Notable hotels opening across Virginia

Despite a slowdown in government travel and meetings due to federal layoffs, Virginia’s hotel market remains strong, with several major properties opening throughout the state.

STR reports that statewide occupancy rose slightly in July and August compared with the same period in 2024.

“Our leisure demand has been up, and so that’s made a little bit of the difference,” says Eric Terry, president of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association. Here are a selection of new hotels and projects under construction or recently completed across Virginia:

Northern Virginia

Terry says one of the year’s most significant projects was the dual-branded AC Hotel Reston and Residence Inn by Marriott Reston, which opened in January. The $100 million, 15-story hotel in Reston Town Center features 147 rooms under the AC brand and 120 Residence Inn suites, topped by a rooftop lounge called Syn. The building, developed and managed by Donohoe Hospitality, also features 11,300 square feet of meeting space, including a 3,500-square-foot grand ballroom.

Michael Golembe, Donohoe’s vice president of operations, says the model has been “very well received,” noting the Residence Inn draws families and long-term visitors, while the AC brand attracts business travelers during the week.

The JW Marriott Reston Station, which opened in September, is the first JW Marriott hotel in Virginia, a brand focused on luxury. The property features 247 guest rooms and roughly 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space, with capacity for up to 1,400 guests. The hotel features multiple ballrooms, several dining options and works by various artists.

Despite it being open only for a short time, spokesperson Isha Janjikhel says the hotel has already been in demand for weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. She also says the hotel is partnering with numerous Reston-based organizations to host events.

“We definitely want to be a community spot,” she says.

In downtown Leesburg, boutique Hotel Burg opened Aug. 1. The wine- and hunt-themed hotel, developed by Madison Dale and managed by PM Hotel Group, features 39 guest rooms and three architecturally distinct buildings, including a preserved 1885 historic home. The hotel features a community room and boardroom with a combined 1,420 square feet of meeting space, a 1,800-square-foot patio and a rooftop designed for cocktail receptions that can accommodate 80 guests.

Central Virginia

In Charlottesville, the University of Virginia’s Virginia Guesthouse, a $168 million, 223,000-square-foot building, will serve as a hotel and conference center, featuring 214 guest rooms and over 25,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Pyramid Global Hospitality will operate the hotel, which is expected to open in spring 2026 near the new School of Data Science in the Ivy Corridor.

The Birdwood Mansion at Boar’s Head Resort, a bit past campus off Ivy Road, is undergoing a $23 million renovation. It’s scheduled to open in early 2026 with seven rooms — four in the main house and three adjacent cottages. It also includes multiple event settings and a 42-seat restaurant. The mansion is owned and operated by the University of Virginia Foundation.

Hotel Petersburg opened in late 2024 after being vacant for nearly 50 years, and the refurbished Tapestry Collection by Hilton property has 64 rooms and about 2,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as a speakeasy-style bar, a rooftop lounge, a full-service restaurant and a courtyard. Opened in 1904 as the Shirley Hotel, the Hotel Petersburg operated until 1975, when the city bought it to use for offices. Dr. Nat Cuthbert, a Petersburg diagnostic radiologist, bought the building in 2017 and is behind its renovation.

Shenandoah Valley

At the beginning of August, the four-story Spark by Hilton Harrisonburg University Area opened with 85 rooms and a meeting room that accommodates approximately 25 people.

The Inn at Vaucluse Spring in Stephens City is set to reopen in spring 2026 after a $8 million-plus renovation. The 18th-century manor is being converted into a boutique hotel with 25 suites, a spa, pool and two restaurants, with the second phase scheduled for completion in 2027.

Also slated to open in spring 2026, the Three Hills Historic Estate and Spa in Warm Springs will offer 64 rooms, a spa wing and 21 cottages.

Elsewhere in the state

In Portsmouth, Rivers Casino and Rush Street Gaming are moving forward with a $65 million, 106-room hotel slated to open in 2027, and the 163-room Tempo by Hilton hotel is set to open in summer 2027 at Virginia Beach’s Pembroke Square. Construction there started in May.

In November 2026, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is set to open its African-themed indoor waterpark concept in Spotsylvania County. The $900 million, 1.38 million-square-foot resort will feature 907 guest rooms and suites, a 175,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, a 90,000-square-foot adventure park, and 150,000 square feet of meeting space.
The project is already taking shape off Interstate 95.

“That’ll be far and away the largest hotel in the state when it opens,” Terry says. “And one of the most significant projects that we’ve had in the hotel community in probably decades.”