Norfolk, VA ~ Suggestions on Hotels

[CocoLocoLady]

Any info on Norfolk, where to stay before/after cruise.  We have never been here before.  Flying in from Michigan.  Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Marla

[Noxequifans]

Suggest looking at TripAdvisor to narrow your choice.

[markeb]

Are you flying into Norfolk itself? That's my assumption.

 

Norfolk seems small, but the whole Hampton Roads area can have some extremely congested roads. The airport is south of the tunnel (same side as the cruise port), so that's a plus. Norfolk can also be "interesting" as neighborhoods change quickly.  There's a full service Marriott and Hilton near the downtown/MacArthur Square area, and at least pre-COVID, there were dining options across Waterside, and it looks like there are some places along the streets away from the river as well. There are also some second tier hotels (Courtyard/Residence Inn) options in the area.

 

I'd probably start there. Norfolk is a Navy town and a lot of it has a Navy/Industrial feel. You won't deal with the tunnel and bridge, but it's pretty interesting popping up from Portsmouth and seeing the Atlantic Fleet in port...

[CocoLocoLady]

8 hours ago, markeb said:

Are you flying into Norfolk itself? That's my assumption.

 

Norfolk seems small, but the whole Hampton Roads area can have some extremely congested roads. The airport is south of the tunnel (same side as the cruise port), so that's a plus. Norfolk can also be "interesting" as neighborhoods change quickly.  There's a full service Marriott and Hilton near the downtown/MacArthur Square area, and at least pre-COVID, there were dining options across Waterside, and it looks like there are some places along the streets away from the river as well. There are also some second tier hotels (Courtyard/Residence Inn) options in the area.

 

I'd probably start there. Norfolk is a Navy town and a lot of it has a Navy/Industrial feel. You won't deal with the tunnel and bridge, but it's pretty interesting popping up from Portsmouth and seeing the Atlantic Fleet in port...

 

[CocoLocoLady]

markeb

Thank-you so much, info is very helpful!  Yes, we will be flying into Norfolk.  With have never been there, I was looking around & knew it was a Navy town.  But just wasn't sure exactly where to look for a hotel.  Hoping to spend a couple days after the cruise & see some of the area.  Thanks again!

[CocoLocoLady]

23 hours ago, Noxequifans said:

Suggest looking at TripAdvisor to narrow your choice.

 

23 hours ago, Noxequifans said:

Suggest looking at TripAdvisor to narrow your choice.

I did look @ TripAdvisor, but wasn't sure about area to stay in ~ thank you though

[markeb]

Not sure when you're looking to be in the the Norfolk area. Bizarrely, I've mostly been to Norfolk for business, and haven't done much in Norfolk itself. There is the MacArthur Memorial in town, and the USS Wisconsin. I think a lot of visitors to the area either head to Virginia Beach (and hour or so depending on traffic) or Williamsburg (about the same). Do some research for things that interest you, and recognize that at the right (or wrong) time of day or time of year, traffic can add a lot of time to what you're planning. Going to Williamsburg requires passing through the tunnel both ways and keeping an eye on traffic if you have deadlines, but that also allows you to visit Jamestown and Yorktown as well as Colonial Williamsburg. It really depends on your time and interests. 

[CocoLocoLady]

markeb ~

after doing lots of searching ~ we've decided to stay @ Best Wester Plus Sandcastle.  We've decided to drive & will stay here 1 night before & 4 nights after the cruise.  Any pros/cons on this hotel?  Thank you for the help that you gave me!

 

[AF-1]

CocoLocoLady;   what type of plans do you have for Norfok?  I have been there and can not see spending four nights there.  Unless you plan on traveling to other areas of Virginia;  like Busch Gardens, or Colonial Williamsburg.  

[navybankerteacher]

14 hours ago, AF-1 said:

CocoLocoLady;   what type of plans do you have for Norfok?  I have been there and can not see spending four nights there.  Unless you plan on traveling to other areas of Virginia;  like Busch Gardens, or Colonial Williamsburg.  

Agreed - having been home ported there with USN, I would not recommend spending much time there.  Virginia Beach is OK for a day, but is kind of built-up - almost urban.   Colonial Williamsburg - about an hour away is a one-of-a-kind experience and definitely worth a few days - to take in the beautifully restored colonial capitol as well as adjoining Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown.   I also think there is an airport -at Newport News - which is part way between Norfolk and Williamsburg - which might be more convenient than the Norfolk airport.

[markeb]

On 1/3/2021 at 10:01 AM, CocoLocoLady said:

markeb ~

after doing lots of searching ~ we've decided to stay @ Best Wester Plus Sandcastle.  We've decided to drive & will stay here 1 night before & 4 nights after the cruise.  Any pros/cons on this hotel?  Thank you for the help that you gave me!

 

 

Didn't see this before. I'm kind of with the others on Virginia Beach. It's fine, but if you're driving now, I'm not sure I'd do 4 nights, especially after a cruise. It depends on what you want to do. If you're looking for more beach time, then that's really Virginia Beach, or head further from home. I don't know the Best Western at all; most of the hotels on Virginia Beach are "the same hotel/different name" to me. I'm a Marriott guy, so that's where I've stayed.

 

Williamsburg is probably the draw in the area. It also depends on how you're planning to drive down and back. A suggestion or two...

 

Look seriously at what you want to do in Virginia Beach post cruise, and plan accordingly. It's Atlantic side, so the water can be kind of rough. If you've never been, I'd seriously look at going to Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg is unique. The Jamestown and Yorktown sites are nearby; both have National Park Service sites and more museum/attraction sites and both versions are worth a visit. That's probably a couple of days. I'd look seriously from there at heading out I64 to Charlottesville, visit Monticello, and, if you're into wine and wineries at all, look at a couple of sites in the Charlottesville area. Charlottesville is surrounded by OK to good wineries, and home to a few very nice breweries and brewpubs (fingers crossed post pandemic) and there are a few hotels downtown where you can walk to a good brewpub.

 

From Charlottesville, you can either hit I 81 and continue north through Pennsylvania to Michigan, or if you have a little time, you can hit the south end of Shenandoah National Park and drive the Skyline Drive before cutting back to the fast routes home.

 

Those would be my thoughts. Nothing wrong with Virginia Beach, but I've found you can wear it out pretty fast, and I'd expect that to really be true coming off of a cruise. You didn't mention if you were dragging kids along who are going to be dying for more time on the beach...