Richmond here we come!

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August 9, 2015

Today we left our home in beautiful Virginia for our amazing vacation in... Virginia!  After choosing Richmond as our base, I discovered that Frommer's had listed Richmond as a Top Destination in 2014.  We have to say that we agree that Richmond has a lot to offer.

We booked in for 10 nights at the Embassy Suites Richmond - The Commerce Center.  We settled on this after pricing our initial idea, vacation rental houses.  The Embassy Suites ended up having a better price and includes a nice breakfast as well as a Manager's Reception in the evening.  We arrived about 3:45 PM, check-in was quick and easy and the two women at the desk were very friendly and helpful.

This Embassy Suites in located just outside of the Richmond city limits in Henrico County .  The set up is similar to the Embassy Suites near the Pittsburgh Airport.  When you enter the hotel there is a business center with a few computers, a couple of printers, some desk space and some office supplies.  The machines were all new and fast.  There is a small shop in the lobby, but for snack items I would recommend going to the Sheetz convenience store next door.  The hotel rooms all surround a nice atrium style courtyard that has live plants and a stream running through it.  The atrium also contains the dining area  where you eat breakfast and where the Evening's Manager's Reception is held.  I like this setup, the atrium makes the hallways feel more open and is more pleasing aesthetically.

The left-hand side of the living room

The right-hand side of the living room

The corner of the front room

Our kitchenette

Our (small) bathroom

Our 2 queen beds

The left-hand side of the bedroom

The wardrobe

As soon as we entered our room, both children immediately asked to go to the pool.  So, we did.  The indoor salt water pool is not big, but was more than enough for us and one other family.  Five or six people really makes the pool feel full though.  There also is a spa (hot tub) (it was closed for about a week but did reopen), a set of four reclining chairs, 4 tables with 4 chairs, a pretty nice sauna and a nice exercise room with treadmills, free weights and some other exercise machines.

We skipped the Manager's Reception, but they had a nice selection of fruits, veggies and cheeses, chips and a large bar.  Beer and wine is complementary as well.  Unlike the other Embassy Suites where we have stayed, this reception is seven days a week.  We were all ready for a full meal, so we headed north on Broad Street to Cici's Pizza (about 5 minutes).  We ordered four buffets and 1 Coke for $20.93.  CiCi's isn't fantastic but is usually easy, cheap and the kids enjoy it.

The Manager's Reception

These all vary from location to location to some extent.  We find it to be a nice compliment to the other amenities at an Embassy Suites hotel.  At this location they alternated fruits on one evening and vegetables on the next.  The also rotated chips and dips.  One night there would be a ranch dip and another dip that they mixed that day, the next night would be guacamole and salsa.  They also offer soft drinks, beer and wine.  The alcoholic beverages are not allowed to leave the dining area.