Jamestown grad wins Chamber Award for hotel renovation
It’s June 26. Lyle Schiavone’s restoration of the Rochambeau Inn shows a model for restoring fading motels on Williamsburg’s Capitol Landing Rd. James City County hired Sands Anderson as counsel on tax dispute with Busch Gardens..
Publisher’s Note: Lyle Schiavone’s mother is a former colleague and neighbor.
To win his entrepreneurial award from the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, Lyle Schiavone came up with a creative solution for the city’s stock of aging hotels.
While the newly opened Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center is expected to bring more tourists to the area, officials there say York County hotels stand to benefit most because they are newer and in better shape than many Williamsburg hotels.
Schiavone took a 1950s-era motel and converted it into a 22-room boutique inn that combines retro charm with modern touches.
The Rochambeau Roadside Inn was just one of a string of deteriorating motels on Capitol Landing Road, many of which rent rooms for cash to boarders.
After a $1.45 million in investment and 18 months of business, the Rochambeau Roadside Inn is profitable and earning reviews averaging 4.9 stars from guests.
His success won him the chamber’s Early Stage Business of the Year award at the group’s 2026 Premier Business Awards and Luncheon Thursday.
The hotel was completely gutted and refinished with retro touches including new Frigidaire refrigerators in the rooms that bear the old stylized logo, luxurious tile bathrooms and USB ports everywhere.
Schiavone’s younger brother Luke, who is an architect, helped design the lobby and his sister Anna, whom he calls his creative director, designed the wallpaper, selected decor and manages social media.
The front apartment that once housed a live-in manager was converted into a suite that is usually booked well in advance, Schiavone said.
“We get an email or two a week from people angry” because the suite was booked on the day they wanted, he said.
Eighty percent of the motel’s rooms are booked directly through its website, but guests also can book through Airbnb.
Schiavone describes his operation as “limited service hotel meets Airbnb.” His lobby is unstaffed during the week, and guests check in with their smartphones.
But on weekends when he’s busiest, Schiavone staffs the lobby and offers a free continental breakfast.
Schiavone, a Jamestown High School graduate, has been running his own real estate development firm for eight years, focusing on buying older apartment buildings and townhomes, renovating and renting them
He originally considered buying the motel to convert into rental property, Schiavone said, but city officials dissuaded him from that idea.
The concept of a boutique inn surfaced in 2023, when he and his wife got married at the Williamsburg Inn. They had scoured the area looking for unique and interesting places to put up guests and had trouble finding enough, Schiavone said.
“We had seen some cool independent hotels...and (said) I can’t believe no one’s done this here,” he added.
He and his wife traveled around the county looking at independent hotels and coming up with ideas, Schiavone said, and they obtained several grants from the city and the state for initial work to plan the business and remove underground oil tanks.
Other award winners:
Small Business of the Year Winner: Williams Landscapes and Designs, Aaron Williams owner
Emerging Leader of the Year Winner: Logan Hall, Executive Director of the William & Mary Real Estate Foundation
Entrepreneur of the Year Winner: Sid Hall President and Founder of Historic Hospitality Group. The group owns Cochon on 2nd, Ember, Moody’s Kitchen, The Jewish Mother’s Deli, Riverwalk Restaurant, Water Street Grille, and Waypoint Seafood and Grill.
Non-Profit of the Year Winner: The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, Pam McGregor executive director.
The 2026 Roll of the Drum Recipient: Mayor of the City of Williamsburg Douglas Pons
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