Hotel Weyanoke in Farmville, VA, the newest boutique property within the Cornerstone Hospitality management company, has incorporated the region’s artisanal spirit in its interior design and offers both hotel guests and local residents three dining outlets and a panoramic rooftop bar.
The 70-room boutique property is the vision of Richmond-based developers Ross and Aly Fickenscher and Garrett and Nikki Shifflett, who are specialists in redeveloping historic properties. This $12 million project was their first hotel restoration and follows their refurbishment of a late-19th-century warehouse in Danville, VA into Ballad Brewing.
“Restoring the historic and legendary Hotel Weyanoke into the design-forward boutique property it is today was a huge undertaking and one we are immensely proud of,” said General Partner Ross Fickenscher. “Hotel Weyanoke has been an integral part of the Farmville community since the 1920s and we took great care to pay our respects to the original building while adding a mid-century, modern touch. Between our contemporary Virginia-inspired design, three diverse dining venues, sophisticated rooftop lounge, host of amenities and range of attractions just steps away from the hotel, Hotel Weyanoke is an exciting addition to downtown Farmville and we look forward to welcoming guests and locals near and far.”
Taking cues from the property’s century-long history, the inspired design blends vintage touches with modern amenities and technology. With the interiors designed by Hightower Collaborative Design and Hunter Mabry Design, the hotel’s interior style is rooted in elements that are locally inspired and sourced—a vision championed by the General Partners, who were also very involved in the design process.
The result is a distinctive integration of historic architecture and relaxed mid-century modern décor that creates a welcoming residential ambience. The light-filled lobby has high ceilings and includes four original circa-1925 chandeliers, as well as the original marble flooring and check-in desk. Deep channeled-velvet sofas in pale gray are complemented by modular settees in soft pink accented by downy throw pillows in an abstract print.
The design retained many of the hotel’s original elements, including the tin ceilings in the coal-fired-pizza café and an expansive collection of trim-work, windows, and doors throughout the historic building.
In the guestrooms, neutral tones—blonde wood flooring and beds, sculptural armchairs in textural light gray fabric with walnut accents, and woven area rugs—create a feeling of openness and proportion. The calming palette also showcases each room’s unique artwork: paintings, drawings and metal sculptures inspired by Virginia’s culture and history, as well as an arrangement of vibrant yarn spools in homage to the state’s textile industry heritage.
In keeping with the local connection, the property also offers locally crafted water tumblers and coffee mugs by neighborhood pottery store Mainly Clay. Additionally, some of the hotel’s furnishings are sourced from Green Front Furniture, a one-million-sq.-ft. complex of brick warehouses that has made Farmville a home-design destination.
