Wine and Dine
October officially is Virginia Wine Month and features nearly 100 festivals, wine dinners and special events -- including grape stompings, cheese tastings and live music -- across more than 190 wineries.
Coastal Virginia
This month, the Tide light-rail system will begin service in Norfolk, along the Elizabeth River. Trips from the starting point at Newtown Road to the terminus at Eastern Virginia Medical Center will take less than 30 minutes. A single ride will cost $1.50, while a day pass with unlimited transfers will run $3.50.
The Norfolk Jazz Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary next July. The event, which offers 12 hours of music over two days, features a mix of local, regional and nationally recognized musicians.
The new Peninsula Town Center in Hampton, near the Hampton Roads Convention Center, features retail options and gastronomic offerings from sushi to steak to burritos. Other attractions include a bowling alley and Cinebistro, a dine-in movie theater offering leather recliners and American fare, such as lump blue crab cakes with pan-roasted asparagus.
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport opened a new $13.8 million concourse in May 2010. The airport is about a 20-minute drive from downtown Williamsburg.
Meeting Hotels
Properties in Hampton include the 320-room Howard Johnson Plaza and Conference Center; 295-room Embassy Suites Hampton Roads Hotel, Spa & Convention Center; 289-room Best Western Plus Coliseum & Suites, and 177-room Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina.
Hotels in Newport News include the 256-room Newport News Marriott City Center, 182-room Omni Newport News Hotel and 150-room Point Plaza Suites at City Center.
Norfolk hotels include the 468-room Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, 405-room Norfolk Waterside Marriott, 247-room Hilton Norfolk Airport, 208-room Norfolk Airport Hotel and 204-room Crowne Plaza Norfolk.
For more detailed hotel and venue information, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Centers
Hampton Roads Convention Center; exhibit space, 320,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 33; (757) 722-1222
Norfolk Scope; exhibit space, approximately 85,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 17; (757) 664-6464
Hampton Coliseum; total exhibit space, 84,827 square feet; number of on-site meeting rooms, three; (757) 838-5650
Airport Transit
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, about 13 miles from downtown Newport News and downtown Hampton. Transfer cost by taxi to Hampton Roads Convention Center, approximately $25. Transfer cost by taxi to downtown Newport News, approximately $30
Norfolk International Airport, about 10 miles from downtown Norfolk. Transfer cost by taxi, $17-$20
Taxes
Hampton: local tax, 8%; state tax, 5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13%
Newport News: local tax, 7.5%; state tax 5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 12.5%
Norfolk: local tax, 8% plus $2 per room per night.
Group Venues
The Mariners' Museum features artifacts pulled from the Titanic, an extensive collection of model ships and some 92 figureheads that once graced the bows of sailing vessels. The 63,500-square-foot property can be rented by groups. (757) 296-2222
Planners seeking a night on the waterfront can rent the 80,000-square-foot Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center for up to 1,500 guests in Norfolk. The venue features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Elizabeth River and sits adjacent to the Battleship Wisconsin, a World War II-era cruiser that is open to visitors. (757) 664-1074
Dining Out
Set in a 138-year-old former Presbyterian church, the Freemason Abbey Restaurant and Tavern in Norfolk now offers traditional American fare (they've got the BLT down to an art here) in a newly renovated interior. The church's original stone façade still serves as the restaurant's main entryway. (757) 622-3966
Contact
Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau, (757) 722-1222
Newport News Tourism Development Office, (757) 926-1400
VisitNorfolk, (757) 664-6620
Virginia Beach
The 350-room Ocean Beach Club & Resort is expected to complete its third phase -- the Oceanaire Resort Hotel & Conference Center -- by next year. The project will add more than 200 rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space to the hotel and time-share property, plus a new lounge and health club.
The Laskin Road Gateway Project continues to move forward, with completion expected in fall 2012. The $100 million complex will feature 64,000 square feet of dining, entertainment and shopping, in addition to residences and offices.
The 175,000-square-foot Virginia Beach Field House opened last September with six turf fields, multiple sports courts, and a bar and grill, in addition to 1,500 square feet of meeting space.
For meeting planners and attendees interested in giving back to the community while in town, the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau has partnered with the United Way of South Hampton Roads to create a certified listing of agencies seeking volunteers. For a listing of all 34 organizations, go to bit.ly/vbcsr.
The 515,000-square-foot Virginia Beach Convention Center received LEED Gold certification last May. The center opened in 2007.
Virginia Beach is the first destination in the state to be officially certified by the Virginia Green campaign, which recognizes environmentally friendly practices within the tourism and hospitality industry.
Meeting Hotels Among the many properties in Virginia Beach suitable for meetings are the 400-room Cavalier Hotel, 295-room Virginia Beach Resort Hotel & Conference Center, 292-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Virginia Beach, 290-room Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, 266-room Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, 243-room Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront, 198-room Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel, 176-room Hilton Garden Inn, 167-room Ramada on the Beach, 160-room Courtyard by Marriott and 149-room Crowne Plaza. For a more complete listing of area hotels, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention CenterVirginia Beach Convention Center; exhibit space, 150,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, five; (800) 700-7702
Airport Transit Norfolk International Airport, about 19 miles from the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Transfer cost by shuttle, $41; transfer cost by taxi, $42-$45
Taxes Room tax, 8%, plus $1 per room, per night; sales tax, 5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13% plus $1 per room, per night
ContactVirginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, (757) 385-4700 or (800) 700-7702
> Click here: Follow Virginia Tourism on Twitter at @vatourismpr
MORE VIRGINIA:
> Coastal Virginia
> Richmond
Fabulous Food, Virginia-Style
The following Virginia restaurants, all recent nominees for the James Beard Awards (aka "the Oscars of food"), are well worth a group visit.
Restaurant Eve, Alexandria. In the Old Town district of Alexandria, Restaurant Eve's menus reflect seasonal Virginia produce. Expect distinctive dishes such as pork belly with pickled ramps and poached morels. Private dining is available for groups of 20 to 50 people, or 120 for a buyout. Following dinner, lead the troops on a leisurely, digestive stroll through picturesque
Old Town. (703) 706-0450
2941 Restaurant, Falls Church. Just 10 minutes west of Arlington, 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church features a wine list with more than 5,000 varieties and new American cuisine courtesy of noted chef Bertrand Chemel. Menu specialties have included the likes of ginger steamed sea bass in a lobster broth and roasted duck with ramps and pomegranate jus. The eatery can host private dinners for eight to 200 people, who can always wander outside to enjoy beautifully landscaped woods, waterfalls and koi ponds. (703) 270-1500
Palladio Restaurant, Barboursville. At Palladio, the Barboursville Vineyards serve as a backdrop to this fine-dining experience that can include wine tastings, winery tours or cooking classes led by chef Melissa Close Hart. About 70 miles northeast of Richmond, the restaurant specializes in Northern Italian fare, including house-made charcuterie, jumbo lump crab and ricotta ravioli, and purple potato gnocchi in a balsamic chicken ragu. Two private dining spaces are available for up to 40 and 22 guests. (540) 832-7848
Richmond
The Virginia War Memorial, which honors more than 11,600 Virginians who lost their lives in World War II and subsequent conflicts, recently completed a 17,300-square-foot expansion that includes a new 70-seat theater, a boardroom that can accommodate up to 20 people and an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the James River, with seating for 450. Dubbed the Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center, the project was completed last September.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts completed a $150 million expansion in May 2010 that included a new wing featuring the four-story Cochrane Atrium, which can host up to 1,000 people for a private reception. The museum can accommodate groups of up to 2,500 in a full buyout.
Meeting Hotels Properties with space for groups include the 410-room Richmond Marriott, 372-room Sheraton Richmond West, 361-room Omni Richmond, 298-room Crowne Plaza Richmond Downtown, 262-room The Jefferson, 250-room Hilton Garden Inn Richmond Downtown, 250-room Westin Richmond, 242-room Marriott Richmond West, 224-room Embassy Suites Richmond, 135-room Aloft Richmond West, 134-room Hotel Sierra Richmond West and 102-room Wingate by Wyndham Richmond Short Pump.
For additional information on area hotels and meeting facilities, please visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center Greater Richmond Convention Center; total exhibit space, 180,000 square feet; meeting space, 80,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 38; (804) 783-7300
Airport Transit Richmond International Airport, approximately 10 miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $20
Taxes Room tax, 5%; sales tax, 8%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13%
Group VenuesThe Bankuet Place, a vintage 1913 former bank building in the classic Greek Revival style, features ornate chandeliers, lofted ceilings and the original walk-in bank vault, which has served as a photo booth for recent events. The venue can accommodate up to 130 for a cocktail reception. (804) 231-2551
Approximately 90 minutes from Richmond, The Homestead was built in 1766 on 3,000 acres of Virginia countryside and underwent a $4 million renovation of its west-wing guest rooms last year. The 483-room property, which sits among the Allegheny Mountains and features more than 72,000 square feet of meeting space, has hosted 26 U.S. presidents, including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The property's hot springs have served as a spa destination for more than 200 years and recently added some new treatments, including a vanilla sugar body scrub. (540) 839-1766
ContactRichmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 370-9004
> Click here: Follow the Richmond CVB on Twitter at @visitrichmond
MORE VIRGINIA:
> Coastal Virginia
> Virginia Beach