Colonial Houses, an Official Colonial Williamsburg Hotel

My wife and I stayed in the Robert Carter Kitchen. It is a cute and cozy little cottage in a lovely location. Right next to all things Colonial, but manages to feel private at least in mid December on a Thursday night. The cost is astronomical by our standards and was a real splurge for us. We have visited colonial Williamsburg countless times, but staying in a colonial home was a new extravagance and experience. The attention from concierge, bellhops, wait staff, and others was top notch. If you are used to five star resorts, you will need to rethink what you get for your money. Here you get the experience of the location with some quirky 1950s bathroom facilities added into the upstairs of an 18th century structure. The disappointment for us came with the checkin and checkout experience. We were warmly greeted and given a very clear (way over simplified) map to our room/house. We failed in our attempt to find it and had to abort the effort to make our 5 pm dinner reservation at Kings Arms Tavern (that our concierge magically obtained for us at 4:20 pm!). After dinner we asked our Waiter if he knew how to get us to the spot- his answer was he'd have to show us, directions don't work. He suggested what we'd already arrived at and that was a return to the Inn for help. The bell hop there gave is the exact same answer and jumped in a car to lead us there. It didn't resemble the overly simplistic map at all and involved moving a "you can't drive here" barrier. I certainly wish the lady checking us in had sent us with an escort to our room. This is truly necessary to actually find the place. The checkout disappointment was also related to booking. I'd signed up for the dozen roses to be in the room. When they weren't there I was like, "oh well" until upon checkout when the $75 was on my bill. I informed the clerk they were never received. The initial response was "oh. I'll need to call and check on that." When there was some confirmation from them that seemed to indicate they were delivered to my FIRST room?!? (She assured them I'd only been in one- for one night). She then asked if I still wanted them. Nope. We're checking out... I wish I had been taken at my word for this ~10% of my total bill. The "I'll need to check on that" felt insulting.

(This visit was made during the times of Covidious earlier this month. When things return to a look of normality - your experience likely will vary.)So, if you've ever been to Colonial Williamsburg and needed a place to stay, you know that every hotel chain on planet earth has one of their lower tiered brands on Bypass Road and/or some timeshares in the nearby vicinity. But if you really want to be "close to the action", you can stay a CW affiliated property and the most unique of the lot are the Colonial Houses.Let me start by saying that the hardest part of this experience is simply knowing what choices you have. Why? In 2021 I think it's safe to say that most people when they reserve a room like to see an actual or generalized picture of said accommodations along with a basic idea of where the actual property is located. If you want that here, good f-ing luck because it doesn't exist.How it works: Go to their website and put in your dates of stay along with the number of people in your party. Available Colonial House properties show up along with pricing and then you choose one. What's crazy is that CW on their website doesn't offer a map of where their Colonial House properties are located nor do all of the properties offer any pictures as to what the rooms look like or even what the property looks like. What's even crazier is that when you cross-reference that concept with the dough that they charge, it's a hell of a leap of faith for something that you can't fully research before they expect you to plunk down $400 or more.We stayed at the Nicholas-Tyler Laundry which is across the street from the Magazine and on the grounds of the Williamsburg Lodge (which by the way is where you check in for all Colonial Houses). Why this one? A lot of the Colonial House properties are on the smaller side and when you go above two people you knock out a good number of places which for the most part leaves only entire houses and that's where things start to get really pricey even in the off season and on shoulder nights.Nicolas-Tyler has two floors and overall is nicely appointed. The house has two dedicated parking spaces near the house at the far side of the main Wiliamsburg Lodge parking lot. The houses's first floor has a sitting area with small TV and a working fireplace that the housekeeping staff will light if it's below 50 degrees. There is a also a small dorm style fridge oddly placed in a random corner. There is a king sized bed and full bathroom as well.The 2nd floor has a couch, pull out trundle bed and two twin sized beds that are rock hard. There is also another bathroom and shower that are very interesting to use since the pitch of the roof encroaches on the head space big time (i.e. don't be too tall or else showering is borderline impossible). The main view from the back side of the house is of the Magazine and the Courthouse and if you're a CW lover, that can't be beat. With all this there needs to be some context. This house is not one of the original 88 but everything (aside from the TV's/fridge) are dated to look period appropriate. The pricing as I mentioned is super steep. A bit north of $400 for a one night Sunday stay during a sleepy time of March is nuts and at best is a one off gimmick that while nice, is seriously uaffordable to re-do with any kind of frequency let alone some of their other offerings that breach the $500 or $600 per night plateau. If you're looking for value, obviously this isn't it. But if you're looking for a special occasion splurge or something unique for a CW lover then this is it.

We have stayed in the Lightfoot and Ewing house now. It is awesome staying in these old houses. Light foot is great for a couple. Your in the middle of everything. We stayed in the Ewing house with family. We enjoyed it. Wish the fridge was a little bigger. It's true you will here the bus till 10pm. If you want absolute quiet go to Lightfoot. If you are up and enjoying people and you don't sleep till 11pm Ewing is a win.

I've stayed in the Colonial Houses a couple times and they have easily become my favorite accommodations here. The main reasons why are they are very private, quiet, and much more "authentic" (or perhaps unique is a better word) than the hotels. As you may read, most of the reviews on here complain of the older amenities in the houses, but come on, you are staying in a historic colonial house, so what did you expect? I like the amenities and think they add to the house's character. Not that they are that old either-we aren't talking about an outhouse, just a toilet that doesn't sing to you while it flushes. You won't have staff waiting at the door like at a hotel, but the uniqueness of these houses definitely makes up for it!

5 stars for coolness factor, we stayed at the Tavern Inn, right on the DOG street, nice set up and the bed was super comfy. My major issue with the place was the cleaning crew, hence the 2 stars. IF you are going to have a canopy bed, for the luv of God, please pull it down once in a great while and vacuum it or send it out to be cleaned. There was a good layer of dust on it and we didn't dare bump the bed too much as we didn't want to get sprinkled with dust mites.Second thing, if you are going to hire a cleaning person, as in single staff, have someone come by and check their work!! Our cleaning person must have used the same towel to wipe up the floor and tub and then wipe the walls down. Multiple pubic hairs from various people were all over the place, PURE YUCK. Relatively thin walls and doors in the place, we could hear the next door folks walk into their room and bang things around and flush the toilet! Not that hyped on the bathroom not having a functioning exhaust fan, had our visit been the middle of a humid summer, the paint would have been peeling from the walls. Should also note, if you are handicapped or have limited mobility, do not stay here, see my pictures, there are stairs everywhere! We got a 1st floor room but there were plenty of stairs up and down in this place.For the price the coolness factor of being right in the middle of all the action, it was indeed priceless. Free DNA test samples on the bathroom walls and dust mite farm over your bed, I'll pass.

I had returned from my stay before I read the other reviews here, and I have to say it appears someone is listening. I stayed in the Market Square Tavern, and I will most definitely be returning. From a historical perspective, what can I say that isn't already self-evident (see what I did there?)? Staying in the same inn as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington? Looking out my window over DoG street as the troops march past? Hearing carriages and horses go by, rather than trucks, trains, and planes? If the history and experience of Williamsburg is appealing to you, then you can't do any better than staying right smack in the middle of everything, in a place where history was made two centuries ago.As a hotel, I am still impressed. The room was clean and comfortable, despite some of the older reviews, which is why I say someone must be reading and addressing issues. The more modern aspects are hidden away whenever possible so you really immerse yourself in the colonial period, while still keeping the comfort and convenience of today. There are some quirks, of course. The shower head, as mentioned above, is not exactly convenient for taller guests, since the slope of the roof puts it where my head wants to be. The walls are colonial, like everything else, so don't expect modern soundproofing. In fact, the FAQ left in the rooms also points this out and asks that guests bear it in mind and respect their fellow travelers. In all honesty, although I could hear that there were voices in nearby rooms, I couldn't follow conversations, and it was never a disturbance over the course of the week. Finally, no fridge, mini or otherwise. I've become so accustomed to them that I didn't even check first. I bought some beers from Mr Greenhow's shop just across the green, and found I didn't have anywhere to put them. There was an ice bucket though, so I iced them down for later that evening. The next day, I found that the remaining ones had been freshly iced for me when the room was made up. Excellent service! Also, while soaking in all the history, do not neglect the Inn proper. Breakfast (especially when included in your package) is absolutely amazing. The service is impeccable, and the concierge definitely knows their stuff. (Take them at their word and avoid Seasons for meals!)Anyway, the short version: I'm a raving fan and I'll be back. A unique and truly enjoyable experience.

My family and I stayed in the Market Square Tavern Kitchen. A nice 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom stand alone building. An old Kitchen for the nearby tavern, it's right in the mix of things on DoG street. Walkable to anywhere in Williamsburg. Very centrally located. The house it self had a few cob webs and dust. Didn't expect that for the price... Anyways super neat home. The Inn's Concierge was very knowledgeable and helpful and aided in the plan of our stay.

A fun place to stay for a historical experience! We stayed in the Market Square Kitchen, a small little house probably built around the 50s but made to look like it was from the 1770s. It had a canopy bed and huge fireplace on the first floor plus another fireplace on the 2nd. The first floor was supposed to be wheelchair accessible but I don't think a wheelchair could roll into the room without moving furniture first. The historical theming wasn't perfect. The smoke alarm blinked through the top of the canopy bed, the bathroom faucet had been replaced with a modern one, and the candelabra lights were maybe too bright and should have been flicker bulbs that look like flames. The lights in the bathroom were also very bright modern lights and the white tile floor looked like they were from the 1920s. The canopy bed was quite large and took up a lot of space in the room. The curtains around the bed didn't fully cover the bed when pulled out. It had a tv you could hide inside a cabinet. It was a fun experience for a night, but it could have been larger and more authentic.

5 stars for ye olden timey coolness. Wonder what's inside all those old buildings? Stay here and see for yourself! Sleep IN history. 4 stars for surprising comfort (ps extra pillows were hiding in the dresser)3 stars for cleanliness (maybe vacuuming is not allowed to preserve historic dirt between the floor tiles?) 2 stars for security: windows do not lock! I could open the windows to our first floor lodging *from outside*. Tourists are everywhere, looking into all windows. Why do they allow modern conveniences of cable tv, air conditioning, and Keuregs, but no locks on windows? If you care about this issue, call and see if you can get upper-floor lodging, or bring some sticks to wedge your windows shut.

My wife really liked it. And quite frankly that's all that matters to me. If I could make her happy every day then my time here on earth would be well served. Take your significant other on a carriage ride every opportunity you get. They always seem to appreciate this gesture.