Virginia
Alexandria
Westin Alexandria: Accepting reservations as of Nov. 1, the hotel offers 319 guest rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Chesapeake
Chesapeake Conventions & Tourism: Ground was broken in September on the new aloft Chesapeake. The 136-room hotel is the first aloft to break ground in the state of Virginia and is expected to open its doors in early 2008.
Fredericksburg
Hyatt Place Hotel: Hyatt Place Hotel is set to be the fourth hotel in the Fredericksburg Celebrate Virginia development that also includes the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center.
Hampton
Hampton CVB: The $13.5 million, 135,000-square-foot Boo Williams Sportsplex is scheduled for completion in 2008 and will feature eight basketball courts and indoor facilities for hockey, volleyball, and track and field.
Hampton Roads Convention Center (800) 487-8778;
Online Listing;
www.hamptoncvb.com The $200 million Crossroads Development project involving XL Development Group will bring a full-service hotel and a 2,000-seat theater to the site presently shared by the Hampton Roads Convention Center, a John Q. Hammons Embassy Suites Hotel and the 84,000-square-foot Hampton Coliseum arena.
Lynchburg
Lynchburg Regional CVB (800) 732-5821;
Online Listing;
www.discoverlynchburg.org A new Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center is being constructed in the Wards Road area of the city, with an opening expected by the end of the year. The hotel will offer 126 guest rooms and a 4,000-square-foot conference center.
Newport News
Newport News Tourism Development Office: The USS Monitor Center, a facility at the Mariner’s Museum, opened in spring 2007 and offers banquet facilities for up to 275 and reception facilities for 500.
Omni Newport News Hotel: The property completed renovations earlier this summer to all 183 guest rooms, and has plans to update the banquet space in early 2008.
Norfolk
Norfolk CVB: The new Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center combines a cruise terminal with more than 3,000 square feet of event space. The terminal is next to the maritime-themed science center Nauticus.
Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel: 2007 brought the renovation of the 405-room property’s 60,000 square feet of meeting space that is divided among 39 rooms.
Richmond
Richmond Metropolitan CVB: Three 250-room hotels are currently under construction: a Miller and Rhoades Hilton, including condos and street-level retail, across from the Greater Richmond Convention Center; a Westin in the west end of Richmond; and a Hilton Conference Center and Spa in Short Pump.
Doubletree Hotel Richmond Downtown: Opened in June following a $9 million renovation and conversion from a Radisson hotel.
Roanoke
The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center: Originally built in 1882, the property is undergoing a $6.5 million facelift, which is the property’s first total guest room renovation since it reopened in 1995.
Roanoke Civic Center: The new 46,000-square-foot Roanoke Special Events Center opened at the civic center, allowing the city to accommodate larger trade shows and conferences since the center’s floor plan is nearly free from obstructions.
Wyndham Roanoke Airport Hotel: Renovations are updating the hotel’s 320 guest rooms and approximately 17,000 square feet of meeting space.
Virginia Beach
The Cavalier: Renovations to the lobby, restaurants and public areas were completed this summer, and a renovation of the hotel’s 400 guest rooms is under way.
Holiday Inn Chesapeake: Undergoing $15 million in renovations and will open as a full-service Marriott in early 2008. The makeover included the hotel’s 13,000 square feet of meeting space.
Virginia Beach Convention Center: Opened the final phase of the new facility, bringing the amount of available event space to 500,000 square feet. The center is now a participant in Virginia Green, the Commonwealth’s new campaign to promote environmentally friendly practices in the Virginia tourism and hospitality industry. The center is the first in the state to meet the program’s ‘‘Core Activities’’ for convention centers.
Westin Virginia Beach Town Center: Slated to open Jan. 1, 2008, with 236 guest rooms.
Williamsburg
Great Wolf Lodge (757) 229-9700;
www.greatwolflodge.com Opened in 2005 with 301 suites and a water park with eight water slides and six pools, the lodge can accommodate meetings for up to 1,100 attendees.
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Williamsburg - Historic Gateway: Newly opened hotel offers Holiday Inn’s new next-generation decor and amenities, including artwork reflecting memorable images from Holiday Inn’s history. The hotel features 96 guest rooms and 2,240 square feet of space in its ballroom.
Kingsmill Resort & Conference Center: The resort recently renovated its 425 guest rooms and 16,000 square feet of meeting space, including a conference center, two ballrooms and 16 meeting rooms.
Williamsburg Lodge: The 323-room lodge completed a renovation and expansion project in 2006 and now offers a 45,000-square-foot conference center with two ballrooms, 28 meeting rooms and four outdoor function areas.
Wytheville
Wytheville CVB (276) 223-3355;
www.visitwytheville.com The new Wytheville Meeting Center is now open. Its 9,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom can accommodate 1,000, theater style, or 500 for a banquet.
