Hotel Snapshot
Old Town Alexandria was founded in 1749 as a colonial tobacco port, and not that much has changed since. The cobblestone streets are intact, the 18th-century buildings are still standing, and the farmers' market at Market Square has been running every Saturday since 1753. George Washington even used to send produce down from Mount Vernon to sell there on weekend mornings, making it one of the few places in America where history can be seen and felt on just about every block. In 2026, with the country marking its 250th anniversary, that feels more relevant than ever.
Morrison House sits right in the middle of it, a 45-room Federalist-style boutique hotel just off King Street. Recently redesigned, the bones are colonial, and the finish is contemporary – exactly what a hotel in this neighborhood should be.
Design & Character
The first thing guests see upon arriving is the staircase: a sweeping, bifurcated centerpiece that’s grand yet welcoming. From there, the lobby opens into a warm, fireplace-lit space that tends to have the fire going regardless of season, with a quiet reading room just off to the side that doesn't get enough credit. The overall feel is an upscale townhouse that happens to have a front desk. The recent redesign added some contemporary edge — pops of color, cozy furnishings, Italian marble in the bathrooms — all without changing the bones of the building.
The Rooms
Forty-five rooms sound intimate, and it is. The categories move through a publishing theme (Illustrator, Author, Editor, Publisher), which gives the hotel a cohesive theme that isn’t cheesy.
The garden-level Illustrator rooms are a solid starting point: hardwood floors, glass standing showers, and marble bathrooms that feel a notch above what entry-level usually delivers. The Author rooms are on higher floors, where the neighborhood views start to pay off, particularly early in the morning when the cobblestone streets below are still quiet. The Editor rooms are the corner rooms: bigger, with lounge seating, a proper workspace, and a decorative fireplace that makes the step up in rate feel well worth it on a cold night.
The Publisher's Suite (think 388 square feet, king bed, separate living room with a pull-out couch) is the one to book if the trip is more than a couple of nights, which this neighborhood has a way of turning into. Robes, good linens, and a mini-fridge run throughout.
The Food & Drink
The Study, the hotel's on-site restaurant, has become a neighborhood spot — usually a reliable signal that a hotel's food program is doing something right. Executive Chef Tomas Chavarria runs the kitchen with a Mesoamerican-inspired menu rooted in his Latin American heritage, drawing ingredients from farms across Pennsylvania and the Shenandoah Valley. Costa Rican ceviche and a dry-aged local strip loin are paired with a great cocktail program and live entertainment on most nights.
The Amenities
Morrison House runs lean in a way that makes sense. Twenty-four-hour concierge, valet parking, and a pet policy cover the practical side. There’s no fitness center on-site, but the 24-hour gym at The Alexandrian (the sister property five blocks away) is available to guests, while for events, 2,000 square feet of space runs across a fireplace parlor, a library, a boardroom, and the Watermark Ballroom for up to 80 guests. Intimate weddings have become something of a specialty here, and the building earns that — the staircase alone does a lot of work.
Location & Neighborhood
Old Town is a good neighborhood to be in. Gadsby's Tavern is a few blocks away and has been serving food and drinks since the 1780s. (Washington and Jefferson were regulars, and it's still worth going.) Christ Church, where the Washington family pew remains intact and open to visitors on tours, is an easy walk. The Torpedo Factory Art Center on the waterfront has working artist studios and an archaeology museum inside a building that spent two World Wars manufacturing naval weapons. Simply put, the amount of actual, non-reconstructed history within a ten-minute walk is hard to match anywhere in the region.
For the 250th, Morrison House put together the Mount Vernon Explorer package, and it makes sense for a hotel in this location. It includes two tickets to George Washington's estate, plus a discount on additional tickets, an Old Town scavenger hunt map, a Northern Virginia snack bag from local makers, and a Mount Vernon postcard and 250th pin. It's a well-spent day in an anniversary year, put together by a hotel that has the history to back it up.
Fast Facts
Address: 116 South Alfred St., Alexandria, VA
Vibe: A cozy and historic spot with a modern edge that keeps it up to date.
Rating: 4-star
Starting Rate: From $200 per night
Room Count: 45 rooms and suites
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The fireplace in the lobby that's always going, in a neighborhood that gives guests every reason to stay a night longer than planned.
Amenities: 24-hour concierge, valet parking, The Study restaurant and bar, continental breakfast available, pet-friendly, access to sister property fitness center
Nearby Attractions: King Street, Alexandria waterfront, Gadsby's Tavern, Christ Church, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Old Town Farmers' Market, Mount Vernon, Washington D.C.
Airport: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Alexandria, Virginia, United States
