Allen Avenue in the Fan. Image: Courtesy of Blake Shorter via Ash Hotels
Reservations are now open for Shenandoah Mansions, the Fan District's first boutique hotel.
Why it matters: This is the fifth hotel from NYC-based hotelier Ash, which specializes in bringing swanky high-end hotels with local vibes to cool American cities.
State of play: Construction started last year to transform the former retirement home at 501 N. Allen Ave. into a 73-room boutique hotel, complete with four luxury suites, "an intimate exterior garden," two bars and one all-day restaurant.
- Ash operates similar hotels in Detroit, New Orleans, Providence and Baltimore, all with local vibes.
- Ash's Ulysses in Baltimore, for example, has flamingo bedside tables, an homage to filmmaker John Waters, per Travel and Leisure.
Zoom in: The local details at Shenandoah include suites named for influential Richmonders, like the Lady Estelle suit for educator Virginia Estelle Randolph and the Van Lew suite, for Civil War spy for the Union Elizabeth "Lizzie" Van Lew.
- Guests will find quilts on the beds, a nod the Shenandoah Valley folk artists who still make them, per the news release.
- And in the lobby, folks will find Ash–Bar, an all-day European cafe-inspired restaurant — and the third from the group (Baltimore and Detroit each have one, too).
What they're saying: "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," CEO of Ash Ari S. Heckman told Travel and Leisure.
Worth noting: Ash Hotels end up being pretty cool spots for locals, too, our colleagues at Axios New Orleans tell us of their Peter & Paul.
- Locals love their restaurants and cool public events there, like yoga and pop-up markets.
What's next: Shenandoah Mansions opens Feb. 12, a delay from its planned fall 2024 opening; rooms start at $229 a night and top out at around $609 for the highest end suite, the Serpentine Suite.