Perched on a hill above the Atlantic, The Historic Cavalier Hotel looks every bit the grand seaside palace it has been since the Roaring Twenties—crystal chandeliers, sweeping lawns, and a lobby once walked by presidents, movie stars, and big-band legends. But some guests never truly checked out. From a beer baron who plunged from the sixth floor to a lady in white gliding down quiet corridors and a phantom cat scratching at doors, the Cavalier offers refined coastal luxury laced with classic ghost-story chills—perfect for travelers who like their ocean views with a side of the supernatural.
Brief Hotel History
Opened in 1927 as a hilltop luxury resort overlooking the Virginia Beach oceanfront, designed by architect Clarence Neff in a grand Renaissance-Revival style.
Quickly became known as the “Grand Dame of the Shore,” hosting big-band dances at the Cavalier Beach Club (opened Memorial Day 1929) and attracting celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, and Bette Davis, along with at least ten U.S. presidents.
During World War II, the U.S. Navy commandeered the hotel as a radar training center; soldiers even slept in the former stables when rooms filled up.
After post-war ups and downs, private-club years and the addition (and later demolition) of a sister oceanfront hotel, the original Cavalier underwent an $80M+ restoration and reopened in 2018 as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, with 80+ rooms, three restaurants, spa, beach club and on-site distillery.
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Haunted Hot Spots & Paranormal Activity
Sixth Floor & Room 606 – Adolph Coors and the “Cursed” Floor
In 1929, beer magnate Adolph Coors (founder of Coors Brewing) fell to his death from the hotel’s sixth floor after staying in Room 606; whether he jumped, fell, or was pushed remains a mystery.
Since then, guests on the sixth floor report:
Persistent cold spots and creepy whispers,
Windows opening on their own,
The apparition of a falling body and even the horrific sound of something striking the pavement below.
During recent renovations (2016–2017), the front desk received phantom phone calls from the sixth floor, even when that level was sealed and unoccupied.
Paranormal investigators staying in Room 606 report contacting a spirit named “Mike” via spirit box; during their session, the chandelier shook and swung without any physical cause.
Multiple sources describe an African American bellhop in an old Cavalier uniform appearing on the sixth-floor staircase, warning guests about ghosts ahead—before vanishing himself.
Third Floor – The Lady in White & WWII Spirits
Staff and guests frequently report a “Lady in White” drifting through third-floor corridors and even appearing at the foot of a guest’s bed. Some believe she may be Ida Harrington (wife of an early owner) or a glamorous Jazz-Age socialite.
She’s also been seen near the hotel’s basement social club—often nicknamed the “Ghost Bar.”
Because the hotel served as a Navy radar training center, visitors occasionally see apparitions in military dress on the third floor and in surrounding hallways.
Raleigh Room Piano & Haunted Elevators
The Raleigh Room’s piano is known to play on its own—keys tinkling when no musician is present, especially late at night or during quiet events.
Workers and guests have reported elevators running and stopping on empty floors when the hotel was closed or sections were sealed for renovation, feeding the hotel’s haunted reputation.
Becca Restaurant & Paranormal Pets
In and around Becca Restaurant & Garden, guests have seen a fashionable 1920s-style woman gliding across the room with a small dog, then fading from view.
Local lore tells of a little girl and her cat who drowned after the cat bolted down the back staircase and into the pool. Staff report:
Small wet pawprints on the back stairs,
An eerie disembodied cat’s meow,
Occasional sightings of a sad little girl searching for her lost pet.
General Activity
Across the property, visitors mention floating orbs in photos, unexplained footsteps in empty halls, and subtle shifts in temperature or mood—especially on the third and sixth floors, in the ballroom, and near the historic indoor pool.
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