U.Va. hotel, conference center expected fall 2025

To fulfill a need for a new comprehensive conference space in Charlottesville, the University of Virginia is set to welcome the Virginia Guesthouse hotel and conference center in fall 2025.

The new facility will feature 214 guest rooms, including nine suites.

The approximately 224,000-square-foot Virginia Guesthouse will offer close to 29,000 square feet of conference and meeting space, 15,000 square feet dedicated to food and beverage services and around 12,000 square feet of public spaces, including an expansive lobby living room on the first floor and a rooftop gathering space. The ground floor will serve as an area for students to study and socialize and also will have a welcoming center.

“It’s not designed to just simply be there for the betterment of U.Va. It is designed to be for U.Va. and the surrounding region,” says J.J. Wagner Davis, U.Va. executive vice president and chief operating officer.

The UVA Foundation will operate the hotel, which U.Va. is financing and building. Foundation CEO Tim Rose says the project reflects the university’s response to a critical need identified by U.Va. President Jim Ryan’s hospitality task force.

“It was determined that there was a significant need for conference facilities that could serve the faculty, be within walking distance and offer large enough meeting rooms to host conferences right here at the university,” he says. “Additionally, that it could be done at a price point that made sense for the broader academic community.”

The project replaces the old Cavalier Inn on Emmet Street, though it’s in a different location.

Construction began in October 2022 and has faced challenges, including supply chain issues and rising construction costs, which pushed the budget from its initial estimate of $130 million to $168 million. Nevertheless, the project has progressed, with the addition of the $3 million rooftop amenity.

The Virginia Guesthouse addresses the needs found by the university task force by providing an accessible and affordable option compared to other facilities such as Boar’s Head Resort, which, although also owned and operated by U.Va., is more expensive and not within walking distance of the main campus, and The Forum Hotel, which primarily serves Darden’s executive education program.

As part of the Ivy Corridor, a 14.5-acre parcel and entry point to U.Va., Virginia Guesthouse will be strategically located near other developments, including the newly opened School of Data Science and the Karsh Institute of Democracy, expected in 2026.