It’s been ages since I’ve stayed at a Delta Hotels property. With only one other stay to date at the brand, I was curious how the Delta Hotel Richmond Downtown would hold up. I had multiple options for a visit to Richmond, Virginia in late 2023, and settled on the Delta property rather than the Residence Inn or Courtyard.
Overall, the stay was nice. The hotel is a bit dated, and not the most central of locations unless you need to visit the offices of Dominion Energy. But it’s still close to the river and worked just fine as a base for exploring the city during a weekend in town.
Booking the Delta Hotel Richmond
I booked the Delta Hotel Richmond Downtown using a free night certificate I received for renewing my Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card. The card costs $95 per year, but it provides a free night every year worth 35,000 points. The hotel had a cash rate of $237 after taxes, so it was a decent use of the certificate.
An additional benefit of the card is being awarded 15 elite night credits. I have both the Bonvoy Boundless card and the American Express Bonvoy Business card since these work well together. The cards each provide an annual free night certificate for a total of two per year. Each also offers 15 elite night credits — total of 30 per year — since business and personal cards are treated separately. For $220 in combined annual fees, I think this card combo is entirely worth keeping.
I also applied a suite upgrade certificate to the one night reservation at the Delta Hotel Richmond. This cleared five days out, only my second of the year to do so. I went from a King Room to a Studio Suite. These have been hit or miss for me, but I’ve managed to have a couple honored this year.
Arrival into Richmond
Given how late I flew into Richmond, I decided to snag an airport hotel for the night. This was also due to the fact that I was short on points for a second night at the Delta Hotel Richmond Downtown. I transferred there in the morning, opting to take the bus rather than Uber to downtown.
I arrived at the Delta Hotel just before 11:00 AM. The lobby had a few people present, but it was otherwise quiet. I was greeted by the lady at front desk who was happy to check me in that early. The suite was ready, which was fantastic. I’d be able to drop my bags and head out for the day.
The front desk also offered me 2:00 PM check out, which I took, given that I’d want the additional time the following day.
Key in hand, I headed up to the 11th floor.
Delta Hotel Richmond Suite
You always know things are going to be good when you have to enter a room via double doors. I think this is only the second stay ever where this has been the case, but I certainly noticed. The other thing I noticed is that while the hotel exterior and lobby look in good shape, there are far more traces of wear in the hallway and as you enter the room. My only other Delta Hotel stay was at a rather tired property, and while the Delta Hotel Richmond is doing a good job to mask its age, traces still show through.
The door enters into a front hall area. You have the bathroom to the right, kitchen area to the left, and openings on either side of the painting that enter into the main part of the room. There are closets at the entrance, too, although these really show their age.
The layout of the studio suite is essentially one large area, which is what you’d expect. There’s certainly plenty of space. It’s used fairly well, although the design could be better.
The studio suite does come with a nice kitchen area. There are two large counters, plenty of cupboards, a coffee maker, a microwave, a mini fridge, and a wet bar. This is where Marriott also stocked the complimentary water. It also connects nicely to the rest of the suite.
The rest of the suite was furnished well enough. There were a pair of chairs, a desk near the windows, and a sectional couch with a view of the one TV in the room. The king bed was at the other end. One of the few annoyances is that the suite has two connecting room doors, one to either side. This is great if you need a connecting room for family. Not so great if you’d rather not hear the couple next door making whoopee in the wee hours of the morning. True story. I’m thankful I fell back asleep.
The bathroom was well cleaned and maintained, but not overly large. The counter around the sink isn’t all that large. And the tub-shower makes the whole thing seem rather dated. But other than those observations, everything worked just fine.
Finally, the room faced downtown rather than the river. Not all that great of a view.
Restaurant and Bar
As a four star establishment, one can expect Delta Hotels properties to have a full service restaurant and bar. The restaurant was in operation the first evening. Although I ate dinner elsewhere — at an Irish pub I might add that turned out to be decent — I stopped at the bar for a drink. The restaurant is on the second floor above the lobby.
It wasn’t my plan to eat at the hotel restaurant, but my morning jaunt didn’t go as expected. I’d planned to walk a couple blocks to another restaurant that looked like an excellent choice, but they were only able to hook me up with a coffee and pastry, given how early I’d arrived. The next hour or more was spent walking and exploring along the James River, including the Belle Isle Suspension Bridge.
Once I returned to the hotel a little after 9:00 AM, I found the restaurant very empty. Only a few other people had decided to eat. Rather than find somewhere else to go, I thought I’d give it a try. Things got off to a rocky start. Service was inattentive, which, given the low number of guests, made it seem all the worse. I waited a few minutes by the “Please wait to be seated” sign. No one came. I finally walked in and flagged down a server who told me I could sit anywhere I liked.
The restaurant offers both a buffet and a la carte menu. I decided to go with the buffet, which had a sufficient number of choices, but was nothing special. You could probably find something similar at a solid limited-service hotel, possibly for free.
The coffee was excellent — nutty and not sour or bitter. However, it was never refilled. Again, attentive service would drastically improve the breakfast experience.
Overall, I’d expect more from a full-service hotel. The bar was great for a drink in the evening. Breakfast leaves much to be desired.
Other Hotel Amenities
The Delta Hotel Richmond has the typical fitness and center you’d expect from a hotel. Both are located on the first level near each other. The pool is indoor and isn’t overly large.
More uniquely, the hotel offer the “Pantry” on the 16th floor. It’s accessible to select guests, which includes Platinum and above elites. The pantry offers an assortment of snack bars, chips, cookies, fruit, muffins, bagels, and other munchies. As far as beverages go, they have juices, milk, coffee, and hot water for tea. The oatmeal and yogurt provided could make you a quick breakfast.
The hotel offers a parking garage, but does charge for parking to the tune of $22 per day. I didn’t have a car while in Richmond, so I avoided this extra fee. Parking is one of my least favorite things to pay for.
Far better than paying for parking is taking advantage of the free shuttle. The driver can take you anywhere within a two-mile radius from the hotel. I took advantage of this on Sunday morning.
Richmond Highlights
The Delta Hotel is sandwiched between the James River and the downtown. It’s not a bad location, although depending on what you want to do or see, there could be better. Everything was a walk, but not a terribly long one.
I spent my time exploring the area known as Shockoe Slip, grabbing coffee at Ironclad Coffee, visiting the Poe Museum, and stopping for barbecue. I also headed up the hill to historic St. John’s Church.
Later, I took the canal walk all the way back to Tredegar Street and the American Civil War Museum. The next morning I headed out to enjoy a walk along the James River before heading to church.
Delta Hotel Richmond Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, the Delta Hotel Richmond worked out well for my day and a half in town. It is located well enough if you either have a car (which costs you) or don’t mind plenty of walking. The hotel shuttle is a great feature as well, although it isn’t always immediately available. I also appreciated the upgrade to the the suite, which I was glad cleared.
The hotel could certainly improve in some ways. You can see some wear and tear in the hallways and rooms, and the rooms could use a refresh — at least the bathrooms. Breakfast was also not up to par for a four-star establishment, especially their service. I’d probably consider the hotel again, but I would pick a different place to eat.
