The drinks are swell at this whimsical fauxtel, but there’s not a room in sight.
Stepping into Hotel Greene, you could be forgiven for looking for a bellhop. This cocktail bar transports us to the fictitious lobby of a grand hotel in Bavaria—or is it Budapest? Housed in part of the former John Marshall Hotel, this downtown Richmond “fauxtel” winks at visitors with an over-the-top origin story: “the 1920s and ‘30s were its glory years,” when guests included, “foreign dignitaries, artists, actors, spies, and saboteurs.”
But there are no suites at Hotel Greene, no room service. No continental breakfast or plush robes. Peer beyond the bell stand, with its vintage leather valises, and you’ll encounter its highfalutin’ mini golf course, part Edward Gorey illustration, part game of Clue. Order a cocktail, tap a ball toward a hole, and you, too, are in on the caper. It’s all carefully crafted to evoke another era, when travel mixed elegance with a whiff of international intrigue.
“We love hotels that feel a part of the city or town you are visiting,” says Andrea Ball, who with her husband and co-owner Jim Gottier conjured Hotel Greene from their travels. She points to the lobby of The Marlton in New York—where guests read the paper by the fire in the morning or enjoy an evening cocktail—as the kind of community hub they were going for. “We strove for that welcoming waystation feel—good for brunch or a romantic evening date.”
After “checking in” at the front desk, guests may embark on their mini golf journey or claim a table near the bar. There, beverage manager Phil Boyle’s menu of classic-inspired cocktails is on full display. In his Silver Tray offering, two guests can share a carafe of a classic—Manhattan, gimlet, martini, or bamboo (a 19th-century sherry and vermouth cocktail)—plus bar snacks for a cool $25.
In the popular Key to Belleville, Boyle combines Empress Indigo Gin with honey-lavender syrup, lemon juice, and bitters, riffing on two classics: the Bee’s Knees and French 75, with a pop of purple from the pea flower-steeped gin. The Proper Champagne cocktail, with sparkling wine over a bitters-soaked sugar cube, hits a similar spot but with even more effervescent refreshment.
Boyle cut his teeth in dive bars and pubs before stepping behind the bar at the now-shuttered Greenleaf’s Pool Room, also in Richmond and owned by Ball and Gottier, in 2015. “I took that initial fish-out-of-water experience, drawing on the owners’ drink experiences across Europe to make sure it reflected the vibe of the establishment.”
It paid off. When Hotel Greene opened in 2019, Ball and Gottier called on Boyle, who developed a cocktail menu that uses spirits, rather than syrups, to deliver flavor. In Sailors and Tourists, a modern take on the Vesper Martini, Boyle marries Japanese Roku Gin with locally made Virago Four-Port Rum, Lillet Blanc, ginger liqueur, and sherry. The spirits blend together to create something much like Hotel Greene itself—both familiar and altogether new.
Chef David Pettyjohn’s menu plays well with Boyle’s cocktail lineup. It includes sandwiches and snacks like shrimp cocktail, topped flatbreads, and “dinner jacket potatoes,” aka potato skins with a variety of accoutrements. Guests will also find “highfalutin’ pot pies”—little parcels of savory filling in a flaky puff pastry shell.
Three Golf and Meal options offer a few good deals for the taking—a brunch with mini golf for $25 per person, a Thursday evening date night with shareable plates plus beer or wine for $50 per couple, and the Ambassador Hour, a roving selection of globally inspired food and drink that’s made stops in Vienna and Istanbul before making its way to Nice. Guests who opt for it receive a passport to stamp for future travels, which lead to opportunities for prizes.
Hotels are storied places full of the histories and rumors of its travelers and staff, and Hotel Greene is no exception. Drawing on the work of Austrian writer Joseph Roth’s 1924 novel Hotel Savoy, Hotel Greene is host to a cast of fictional characters who can be found throughout the 13-hole golf course that winds its way to Room 208, which, in the lore of the hotel, belonged to “promising author” Witold Krull, a possible stand-in for Roth. Along the way, guests are encouraged to gaze through scattered peepholes to view miniature installations by Rick Araluce, an artist who’s well-known for his little diorama worlds.
Hotel Greene’s interest in the arts transcends its décor. Ball and Gottlier also host an annual literary contest in which writers are prompted to write a postcard in the voice of a fictitious hotel guest: “I ran here in the snow but you’d checked out…” one begins. The winner, chosen by author Sandra Newman, has their work printed on Hotel Greene postcards for the following year.
With her books about dystopian dreamers and time travel, Newman is tailor-made for the job.
As the Magritte-referencing sign hanging over the entry door says, “This is not a hotel.” But, like the best hotels, it’s the kind of place one could return to, uncovering something new with each visit. At Hotel Greene, your travels are over, but your journey is just beginning. HotelGreene.com
Lobby Librations
Hotel Greene’s Gimlet
- 2 oz. London Dry Gin
- 1 oz. lime cordial syrup (recipe follows)
- Lime for garnish (optional)
Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds to ensure a nice frothy head is achieved. Double strain into a coupe or small martini glass and garnish with a thin lime wheel.
- Lime Cordial Syrup
- 20 Kaffir lime leaves
- 2 ½ cups lime juice
- 1 cup agave syrup
Using a mortar and pestle, muddle Kaffir lime leaves. Combine lime leaves, lime juice, and agave syrup in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, strain, and refrigerate for about one week.
Key to Belleville
- 1 ½ oz. Empress Indigo Gin
- ½ oz. honey lavender syrup (recipe follows)
- ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
- 2 drops Boston Bittahs
- Lemon for garnish
Shake for 10-15 seconds and double strain into a Champagne flute (should more than halfway fill a 6 oz. flute). Top with Champagne (1-2 oz.) and a lemon twist for garnish.
Honey Lavender Syrup
- 1 cup wildflower honey
- 1 cup hot water (just under boiling)
- 2 teaspoons lavender blooms
Combine honey and hot water, and stir gently. Add lavender blooms, and steep for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain blooms, and refrigerate for one to two weeks.
Recipes courtesy of beverage manager Phil Boyle.
This article originally appeared in the October 2022 issue.
