VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Today, the resort area at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region, and it's the historic Cavalier Hotel that’s credited with starting it all.
Back to the Roaring Twenties, the Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club’s opening ignited the resort area and attracted big-time celebrities, like Elizabeth Taylor, Muhammad Ali and Bob Hope.
Ten decades later, and the historic site is once again putting Virginia Beach on the map. After an $85 million renovation and grand reopening in 2018, the hotel brought luxury right back to Atlantic Avenue, along with celebrity guests.
The renovation project began five years before that, though, with the city chipping in alongside private developers to save the landmark from being demolished.
Now, developers are putting the finishing touches on the entire Cavalier footprint. A third hotel just opened to guests last week; the Embassy Suites by Hilton is one of the final pieces of the $435 million master plan for the historic property.
Its soft opening Thursday comes nearly 100 years after the original Cavalier Hotel first opened it's doors at the Oceanfront.