"The Jefferson Hotel is one of a vanishing breed of grand historic hotels that still provide the kind of hotel experience that was already becoming rare 50 years ago. The staff are friendly and attentive, the rooms are extremely well appointed, the public spaces of the hotel are spectacular, and the restaurant is one of the best in Richmond. The hotel's only real drawback isn't its fault: the area of downtown Richmond that the Jefferson used to anchor has seriously deteriorated. Even though an effort was clearly made to try to revive Broad Street near the hotel, it's still pretty sketchy. As a result, there isn't really much of interest close to the hotel other than VCU and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. That means that going out from the hotel -- to find other restaurants, see the sights, or hit the usual tourist destinations -- pretty much requires a car."