New hotels in Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach's oceanfront spent the 2020s rebuilding itself hotel by hotel: a decade-long, $458 million overhaul turned the historic Cavalier Resort into a three-hotel complex, a Marriott lifestyle brand replaced a demolished motel a few blocks south, and a 20-room boutique hotel arrived inside Pharrell Williams' surf-lagoon development at Atlantic Park. Four properties, four very different bets on the same three-mile strip of sand.

What to do

A weekend in Virginia Beach

Start at the boardwalk itself — walk or bike the 3-mile oceanfront path between 1st and 40th Streets, then work the tide pools and fishing pier at the south end near Rudee Inlet. Book a surf lesson or watch a session at Atlantic Park's Wavegarden Cove lagoon, then spend the evening at The Dome, the district's live-entertainment venue, or grab dinner along Atlantic Avenue's restaurant strip. On the second day, head north toward the quieter end of the oceanfront near the Cavalier Resort for a calmer beach morning, then browse First Landing State Park's maritime forest trails before an early dinner back at the boardwalk.

A full week

With more time, split the week between the oceanfront and the rest of the city: a day trip to the Virginia Beach Town Center for shopping, the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts and a change of scenery from the beach crowd; an afternoon at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center; a day down at Sandbridge for a quieter, more residential stretch of coastline; and a half-day exploring the Chesapeake Bay side of the city, which has a calmer, bay-facing beach very different from the Atlantic-facing boardwalk. Reserve one evening for Atlantic Park's surf-lagoon sessions and another for the historic Cavalier Hotel's grounds, even if you're not staying there.

Neighborhoods

North End Oceanfront (Cavalier Resort area, around 40th–42nd Streets)

The quieter, more upscale stretch of the boardwalk, anchored by the Cavalier Resort complex. Both the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort (4201 Atlantic Avenue) and the Embassy Suites by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort (4101 Atlantic Avenue) sit here, alongside the restored 1927 Historic Cavalier Hotel, giving this end of the beach the highest concentration of full-service, resort-scale hotels in the city.

Central Resort Strip (roughly 17th–31st Streets)

The classic Virginia Beach boardwalk stretch — the Convention Center, the King Neptune statue, and most of the legacy chain hotels and motels that line Atlantic and Pacific Avenues. None of the hotels tracked in this guide are located in this central stretch; it remains dominated by older, previously-established properties rather than new construction.

South End Oceanfront (around 12th Street)

A livelier, younger, more bar-and-nightlife-oriented pocket of the boardwalk. The Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront (1201 Atlantic Avenue) sits here, on the site of a demolished Baymont Hotel, matching its playful, budget-conscious lifestyle positioning to the neighborhood's energy.

Atlantic Park

Virginia Beach's newest district, a few blocks inland from the boardwalk and built around North America's first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon, plus retail, dining and The Dome entertainment venue. The Sitio, the 20-room boutique hotel backed by Pharrell Williams, is the district's only hotel and sits directly beside the surf lagoon.

Sandbridge

A quieter, more residential beach community south of the resort strip, known for vacation-home rentals rather than hotels. None of the hotels tracked in this guide are located in Sandbridge; travelers wanting a full-service hotel stay should base themselves closer to the main oceanfront or Atlantic Park.

Virginia Beach Town Center

An inland shopping, dining and business district built around high-rise towers, several miles from the beach. None of the hotels tracked in this guide are located in Town Center; a Tempo by Hilton hotel has been announced for the district but is not expected to open until 2027, outside the window this guide currently tracks.

Which hotel for your trip

Families wanting suite space and a resort program

The Embassy Suites by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort is built for this: two-room suites, indoor and outdoor pools, a daily activities program and full ocean views from every room, all inside the well-established Cavalier Resort complex.

Groups and conferences

The Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort carries the bulk of the Cavalier Resort's meeting and event space — more than 25,000 square feet — plus rooftop dining at Orion's Roof, making it the pick for anyone organizing a group trip or conference on this stretch of coast.

Younger travelers and nightlife-focused stays

The Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront trades space for energy: compact, design-forward rooms, a 24/7 bar in the lobby, an oceanfront pool with a sunken bar, and a location on the boardwalk's livelier south end.

Design-conscious travelers wanting something small and distinctive

The Sitio, at just 20 rooms inside Atlantic Park, is the guide's only true boutique option — surf-culture design, a private lagoon-view pool, and direct access to the Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon, for travelers happy to trade scale for a curated, singular stay.

Travelers who want the Cavalier Resort's history alongside new construction

Staying at either the Marriott or the Embassy Suites gives full access to the resort's grounds, beach club and pools, while the restored 1927 Historic Cavalier Hotel next door supplies the architectural character neither new tower was built to replicate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel in Virginia Beach?

As of this guide, the newest is The Sitio, a 20-room boutique hotel that opened March 16, 2026 inside the Atlantic Park district, beside the Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon.

Is there a Marriott on the Virginia Beach oceanfront?

Yes. The Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort, a ground-up 305-room tower, opened in June 2020 at 4201 Atlantic Avenue as the second phase of the Cavalier Resort's oceanfront expansion. Marriott's Moxy brand also operates a separate, unrelated 134-room hotel at 1201 Atlantic Avenue on the boardwalk's south end.

What is the Cavalier Resort and how many hotels does it include?

The Cavalier Resort is a three-hotel complex on the north end of the Virginia Beach oceanfront, built out over roughly a decade for about $458 million by developer Gold Key | PHR. It combines the restored 1927 Historic Cavalier Hotel with two ground-up towers built afterward: the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort (2020) and the Embassy Suites by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort (2023).

Where is The Sitio hotel located?

The Sitio sits inside Atlantic Park, a mixed-use surf-and-entertainment district a few blocks off the main oceanfront boardwalk, developed by Venture Realty Group with backing from Pharrell Williams. It sits directly beside the Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon.

Are there any true boutique hotels in Virginia Beach?

The Sitio, at 20 rooms, is the only hotel in this guide that fits a strict boutique definition. The Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront is marketed as a lifestyle brand and has a design-forward identity, but at 134 rooms it operates at a larger, more standardized scale than a typical boutique property.

Is a new hotel opening soon in Virginia Beach Town Center?

A Tempo by Hilton hotel has been announced for the Town Center area, on the site of a former SunTrust bank building, but as of this guide its opening has been pushed to early 2027 — outside the window this guide currently tracks. It is not yet included among the hotels above.