John D. Rockefeller Jr. opened the Williamsburg Inn in 1937, coinciding with the restoration of Virginia’s Colonial Williamsburg to its 18th-century roots. Located just across from the historic downtown, the hotel is designed in the Regency style of early-19th-century England, featuring grand columns, iron railings, and a portico entrance, offering a distinct contrast to the simpler colonial architecture of Williamsburg.

The inn is intended to feel more like a charming country home than a traditional hotel. Its lobby resembles an expansive living room, complete with various sitting areas. The inn offers the upscale Rockefeller Room for fine dining, the more relaxed Terrace Room, the Social Terrace, and the Goodwin Room. Guests can stroll from the back terrace to The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg, where they can enjoy a swim in the indoor or outdoor pools, a workout in the gym, or unwind with a rejuvenating treatment.