Have you ever visited a hotel where you feel at home the minute you step in the doors? At the Craddock Terry Hotel and Event Center in downtown Lynchburg, the impeccable hospitality and attention to detail made our stay delightful from beginning to end.
As my friend and I pulled into the parking lot, our eyes were fixed on the enormous, brightly lit Craddock Terry Tree in the courtyard. More touches of the holidays awaited inside the hotel lobby with a miniature winter wonderland village complete with train set up for guests to enjoy and a tree with a shoe theme, a tribute to the history of the hotel.
There were also shoe displays and memorabilia in the lobby and throughout the hotel with information about the hotel's history as a turn-of-the-century shoe factory. The doors of each room had a shoe for decoration, too. Our room featured a flip-flop on the door, perfect for two ocean loving women!
Our room, a double queen guestroom, was spacious and elegant with two queen beds, a sofa and chairs, a work area with an oversize desk, and a tiled bathroom with a double granite vanity and an oversized walk-in shower.
The other room options include king suites, junior suites, premium king guestrooms, standard king guestrooms, and accessible king guestrooms. Craddock Terry Hotel is a dog-friendly hotel. Although our dogs stayed home, we met several friendly dogs during our stay.
One special touch in our room was a desktop tree and a shoebox filled with shoe themed ornaments to make our stay more festive. From the desk in the room, we could see the Craddock Terry Tree and the holiday lights on the patio below.
On one bed, we discovered a vintage shoeshine box with a card to order our continental breakfast. Each night, we set the shoebox outside our door and each morning, our breakfast was delivered inside the shoebox.
After we unpacked and settled in, we decided to walk on the Bluffwalk, a pedestrian walkway located between Jefferson and Commerce streets and stretching from 12th Street to 9th Street. The Bright Nights on the Bluffwalk event is ongoing through early January, with festive light displays that draw visitors from throughout the greater Lynchburg area every night.
The Bluffwalk is a pretty walk in any season and numerous restaurants and outdoor seating areas are located along the walk, which offers views of the mountains and the James River.
After our walk, we took the elevator beside Craddock Terry Hotel down to Waterstone Pizza on Jefferson Street. Our pizza and salads were delicious and the staff were all friendly and attentive.
We walked around and explored downtown Lynchburg, taking in the holiday decor in store windows and along the Bluffwalk, before heading back to the hotel for the night. Our beds were both luxurious and comfortable.
One of the amenities Craddock Terry offers to guests are rental bikes. We planned to ride bikes along the James River the second day, but the weather didn't cooperate. After breakfast and a morning walk, we visited several popular shops in downtown Lynchburg for some last minute shopping.
We enjoyed lunch at Market at Main, a downtown Lynchburg mainstay. We tried two of their winter specialties: Mexican scrambled eggs and peppermint cocoa pancakes. Both were excellent. After lunch, we took a driving tour of Old City Cemetery, the oldest municipal cemetery in Virginia. The gardens of the cemetery are beautiful in every season.
We relaxed at the hotel for a while, enjoying the sounds of the rain outside. In the evening, a short walk along the Bluffwalk and down the ramp brought us to our dinner spot at The Water Dog, located on Jefferson Street. On the way to our table, we found the Abominable Snowman welcoming guests.
Dinner was filling and delicious: crabby poppa wraps, sweet potato fries, and parmesan pretzel bites. The rain had started back again while we were at dinner, so we strolled back to the hotel for the evening.
Everything about our staycation was perfect and we can't wait to return to the Craddock Terry Hotel and explore more of downtown Lynchburg!
My friend and I enjoyed a sponsored trip to the Craddock Terry Hotel to facilitate writing this article. We enjoyed meals at Waterstone Pizza, Market at Main, and The Water Dog, hosted by the Craddock Terry Hotel and Lynchburg Tourism. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
About the Craddock Terry Hotel
The Craddock Terry Hotel, located in Lynchburg, VA, is known for its blend of history, luxury, and hospitality. What was once a turn-of-the-century shoe factory has been transformed into a
one-of-a-kind luxury hotel. Witness a unique blend of original brick warehouse architecture and chic modern style. For more information, visit www.craddockterryhotel.com
Learn more about Craddock Terry Hotel and Event Center and make reservations for a future stay in downtown Lynchburg at their website.
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