On my work trip earlier this year to Virginia, I had to be in Lynchburg for two nights. Being a Brit from London, I had never even heard of Lynchburg before, let alone know which hotel to stay in.
Thankfully I loaded up the trusty Marriott Bonvoy app, and saw that they had a Tribute Portfolio hotel right in the centre of Lynchburg, called the Craddock Terry Hotel.
It looked cute from the photos, but when I arrived I was in awe and completely fell in love.
I’d been in Arlington for two nights before I arrived in Lynchburg, and stayed in an awful old Marriott hotel there, so to step into the Craddock Terry and be greeted by friendly staff and a warm, homely environment, was very, very welcome.
Arriving at the Craddock Terry Hotel
The hotel is housed in the old Craddock Terry shoe factory, which was founded in 1888. Built on the edge of the James River, the factory immediately became a major part of Lynchburg’s commercial success. During the peak, the factory produced over 100,000 pairs of shoes every day, including women’s shoes, baby shoes, combat boots, and more.
In 2007, Hal Craddock, the Great-grandson of John W. Craddock, was the chief architect and interior designer of the Craddock Terry Hotel. He worked tirelessly to restore the building over five years with his business partner, and he made sure they retained the original industrial feel by using exposed wood beam ceilings, brick, stone exterior walls, and the original nine-foot-tall windows.
I walked into the gorgeous boutique hotel to be greeted by Penny Loafer, their very own cute and friendly hotel dog, who lives onsite in the hotel’s pet-friendly retreat. The hotel is completely pet-friendly and charges a one-time pet fee of $75. Penny was SO friendly and loved coming over to me for a cuddle whenever I walked through the lobby!
I checked in and as I walked towards the elevator I noticed the wall of shoes! They had saved a whole bunch of Craddock Terry shoes, and made a whimsical wall displaying some of them.
Standard King Guestroom
The shoe theme continued – I found shoe-shaped signs labelling each guestroom door, and when I entered my Standard King Guestroom I even found an old-fashioned wooden shoeshine box. This was designed to be placed outside the room each evening, and in the morning my complimentary breakfast would be waiting in it for me to enjoy in my room.
The room itself was absolutely huge! I couldn’t get over how large the space was! I had a large bed, a sofa, chair and side table, and a large desk and chair. I honestly could have done cartwheels in this room (if I could do cartwheels, that is).
And then, I walked into the bathroom. Not only did it have a cute red shoe bathmat, but the shower was probably the biggest shower I’ve ever seen – it was right up there with the one at COMO The Treasury in Perth!
There were the usual amenities you’d find in a hotel, as well as luxury bathrobes and a Keurig coffee and tea station.
I honestly slept sooo well at the Craddock Terry. The bed was ridiculously comfortable and the linens felt super luxurious. I woke up the next morning, and pulling up the blinds on those huge windows to see the cute building opposite surrounded by clear blue skies was so lovely!
Dining & Local Area
The Craddock Terry is well-known for its restaurant, Shoemakers American Grille. Unfortunately they were fully booked while I was there, so make sure you book a table in advance if you know you want to eat there!
Instead, I walked 30-seconds, two doors down, to Bootleggers, where I had the best burger I have ever eaten in my entire life. Also nearby is My Dog Duke’s Diner, a great spot for breakfast if you want something different to the hotel’s offering.
I’ve heard that Lynchburg has a less-than desirable reputation, but what I saw of it was a cute American town working hard to re-position itself. There was a lot of fun street art and sculptures around nearby Amazement Square, the beautiful views over the River James, and the main town with its historic buildings.
A Perfect Boutique Hotel
The Craddock Terry is everything a luxury boutique hotel should be: unique, comfortable, friendly, and characterful.
It also has the added benefits of being part of Marriott, so you’ll collect points as a Bonvoy member (and can spend them there, too), and of course, Ms Penny Loafer, the cutest hotel dog I’ve ever met, is there to provide constant cuddles!