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UPDATED: Golden Nugget, Wind Creek enter proposals to build Richmond casino
Feb 24, 2021

UPDATED: Golden Nugget, Wind Creek enter proposals to build Richmond casino

Updated 3 p.m., Feb. 24 Joining at least four other groups competing to be chosen as Richmond’s choice for a casino operator, bids from two other casino companies were made public Wednesday. Houston-based Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos has proposed a $400 million casino project about six miles from downtown, and Wind Creek Hospitality, affiliated […]

Rendering courtesy the city of Portsmouth and Rush Street Gaming.
Feb 5, 2021

Rush Street Gaming announces general contractor for Portsmouth casino

Rush Street Gaming, the developer and gaming operator for the upcoming $300 million Rivers Casino Portsmouth, announced Friday it has chosen a joint venture between Virginia Beach-based S.B. Ballard Construction Co. and Philadelphia, Mississippi-based Yates Construction as the resort casino’s general contractor. Ballard and Yates will construct the 400,000-square-foot casino, which will incl[...]

Feb 1, 2021

Va. hotel revenues fell 42% in December 2020

Virginia hotel revenues for December 2020 were on trend for a year that saw the hospitality industry suffer from the pandemic. Compared with December 2019, hotel revenues statewide declined by 42% during December 2020, according to data released Monday from STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides weekly market data on the U.S. hospitality […]

Hilton Richmond Hotel and Spa in Short Pump. Photo courtesy Shamin Hotels
Dec 23, 2020

Short Pump Hilton faces receivership, foreclosure

The Hilton Richmond Hotel and Spa in Short Pump, the flagship of Chester-based Shamin Hotels‘ empire, may change hands as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a complaint filed in Henrico County Circuit Court on Dec. 2, 12042 West Broad Street Holdings LLC, the Bethesda, Maryland-based noteholder on the property, alleges a breach […]

Debora Wright. Photo courtesy Visit VBR
Nov 17, 2020

Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge names sales, marketing VP

Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge (Visit VBR) announced Monday it has promoted Debora Wright as vice president of sales and marketing.  With more than 25 years of experience in destination marketing, Wright will lead external outreach and brand-building for the organization. She has been with the organization since 1993, when it was formerly known as Roanoke […]

Nov 16, 2020

More than $1.9M in grants going to Va.’s tourism industry

While COVID-19 continues to slam the tourism and hospitality industries, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday that more than $1.9 million in matching grants will be disbursed among 161 local tourism initiatives as part of Virginia Tourism Corp.’s Recovery Marketing Leverage Program (RMLP). Although Virginia’s tourism industry had another record year in 2019, posting $27 billion [&hellip[...]

Kings Dominion General Manager Tony Johnson plans to retire in January 2021.
Oct 20, 2020

Kings Dominion general manager to retire

Growing up on a tobacco farm outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, Tony Johnson learned the meaning of hard work early on. At a time when his local school system had a later start to the academic year to allow for the picking season, Johnson would get up at 4 a.m. to work the fields. “It […]

Image of Gloucester Village for WanderLove Recovery Grant Program. Photo courtesy Virginia Tourism Corp.
Oct 15, 2020

Va. tourism had record 2019, but 2020 won’t follow suit

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis is spelling an end to Virginia’s decade-long streak of record-breaking tourism revenues. Although Virginia’s tourism industry had another record year in 2019, posting $27 billion in spending, the commonwealth’s tourism revenue for 2020 is expected to decrease by $10 billion, a 37% drop compared to last year, according […]

The Pamunkey Indian Tribe plans to build a $500 million casino and resort on the Elizabeth River if Norfolk voters approve the project on the November ballot. Rendering courtesy Pamunkey Indian Tribe
Oct 15, 2020

Baskervill, HKS to lead Norfolk casino design, architecture

The Pamunkey Indian Tribe announced Thursday that Dallas, Texas-based HKS and Richmond-based Baskervill will serve as the architecture team for the tribe’s planned $500 million Norfolk Resort & Casino if city voters approve a Nov. 3 local referendum approving the casino development. Backed by Tennessee billionaire investor Jon Yarbrough, the casino and resort will include […]

Oct 14, 2020

Va. hotel revenues continue to suffer

Virginia hotels continue to see significant revenue declines compared to pre-pandemic times, according to data from STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides weekly market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. For the week of Oct. 4 through Oct. 10, hotel revenues in Virginia were down 46% and rooms sold were down 29% compared […]

“Say Their Names,” by Silly Genius and Nils Westergard, at 3311 W. Broad St. The mural was created as part of the Mending Walls project, a collaboration between Richmond artists and businesses who volunteer a wall to be transformed into a mural that provokes conversation. (Photo by Cierra Parks, Capital News Service)
Oct 9, 2020

Black Lives Matter renews interest in Richmond’s Black culture and history

RICHMOND, Va. – The Black Lives Matter movement has helped renew interest in Richmond’s African American culture and history, according to community leaders. BLK RVA is an initiative launched in August 2019 between Richmond Region Tourism and 20 community leaders to highlight historic African American tourist attractions and engage visitors in events that support Richmond’s […[...]

Sep 23, 2020

Va. hotel revenues continue to slip

Virginia hotel revenues continued to worsen last week after a small improvement during the Labor Day weekend, according to data from STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides weekly market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. For the week of Sept. 13 through Sept. 19, hotel revenues in Virginia decreased by 52% and rooms […]

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