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2020 Virginia Meetings
Welcome to the second issue of Virginia Meetings. Below you’ll find content about how hotels have reopened with caution during the pandemic and how virtual conferences have become the new norm for meeting planners. Also included is a list of Virginia’s largest conference hotels. Checking in: Hotels reopen with cautio[...]
This burg has grown
Three-term incumbent Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw recalls when her city moved at a slower pace, as did surrounding Spotsylvania and Stafford counties. All that has changed, profoundly. Fredericksburg’s population has jumped by more than 50% during the past 20 years, from 19,279 in 2000 to an estimated 29,03[...]
Chips on the table
On Election Day, Norfolk and Portsmouth voters will decide whether to hold ’em or fold ’em. The two Hampton Roads cities will consider separate Nov. 3 ballot referendums on large casino projects that promise jobs, tax revenue, increased area tourism and funds for school construction. “It’s new for Virginia, f[...]
Virginia’s largest conference hotels
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Checking in
The impact of COVID-19 on hospitality was felt almost immediately in Virginia. According to the U.S. Travel Association, in the first week of March, travel spending was at $521 million across the state, but by the last week of the month, it had fallen to less than $120 million. Most conventions statewide have moved online [&hell[...]
Canceled oyster fest hits Urbanna’s wallet
Here’s a pandemic casualty unlikely to appear on Dr. Fauci’s radar: The annual Urbanna Oyster Festival, traditionally set for the first weekend in November, has been shucked off. Citing risks from COVID-19, the Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation, the event’s sponsor, called off the festival for the first time i[...]
Casino is a dicey prospect for some Danvillians
As Danville voters await a November referendum to approve one of the state’s first casinos, some residents are concerned the project would bring crime and traffic to the area. Danville is one of five localities granted approval to build a casino by state lawmakers earlier this year, although developers require the approval[...]
Festivals hit pause
The Hampton Roads region is known for its popular festivals, from Virginia Beach’s Pungo Strawberry Festival and Suffolk Peanut Fest to the Virginia Arts Festival and the star-studded Something in the Water. “We’ve got more festivals than Nero had,” says Kurt Krause, president and CEO of VisitNorfolk. For Norfolk alone, tourism means more than $887 […]
Norfolk inn sells for $1.65M
The Americas Best Value Inn Norfolk has sold for $1.65 million, commercial real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap announced Friday. Built in 1959, the 62-room property sits on a one-acre lot at 1850 E. Little Creek Rd. in Norfolk. Maharishi Dayanand Investment Inc. sold the property to Parmeshwari LLC through a 1031[...]
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 […]
Va. hotel revenues drop again
Following a small improvement associated with the Labor Day holiday weekend, Virginia hotels saw a steep decline in revenues last week, 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. 6 through Sept. 13, hotel revenues decreased by 48% […]
JetBlue to offer daily West Coast flights from Richmond International Airport
JetBlue Airways announced Thursday that it will offer daily flights from Richmond International Airport (RIC) to Los Angeles (LAX), Las Vegas (LAS) and Tampa (TPA) starting in November and December. Once-a-day service to TPA will start Nov. 19 and service to LAX and LAS will start Dec. 18. Daily service to Tampa begins on Nov. [[...]
