Rodeway Inn Williamsburg Historic Area

It felt a bit like staying at your grandparents’ house, in a quaint way. Our room was clean, and we’d stay again. Breakfast was simple and cold, with cereal, coffee, juice, and muffins. The room also had a microwave and mini fridge. Simple and functional.

For roughly $80 a night all-in, staying mid-November Friday and Saturday, this was a great value. I was in town for a concert in Hampton, and in an area where budget hotels seem to have a lot of quality issues, this was a perfectly acceptable option. My room was quite decent. The sheets and towels were clean, I saw no signs of insects, and the window-installed AC worked well. The bathroom was clean, had standard soap and toiletries, and the shower had warm water with good pressure. The bed was comfortable, not too soft, stiff, or lumpy, and the heavy top blankets would help if it got cold. The microwave, mini fridge, and TV all worked. They may be standard features, but I’ve seen nicer brand hotels drop them lately. Front desk staff were friendly, and check-in and check-out were quick. There were two issues: a large crack in one side of the shower wall, which looked like fairly new paneling, and a missing chain lock on the door. The deadbolt was there, so I wasn’t worried. I didn’t try the hotel breakfast. Colonial Pancake House, practically attached to the corner of the lot, was fantastic and only a minute’s walk from my room. I liked the inn’s themed look, which fits the area, and the traditional outward-swinging doors were a nice touch to cover the more modern inward-swinging ones. It was a great no-frills, cheap, clean stay. I’ll definitely consider coming back to Williamsburg, and I hope they keep up the good standard.

The attendant was really nice, and everything else about the stay was great. But I wouldn’t choose this place in winter: the rooms rely on space heaters, and they’ll only provide one extra blanket per room.

Getting around was easy from this location, and both of the men working there were friendly. The woman serving breakfast, though, came across as irritated when I tried to tell her something, with a head tilt and an aggravated look. The breakfast itself was just small muffins and cereal with black coffee and orange juice, so “continental” doesn’t seem like the right description. My bed wasn’t comfortable, there was hair on the sheets, and the heat was weak enough that I needed two covers. Sorry, I wouldn’t recommend staying here.