Kimpton - The Forum Hotel by IHG

Very conveniently located within the UVa grounds. Beautiful facility. Attentive staff.

Dogs in the hotel.

Gardens. Only downside. No pool

The Forum has long been our go-to hotel whenever we visit Charlottesville, and until recently, every stay has been exceptional. The property is beautiful, with stunning botanical gardens, top-tier amenities, friendly and professional staff; and is conveniently located. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. Because of our many positive experiences, we were genuinely excited to host a small gathering with family and friends at the Forum last month. While the event itself was lovely and our primary contact in the sales and catering department was a pleasure to work with, we unfortunately encountered an issue that affected our overall impression. Despite clearly communicating our desire to stay within a defined budget—and receiving repeated assurances that we would—the hotel charged our credit card a week before the event for an unexpected expense that was never properly explained. Disappointingly, our efforts to dispute the charge were unsuccessful, and the hotel declined to reverse it. We continue to appreciate many aspects of the Forum however, for those considering hosting an event here, we strongly recommend getting all cost details in writing and confirmed in advance, as our experience suggests that even clear communication may not be enough to prevent surprise charges.

My wife Cecilia and I so thoroughly enjoyed our last stay at the Kimpton Forum (back in November 2023) so much that we decided to return to celebrate July 4. The Forum checks all of the boxes - a spectacular lobby, luxurious accommodations, top-notch on-site dining options and most notably, first class service. Special thank you to guest services manager Zachary who went above and beyond to ensure that our stay was memorable, including arranging for a room upgrade to a spacious one bedroom suite that we were so sad to check out from - super comfy beds, a spa-worthy bathroom and amazing living area complete with a large dining table. Guest services ace Katie is also a complete gem, as she consistently greeted us warmly when we passed the front desk and provided customized service throughout our stay (she remembered that we are big fans of sparkling water). The Forum also has one of best Kimpton social hour offerings around - in addition to wine choices, they offer craft beer and Pelligrino as well as nibbles. The breakfast/brunch offerings at the Birch and Bloom restaurant were delightful and we had the privilege of seeing server Kim each morning of our stay. She was a complete sweetheart and was so warm and inviting. We cannot wait to return and are already planning another trip to Cville!

The Dogs have taken over.. No respect for those of us afraid of them and were there for a relaxing time. They were jumping on us as we were getting coffee in the lobby, barking in elevators and barking in the night.. Just disgusting. They were even allowed on the furniture and in eating areas!

Our stay here was phenomenal. We were able to bring our 4 dogs and the hotel was more than accommodating. Special shout out to the valet Lauren who made our dogs day because she was always eager to greet them and say hi. It made our dogs even more comfortable being there. And also a massive thank you to the housekeeping staff, even with 4 dogs, our room was immaculate. Thank you so much. Hopefully we will get to stay again soon.

Great staff. Professional, accommodating. Beautiful grounds, exceptionally clean. Really appreciated the coffee setup in the morning!

Pet friendly hotel, but there were two large pet stains (fresh) outside our elevator that sat for quite a bit. The smell was pretty strong but otherwise nothing else to note.