April Va. hotel revenues down slightly from pre-pandemic
Virginia hotel revenues in April were down 3.5% compared with pre-pandemic April 2019 revenues, largely due to the lagging Northern Virginia market, according to data released Wednesday by STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group Inc. that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. Hotel rooms sold decreased by 4.7% last month, compared with […]
Summer dreams
Tournaments at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Events at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. A busy Oceanfront boardwalk. That was the scene in Virginia Beach during just one weekend in mid-March. And it was the perfect “prelude” to the summer travel season, says John Zirkle, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Virginia Beach. “The […]
Va. hotels expect 28% drop in 2022 biz travel revenue
Virginia hotel revenue from business travel this year is projected to be down 28.3% from pre-pandemic levels, or about $674 million less than the $2.39 billion the lodging industry took in during 2019, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs. Nationally, the associations forecasts a 23% […]
Hotel workers must complete anti-human trafficking training
RICHMOND, Va. — After a few lawmakers missed time during the session due to COVID-19, Del. Shelly A. Simonds, D-Newport News, said she was thrilled to see all 100 members of the House unanimously pass a bill requiring hotels to provide human trafficking training for employees. “It was really exciting for me to watch the […]
Hilton Richmond Downtown completes multimillion-dollar renovation
Hilton Richmond Downtown’s multimillion-dollar renovation is complete, New Orleans-based management company HRI Lodging LLC announced March 24. The renovation includes a new lobby bar and lounge and hybrid meeting space, as well as updating the fitness center, indoor pool and guest room bathrooms. The 250-room Hilton Richmond Downtown occupies the former Miller & Rhoads department […]
Feb. statewide hotel revenues were 6.1% lower than 2019
February hotel revenues in Virginia were 6.1% lower than those recorded in February 2019, according to data released Monday by STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group Inc. that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. Hotel rooms sold decreased by 5% last month, compared with 2019 levels. The average daily rate (ADR) paid […]
Mountain Lake Lodge promotes general manager to CEO
Mountain Lake Lodge, where 1987 hit movie “Dirty Dancing” was filmed, announced Thursday the promotion of Heidi Stone to president and CEO. Stone has served as the Pembroke hotel’s general manager since 2013. “Heidi Stone is a talented hotelier whose proven leadership and commitment is reflected through her team,” Giles County Administrator Chris McKlarney said in a [&h[...]
Take a hike
Amid the ongoing pandemic, Virginians have escaped to the outdoors, enjoying the commonwealth’s varying recreational activities. “Since the pandemic started, people have wanted to get out of their homes and explore,” says Virginia Tourism Corp. Communications Manager Andrew Cothern, “and there’s so much to do in Virginia that outdoor recreation was a natural thing that […]
Reclaiming glory
Mark Spadoni took on the role of managing director at The Omni Homestead Resort to help restore the iconic hotel, which turns 256 years old this year. “It’s a great responsibility,” he says. “We want to maintain the past but make it relevant to moving forward. The goal is to set it up for the […]
Va. hotel revenues down 6.5% from Jan. 2019
Virginia hotel revenues in January were 6.5% below January 2019 levels, according to data released Monday by STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. During the same period, hotel rooms sold decreased by 4% compared with 2019 levels. The average daily rate (ADR) paid for hotel rooms […]
Hotel industry recovering, but unevenly
The hotel industry will continue its recovery from 2020 this year, but unevenly, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2022 State of the Hotel Industry Report. “Hotels have faced enormous challenges over the past two years, and we are still a long way from full recovery. The uncertainty about the omicron variant suggests […]
Lawmakers debate human trafficking bill
RICHMOND, Va. — Legislators raised a few questions with a measure that would deploy hotel staff to help combat human trafficking. The bill introduced by Del. Shelly A. Simonds, D-Newport News, was heard Thursday in a House subcommittee. House Bill 258 would authorize the Department of Criminal Justice Services to create an online mandatory course […]