The Quirk Hotel in Richmond, Virginia
Updated: Jul 15
The Quirk is located on Broad Street, which is a 15 mile-artery through RVA and one of the oldest streets in the city. The Quirk's building was constructed in 1916 as the J.B. Mosby & Co Dry Goods Store, a department store that operated in an era where Richmond was one of the largest cities in the South, anchored on tobacco production, the railroad industry, and the newly-opened Federal Reserve.
While Broad Street was the main commercial area for Richmonders, Black and white residents had very different access and experiences. Segregated street cars, dining rooms, and theaters were common - and its important to address and understand this history as the city evolves. I recommend visiting or checking out the online resources at The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia.
All to say, The Quirk Hotel sits in a historic but also complicated zip code, like many places in the South.
Much like the Broad Street of the 1900's, the Quirk seems designed to be a place where people gather. The lobby is the centerpiece of the hotel, with multiple spaces blending together. For example, there are wide couches arranged in a lounge area by massive windows overlooking the street. Next to these couches is a small cafe, serving coffee and snacks. Further back in the space is the restaurant seating, where big velvet booths and farmhouse tables are used during the day for remote work. Towards the back exists the bar, where at night you'll find groups enjoying fruity cocktails.
If you keep exploring, you'll also find the art gallery with rotating exhibits from regional artists, which makes strolling through the hotel an even more delightful experience.
Find the host in the back towards the bar and you can make a visit to the rooftop bar, where you'll enjoy an awesome view of Broad Street with a summery spritz in hand. I recommend calling ahead if you plan to go to the roof, as the space is often booked for private events. Worst case scenario, you can retreat to the lobby bar or restaurant!
And while you don't have to be a hotel guest to enjoy these shared spaces, I do recommend staying over if you can. My room itself was spacious (almost too big for a New Yorker) with a sitting room separate from the bedroom and a great view of the iconic “milk bottle” building. The millennial pink decor goes hard, with pink polka dot pillows, a retro mini-fridge, and other quirky touches. It's a girly and loud style, but fun. Are they playing directly into my millennial weaknesses, with the pale pink decor, velvet accents, and Lumineers playing in the elevators? If so, well done.
You'll notice a lot of art featuring dogs around the Quirk, and that is not by accident. The Quirk has a unique dog program for overnight guests. The Quirk designates special rooms as dog-friendly, and upon check-in, this program offers you branded food and water bowls, a pink tennis ball, and some other cute items in a goody bag. My French Bulldog Lola joined me for my stay (I fear her tastes are getting more and more refined!). The only thing I would bring next time is a dog bed for the floor!
All said, whether you're coming to The Quirk to have a cocktail on the roof, to switch up your WFH scenery, to browse art, or to treat your dog to an overnight vacation, this space felt open, communal, and far more interesting than a chain hotel.
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