WILLIAMSBURG — The new president and CEO of Visit Williamsburg dove right in during his first official day on the job on Tuesday, visiting the site of the Rochambeau Roadside Inn, a new boutique motel that is expected to open later this year.
Edward Harris got a tour of the motel on Capital Landing Road from Lyle Schiavone, whose Two Rivers Acquisitions company is renovating it to showcase Williamsburg’s unique charm and history.
Two Rivers Acquisitions LLC bought the 70-year-old motel, which sits on roughly 5 acres, in January. The renovations come at a time when Williamsburg is working to revitalize the Capital Landing corridor and connect businesses along Capitol Landing Road with others further down closer to Second Street in The Edge District.
Each of the 22 rooms in the motel is getting a complete overhaul, with fresh paint and furniture. A variety of rooms will be available, including adjoining family suites with bunk beds, as well as a larger suite with a kitchenette and private patio. Other amenities will include a patio with firepits, a new parking lot with chargers for electric vehicles and a separate building for storage for bicycles that guests can utilize during their stay.
The motel lobby will feature grab-and-go items for picnicking on the patio, as well as s’more kits and a bar. Schiavone and his sister Anna, who are overseeing the renovations, are also planning to collaborate with The Virginia Beer Company on an exclusive beer tentatively called “Rochambrew,” as well as Williamsburg Winery on a possible wine for the motel.
Lyle Schiavone, a Williamsburg native and developer who has experience with apartment complexes across Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., said the goal will be eventually to expand in the rear of the property with cottages and an event space.
The remodel and reopening of the Rochambeau Roadside Inn is being made possible thanks to a revenue-sharing incentive that Williamsburg Economic Development Authority awarded Schiavone in October 2023. The incentive grants a percentage of the taxes that the Rochambeau will pay to the city over a five-year period, making it a performance-based revenue sharing agreement.
The incentive, which is capped at $99,000, is being used for exterior upgrades to modernize the building. The motel will receive the funding over time, after local sales and room taxes are paid. Williamsburg anticipates seeing more than $200,000 from taxes during the first five years of the motel’s operation.
The Schiavones plan to keep the motel’s former sign, which stands along the site of a walking trail that is under development.
“We see us as the base camp for those staying here as they get ready for adventure and get out there and explore,” Schiavone said. “We are excited and are going to have a lot of fun with this.”
Harris, who most recently served as president and CEO of Discover Lancaster in Pennsylvania, said he was equally thrilled about the upcoming reopening of Rochambeau Roadside Inn. He began his role Tuesday as CEO and president of Visit Williamsburg, the marketing organization for Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown.
“It is refreshing to see a brand-new product on the lodging front here in Williamsburg, especially ahead of the 250th anniversary of America,” Harris said. “There are a lot of new things on the horizon, with this and the new sports complex. Williamsburg will be going through a little bit of a renaissance over the next few years, and I am really excited to be a part of it.”
When Harris was selected for the role earlier this year after a nationwide search, he called the Historic Triangle region “one of the marquee destinations of the world for U.S. and international travelers” and said he was excited to help promote it.
The Schiavones anticipate reopening Rochambeau Roadside Inn in August. For updates, visit Rochambeau Roadside Inn’s Instagram page at instagram.com/stayrochambeau.
Brandy Centolanza, [email protected]
