Williamsburg Inn

Rockefeller built this hotel in 1937 because the restoration project was drawing visitors faster than the town could house them, and he wanted somewhere that would not embarrass the Regency style he had in mind. It has since taken in Queen Elizabeth II twice, Churchill, Eisenhower and the heads of state of the 1983 G7 summit.

The interiors are deliberately not colonial — pale Regency rooms, high ceilings, terrace views over the Golden Horseshoe golf course. A member of Historic Hotels of America, with the Fountain Garden, a formal terrace and the Restoration Bar attached.

Practical: expensive, and rates include Colonial Williamsburg admission, which softens the number somewhat. Non-guests can use the terrace and bar, which is the cheap way to see the place. Ordinary hotels sit five minutes away on Richmond Road if the budget says no.