Opened in June on 80 palatial acres in Staunton, Virginia, The Blackburn Inn mixes modern artsy décor with nods to the historic redbrick building’s past. Constructed by master builder and Thomas Jefferson protégé Thomas Blackburn in 1828, the Jeffersonian-style property features vaulted ceilings, light-filled hallways, original heart pine floors and a reproduction antique drafting table that serves as the reception desk. Each of the inn’s 49 guest rooms includes luxury pillow-top beds and spacious marble bathrooms with frameless glass showers; some have soaking tubs.
Relax at Second Draft, Blackburn’s intimate bistro and bar, and snack on a Southern pimento-cheese panini or a goat-cheese flatbread pizza (aim for a spot on the wraparound front porch in good weather). Take the spiral staircase to a rooftop cupola for 360-degree views of the quaint town of Staunton.
Rates begin at $149 and include a breakfast of pastries, fruit, yogurt and locally sourced artisanal cheeses.
The Blackburn Inn, 301 Greenville Ave., Staunton, Virginia; 540-712-0601, blackburn-inn.com