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Richmond Region Tourism program incentivizes hotel meetings
After a year of virtual events and canceled conventions, Richmond Region Tourism has launched a program to attract meetings to Virginia’s capital city and surrounding areas in four key economic development sectors. The initiative, called Meaningful Meetings, also offers financial incentives from $250 to $1,000 to people an[...]
Kings Dominion reopening, with no masks required for vaccinated guests
Kings Dominion opens for its 46th summer season Saturday, a year after the COVID-19 pandemic shut the annual tradition down. Although the Hanover County amusement park will require masks worn by anyone who is not vaccinated (if they are age five or older), more than 60 rides, live entertainment and the redesigned water park will[...]
Hospitality association launches free online training
A workforce training program launched Monday to help restaurant and hotel workers, the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association announced. The program offers free training for people who are employed, out of work or underemployed from the National Restaurant Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Institute. Training is available to residents of […][...]
Washington Football Team names chief creative, digital officer
The Washington Football Team, in the middle of a major rebranding effort, has hired the organization’s first chief creative and digital officer, it announced Tuesday. Will Misselbrook will oversee the team’s brand marketing strategy and develop content for fans and sponsors, and he will report directly to team Presid[...]
History in the making
Cliff Fleet took the helm of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in January 2020 with a mandate to curb declining attendance and revenue at the nation’s largest outdoor living museum while maintaining its relevance to diverse 21st-century audiences. It was a tall order and one that became even more challenging two months [...]
Richmond nixes Bally’s casino proposal
The city of Richmond has cut the $650 million Bally’s casino proposal from consideration, leaving two competitors, the mayor’s office announced Wednesday morning. The Live! Casino & Hotel proposal by Baltimore-based The Cordish Cos. and ONE Casino and Resort, proposed by Silver Spring, Maryland-based Urban One, a[...]
Va. hotel revenues up 12% in March
Virginia hotel revenues for March 2021 increased by 12% compared with March 2020, according to data released Tuesday by STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. During the same period, rooms sold went up by 25%. The average daily rate (ADR) paid for hotel rooms dropped 10% […]
The Omni Homestead Resort gets new managing director
A longtime luxury resort executive, Mark Spadoni, has been hired as managing director for The Omni Homestead Resort, the hotel announced Monday. For the past 20 years, Spadoni has served as the general manager for the AAA Four-Diamond, 403-room Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa and Club at Savannah Harbor in Georgia. [...]
Kings Dominion sets minimum wage at $13 for seasonal workers
Kings Dominion, the Doswell amusement park, has set its minimum wage for seasonal employees at $13 per hour, it announced Thursday. Previously, the base wage was $9.25. The park, owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., expects to hire 2,100 seasonal workers before reopening May 22, and it also is hiring 80 new full-time positions[...]
Va. restaurant, hospitality industry seeks $270M+ in relief funding
Hard hit by the pandemic, Virginia’s restaurant and hospitality industry is asking the General Assembly to dedicate more than $270 million from the state’s share of federal American Rescue Plan dollars to assist hotels, restaurants and other hospitality-related industries. In a letter sent Tuesday to members of the state legislature’s money committees, the Virginia Restaurant, […][...]
Va. wedding venue loses suit against governor
On Friday, a federal judge ruled against Franklin County wedding venue Belle Garden Estate and its owner Charles Russell, who sued Gov. Ralph Northam in an attempt to expand the number of people who could attend a wedding under the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. Under current executive orders, businesses can host only 25 people outdoors if […]
Richmond cuts three of six casino proposals
Updated, March 25 The city of Richmond has rejected three of its six casino proposals. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos and Wind Creek Hospitality are no longer in the running, the city confirmed Wednesday night. In late February, the city announced that six casino projects had been submitted for con[...]
