Embassy Suites By Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort

Went with 4 adults and one 3 year old child for 5 nights in May on Hilton Honors points (325K). This isn't like the usual Embassy Suites experience if you're accustomed to staying at ES like we are. It's helpful to understand this before going. This ES, the Marriott next door and the Cavalier are all part of the same Cavalier "campus". You'll get a bracelet to wear that allows you to access the elevators (you need to scan your bracelet to get the elevator to go up - did not realize this at first) and all the facilities/experiences. They share some resort experiences but DO NOT share pool facilities. You'll feel hard-done-by when you see the huge Cavalier hot tub a stone's throw away but can't use it. ES does not have it's own which is surprising. Pools: ES does have a lovely outdoor pool and an indoor pool that is ten degrees colder than the outdoor one. The best staff member we encountered was Miss Joanne at the pool. When you want to use it, there is a procedure which we didn't understand initially - you check in with the person working - hopefully it'll be Joanne - and they will "set-up" your chairs - meaning they'll put out long towels that cover the lounge chairs and bring you a beach towel. Please tip them for this service! There is also a firepit between the outdoor pool and the beach with about 8 chairs around it - really nice on a cooler day and in the evening. Breakfast at Arbuckles. This was a frustration for us. Breakfast is served from 730 to 10. 730 is just too late to START serving! Should be 6 a.m. And you don't just walk in. There will be a long line and a long wait because they are checking each person off - you tell them your reservation name and room # and they then seat you - I believe this is because ES pays Arbuckles by the head - it's a separate entity from ES. Want coffee before 745 a.m.? Use 1 of the 2 coffee pods in your room or go BUY coffee at Starbucks according to the front desk staff. Suggestion for ES: set up a coffee cart OUTSIDE Arbuckles! If you don't want to wait in the line, either get there at 715 so you're first or wait til 7:45-8 - it thins out to no line. Once you're seated, then you serve yourself - all the usual things you'd expect at an ES - made-to-order omelets, scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, oatmeal or grits, fresh fruit, pastries, make-you-own waffles, coffee/tea/juices. It's good and filling. 45 minutes is the time they limit you to although I didn't see this enforced. THEN they present you with a bill - adult breakfast is valued at $20 and a child breakfast is valued at $11 - but they'll zero it out and leave room for a tip. Now I'm a good tipper - 20% for good service - but exactly how am I being served here? I serve myself. They are clearing the table - period. Nothing more. It just did not sit right. Happy Hour: you'll get a card that has squares for 2 complimentary drinks per day that the bartender will sign off on. Suggestion: get a double because the singles are just too weak. Do tip your bartender! There will be a line at 430 but that will thin out. The snacks were consistent each night - veggies like broccoli/little tomatoes/carrots with ranch dressing and Chips/salsa and some crackers with cheese cubes. Just ok. Some variety would have been welcomed, like pretzels, or snack mix. The Beach: VA Beach is vigilant about grooming the sand each morning and ensuring there is no trash littering the beach. We went in May, so not peak. Imagine this is a challenge when the season is in full swing. When you go down the steps to the beach you check in with the young folks staffing the booth - you get 2 complimentary chairs and they'll lead you to them. You can also rent an umbrella for an exorbitant price - like $25ish per day - or a cushiony bed with a cover. Visiting the last week of May while schools were still in session was a joy - very few out on the beach in the morning. Parking: $27/day self park or more for Valet. The parking garage is on the Marriott side and is shared with the Marriott so it's VERY full and it'll be a challenge to find a space. Location: 2 blocks north of the boardwalk. Very easy to walk to boardwalk. You get 2 bike rentals per day and it's an easy bike to the boardwalk with it's dedicated bike lane. Restaurants: do yourself a favor and don't eat on site if you want to save money and frustration. Very easy to walk to restaurants on Atlantic Ave. We ate at Las Palmas - highly recommend. They have platters but you can also order a la carte if some in your party aren't too hungry. We had eaten at Las Palmas in Richmond so knew it was good. Your money will go MUCH further here. There's also Driftwood Kitchen, North End Pizza, Dunkin Donuts, and others. There's a Murphy's Pub which is a sister pub to the one in Old Town Alexandria but you'll need to use your in & out privileges and drive there. Plenty of others depending on what you're hungry for. Also - you are in VA Beach and directly in the flight path of the fighter jets. You will hear these ALL DAY LONG, every 10 min or so. It's a "thing" here. If you're sensitive to noise like this, stay further south. It was really obnoxious at times. Resort Fee: $30/day but Hilton includes this when you reserve with points - an amazing value and one of the only hotel chains that do this that I'm aware of. That $30 gets you resort experiences like yoga/pool exercise sessions/and all kid activities like sno-cones/Meet-a-Mermaid/Jack's Jungle where he brings an animal (in our case a snake)/S'mores at the Cavalier/Build-a-Buddy, etc. You are supposed to sign-up in advance for the activities but if you don't, go anyway and there will probably be no-shows and you can get in. Service: we needed to ask for more blankets and they came amazingly quickly. Same for a slow drain in the bathroom - super fast and efficient. Bedding - no so great. The beds just weren't that comfortable, neither was the sleep sofa and the bedding was sub-par. Very thin and just not enough blankets. This was really surprising considering the upscale facilities. I've had great bedding at Hampton Inns and would expect the same quality level here. Balcony: each room has a balcony I think. Our room had 5 people, max occupancy 6 but only had 2 chairs and one little table?? Big balcony - put 6 chairs out there!! Best advice is to research before you go to this ES because there is so much in terms of the 3 facilities. Do tour The Cavalier - read up about it in advance and when you get there. There is a gift shop and a Distillery gift shop where you can purchase their products. Sit on the lawn in the Adirondack chairs. Soak up the atmosphere of an old-world hotel. Play bocce ball and cornhole at the Marriott outside between the Marriott and ES. Try to participate in some of the resort activities. Tip: if you want to earn Hilton Honors points, charge everything to your room - even if you go to the Marriott or the Cavalier. You can charge to your room at any of the "campus" restaurants or bars. BUT do check your bill closely - the first day we left a cash tip and found that we had been charged that same amount to our room in addition. We pointed it out to the front desk staff and they had it corrected. You are supposed to completely fill out your breakfast bill with your printed name, room #, and signature with the amount. The next time we go with family to VA Beach we're going to get 2 connecting rooms at the Hampton Inn or Hilton Garden Inn but this was a fun, one-time experience. If you have kids and need a break from the sun or it's raining - the VA Aquarium & Marine Science Center is an option but be there when they open! Gets packed! Also go to Hunt Club Farm and visit the animals, especially the mini Highland Cow Cuddle Session- they were the HIGHLIGHT of the trip!

I love most Embassy Suites, but this particular property is the best. A special shout out to Julia at the front desk. She’s an absolute charming person. And honestly I have never seen a more accommodating and pleasant staff at any hotel I’ve stayed. Truly seems like they are happy to be at work, and let’s be honest, work is work and we all get sick of it at times. This property is part of the Cavalier Resort complex, which gives you easy access to both a Marriott and the Historic Cavalier Hotel. Don’t hesitate, book this oceanfront beauty today. You won’t regret it. Oh, be sure to check out the amazing cook to order breakfast and the cocktail hour. They are included for guests and can’t be beat. A great way to start and end your day.

We stayed at the Embassy and had a fabulous time. Everyone and I mean everyone that worked there was friendly. Right when we checked in, we met Julie at the front desk where she greeted us immediately with a big smile and welcomed us to the hotel. . She was extremely helpful coordinating with the valet getting my stuff back from the car . She made a call and had it sitting up there for me after we left the restaurant that night . In the morning we went to breakfast and Rio was making omelettes to order . He too, greeted us with a big smile, made a little joke, and enhanced what was already a great day. Thank you embassy for a great stay.

I would like to give A shout out to Angelica Rio one of the ladies who worked in the down stairs breakfast area. On Memorial Day it seemed they were a little short handed and Angelica was serving as a hostess seating you in the breakfast area as well as cleaning tables, she was making it happen with a smile. I would also like to give a shout out to the omelet Chef who always made it fun and a great experience , I am blank on his name but he truly enjoyed what he did. Overall our stay with Embassy Suites in Ava Beach Ocean front was a wonderful experience. Thank you to all the staff and unseen folks that made this possable.

Had such a great stay! One of the best resort experiences I’ve had in a long time. You had access use the restaurants (and pool bars!) across all 3 properties. Run into bad weather? No problem, they have a whole list of daily activities you can sign up for (I opted for the Yoga on the beach). I especially wanted to mention Joey at the front desk because we had several rooms booked and he was incredibly patient and helpful the entire time. He even helped me get reservations at Orion’s when it looked impossible. (Shoutout to Edo M at Orion’s, he was awesome and shared that he’s working on his Sommelier!) Pool service was also amazing. Joanne W was so accommodating, making sure everyone had towels and was comfortable by the pool. Overall it was the service that really stood out to me. I’m a harsh critic when it comes to hotels and resorts, but this place exceeded expectations. We had an amazing vacation and plan to be back next year.

Our mini staycation was incredible! Beautiful oceanfront property with numerous high end dining options! There were 2 pool options and we had a fabulous day at the beach! The beach/pool staff were very accommodating. Our room was very clean as well as the entire property; not to mention a beautifully decorated hotel. We will definitely come back and stay with our family next time at this embassy suites location!

We are dog moms and Hilton Honors members, and we really enjoyed our stay at this oceanfront resort. Almost everything was wonderful, including Julie and Sakita at the front desk and the gorgeous oceanfront view from our balcony. We went in the off-season so our dog could go on the beaches and we could enjoy the less busy time of year at a beach resort. You get a lot of amenities for the price, but we were not told exactly what they were until we asked several employees. For example, two bikes per day for two hours, nightly drinks if you like that sort of thing, and access to the pool indoors and outdoors. I had no idea about some of the other amenities until the amazing night-shift front-desk employee told me. I can't imagine how busy this place gets in season, but there is a parkade across the street that costs $25 a night. There is a valet service if you want to use it. We didn't do the breakfast service included with your stay because the lines were mega long. However, if you go to Arbuckle's restaurant at other times, I recommend the yummy funnel cake fries with raspberry sauce to go. If you travel with a dog, there's a nice grassy area out front for them, but there aren't grounds to really walk on, which is why we left the resort daily. Also, some people should not be allowed to bring their dogs if they are attack dogs that lunge and try to kill your dog every time they pass by. One guy with his Pitbull had to tackle the dog to the floor while at the front desk, so it did not break loose and attack us. I love dogs, but unruly people with dangerous dogs should not be permitted to stay at this resort. Lastly, and I am very sad about this: We lost air conditioning in our room during a major heatwave, and this is unacceptable. I told the front desk that one of our family members has MS and is sensitive to heat. As long as there is air conditioning, she is fine, but to pay resort fees and the cost of the room, we deserve to have working air conditioning. We were told by the front desk that "someone on the 9th floor caused a problem" and that a company was fixing the issue. However, we had no air conditioning in our room from Saturday through Tuesday when we checked out. A gentleman at the front desk said, "Maybe we have a box fan around here somewhere." I can lend you one, but that is unacceptable. I didn't pay for a box fan at a resort. This made our final days very uncomfortable and dampened our experience. Overall, the experience was good but the last 3-1/2 days were a nightmare. Oh, and I know there was an issue because we reported it, the staff agreed, and then the day we checked out, an engineer knocked on our door to fix the air conditioning, but we were checking out. Not good.

This property was amazing. From check in to check out you felt welcomed. The amenities are great with kids activities & free happy hours drinks. The hot tub was had the perfect atmosphere. We will definitely be back

Excellent and beautifully maintained property. You can tell it has excellent up keep. No visual wear and tear. Staff was friendly. Rooms were beautiful and comfortable. Booked a two queen on 9th floor. Beautiful view of the ocean, Marriott and Cavalier pool. Reception was great as well as the morning breakfast. Very good food and the pool area is very nice.