Our Stay at the Inn at Darden

Going back to school is probably not the first To Do on most people’s vacation list, but that’s sort of how we started a recent trip to Charlottesville, Virginia. We didn’t actually enroll, but we did stay on campus at the University of Virginia’s Inn at Darden, and found it makes the grade as one of the best hotels in Charlottesville!

Ed. Note: The Inn at Darden is closed for renovations, expected to re-open in 2023. See below for details and an artist’s rendering of the renovation and expansion.

Why We Chose the Inn at Darden

We found the accommodation through Rocket Miles*, which we agreed to try out because of a very convincing email: If we booked through them, we’d get 1,000 frequent flier miles per night plus a 5,000 mile bonus for our first booking. That was enough to get us to take a peek when we needed a hotel in Charlottesville! Since our preferred hotel chain had no locations in the area, we were open to trying out something new; maybe a different chain, or maybe a nice boutique hotel. After checking photos and reviews for several, we settled on the quaint Inn at Darden.

Our visit to Charlottesville was primarily due to its proximity to a trio of Presidential estates: Monticello, James Monroe’s Highland, and James Madison’s Montpelier. The area is rich in Colonial, Revolution-era, and Civil War history, and is surrounded by the natural splendor of the Piedmont and the Blueridge Mountains. The city is just a half-hour’s drive from the North Entrance of the famous Blueridge Parkway, making it a great starting or ending point for one of the country’s best road trips.

Visiting the Inn at Darden on the University of Virginia Campus

Getting to the hotel was simple enough, thanks to our keen GPS app abilities, but I’m reasonably sure we could have found it on our own. It’s actually located within the University of Virginia, and there are signs all over town to help you find the campus. In a pinch, you could always ask a local. Once on the campus, getting a little bit lost would be enjoyable: lots of neo-classical architecture mingles with woods and greens. The inn sits among the university’s 5-acre arboretum on the North Grounds. We visited in spring and caught the eruption of tulips and daffodils, dogwood, redbud and cherry trees. So, while there are many great hotels in Charlottesville, none have a setting quite like this.

Your first stop at the Inn at Darden is to check in at The Gatehouse.

The hotel itself is just a little bit different. The Inn at Darden is run by the University and serves mainly as housing for executive level trainings at the Darden School of Business. It is, however, open to the public as well. Checking in was quick and efficient in a small building called The Gatehouse, which houses little more than a front desk and small lobby on the ground floor, with a pub on the floor below. Rooms are in the long building next door, which also houses some classrooms and meeting rooms, a UVA bookstore, and offices. You won’t have students sharing your halls when staying here, but it did seem a bit odd to see what are essentially classrooms devoted to office spaces or meeting rooms interspersed with the hotel rooms. Walking to our room for the first time, we were a little apprehensive at what waited ahead.

This is No College Dorm! Our Stay at the Inn at Darden

Once through the door, the campus could have been miles away. We stepped through the threshold to a tidy room, well furnished and tastefully decorated. By no means a super-lux suite, but certainly not the former dorm room we were afraid we might see. The bed was clean and comfy, with a welcome gift of honey and cookies made at the school. Our eyes went immediately across the room to a chair and reading lamp, next to a deep-sill window. It was a picture-perfect setting for the rainy day we were experiencing. Next to that, an uncluttered desk, and a bureau topped with a flat-screen TV. Though we were on the building’s third floor, we were ground level with the sidewalk outside our window, overlooking the commons beyond. Despite this, the room was quiet throughout our stay.

In addition to the usual amenities – safe, ironing board, coffee maker – the bathroom featured robes and Temple Spa bath amenities, which smelled fantastic! We did call for extra towels (our own bit of added luxury), and found the service to be fast and friendly.

A classic queen guest room at the Inn at Darden carries the Jeffersonian theme throughout the decor and furnishings.

A sampling of amenities at the Inn at Darden.

The Inn at Darden features modern feathertop beds in Jeffersonian decor.

Our welcome gift at the Inn at Darden, made right at the University of Virginia.

Dining at the Inn at Darden, Mess Hall Optional

Our room rate included breakfast, provided in the Abbott Center dining room which we were told was across the street. Again, we were a little nervous. We had visions of shuffling through a mess hall, in line with bleary eyed students, clutching our trays while Lunch Lady ladled porridge in our bowls. Thankfully, it was absolutely nothing of the sort, except for bleary eyed guests (us) looking for the dining room. Perhaps worth noting that we could have relived our college days by joining the students at any of the campus dining halls. Could have, but didn’t.

The lovely commons outside our room led up to Saunders Hall, with stately lounges and wingback chairs, a snack bar, and a gorgeous rotunda lined with tea and coffee, called First Coffee. It seemed much like a student center, and nothing looked like breakfast. We asked the attendant at First Coffee where the dining hall was, and she was kind enough to walk us down a hallway to an adjoining building, and the ballroom-sized dining hall. We were there early; the few occupied tables made the big room seem even larger, and there was almost no staff in sight. From out of nowhere, uniformed waitstaff appeared (seriously, it’s a mystery). We were quickly greeted and seated, shown to the buffet (which we chose over a menu order), and had hot coffee and juice served. The buffet was standard, with an omelet station and a smoothie bar. Again, nothing over-the-top luxurious but far better than the college experience we remembered from our younger days!

The beautiful Saunders Hall at UVA houses the Cafe 67 and Abbott Dining Room, along with lounges and study areas which are open to students and guests.

The full-service Abbott Center Dining Room at UVA.

First Coffee in the rotunda of Saunders Hall at UVA.

Cafe 67 is an informal cafe in Saunders Hall on the UVA campus.

The Insider Guide to the Inn at Darden

Being unique among hotels in Charlottesville has its pros and cons. We gathered a few pointers to make the most of your stay at the Inn at Darden.

There is a parking garage across the street from the Inn, and an unloading zone by the registration office. If your room is above the second floor, though, it’s more convenient to drive towards the garage, but stop before crossing over. You can park for a few minutes on that end of the Inn while you unload, then go park in the garage. The grounds slope, so while you may be on ground level on one side, you will be several floors under (or above) ground level on the other.

While Abbott Center is convenient, there is a wide variety of restaurants within just a few miles of campus. There are several shopping areas close by, as well. We’d encourage you to visit the Barracks Road shopping center, and the Historic Downtown pedestrian mall. Be sure to take some time to explore the campus. You won’t want to miss Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village, the symbolic heart of the university. The Lawn and several buildings on campus are now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with Monticello.

The Inn at Darden occupies a few buildings in the Darden School of Business, which is not in the main part of the UVA campus. It’s about a 30 minute walk to the heart of the campus, The Green and Academical Village. History buffs and Thomas Jefferson fans should also visit the Fralin Museum of Art for their displays of Jeffersonian artifacts, and global arts. It is located on Rugby Road, a short distance from the Academical Village.

Getting to the Inn at Darden may be challenging. Our GPS took us on a lovely tour of the beautiful University of Virginia campus. Coming from downtown Charlottesville, that might have been the shortest route, but it was not the easiest. We learned quickly that it’s best to get on Leonard Sandridge Road, which connects US 250 and Emmet Street, and cuts through the campus. Turn on Massie Road, and it takes you right to the Inn. However, you should still make time to drive around campus. It truly is beautiful!

When you’re looking for a place to relax at the Inn at Darden, head to the study at Saunders Hall.

The Inn at Darden Renovation and Expansion

“Quaint” is the word we used to describe the Inn at Darden, but not as an euphemism for old or outdated. It was charming, in the way much of Charlottesville is. However, in 2021, the University of Virginia began a major renovation and expansion of the Inn, set to transform the property from quaint to bespoke.

The small on-campus inn is being upgraded to a new, state-of-the-art boutique hotel and conference center managed by Kimpton Hotels, scheduled to open in 2023. The reimagined space will include 199 deluxe guest rooms and suites, more than 19,000 square feet of meeting space, a 6,500 square foot ballroom, a pub, coffee shop, and a destination restaurant. Classroom space will still adjoin the Inn, convenient for seminars, visiting lecturers, and those attending events at the University of Virginia. We expect it will be even more of a draw for travelers drawn to Charlottesville’s surrounding history and natural beauty, as well. That is to say, we are looking forward to visiting the new and improved Inn at Darden!

While Kimpton is a member of the IHG Resorts and Hotels family, it remains to be seen if the Inn at Darden will be bookable through IHG, earn IHG One Rewards loyalty points, or be bookable with points.

From Quaint to Bespoke: An artist’s rendering of the reimagined Inn at Darden on the University of Virginia campus. (Photo: University of Virginia)

*RocketMiles: When you join using our referral link, you will receive 1,000 miles instantly, and so will we. Thank you in advance!

TravelLatte’s stay at the Inn at Darden was neither solicited nor compensated; Views are our own.