Loudoun County
As of February, Destination Hotels & Resorts is managing the 296-room Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, a former Benchmark Hospitality property. The conference resort offers six food- and-beverage outlets, five swimming pools, three tennis courts, a 12,000-square-foot spa and 50,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Salamander Resort & Spa is scheduled to open in Loudoun in 2013 as a LEED-certified property. The resort will include 168 guest rooms, a spa, several dining options and 12,000 square feet of indoor meeting space.
The Executive Conference and Training Center in Sterling recently completed a renovation and expansion that doubled its size. Meeting space at the center now totals approximately 10,000 square feet. The IACC-approved venue is about two miles from Dulles International Airport.
Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville is adding a tasting room that can accommodate up to 200 people. The 404-acre estate and its facilities are open to the public for tours and tastings and also can accommodate private events.
The Washington Dulles Airport Marriott recently completed a four-year, $9.3 million renovation of its 368 guest rooms, front desk and lobby area, as well as its ballroom and meeting spaces. Also new is the Aviate Bar and Grill restaurant, as well as a new 1,777-square-foot meeting room with two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel features a total of 13,500 square feet of meeting space.
The National Conference Center in Leesburg recently expanded its farm-to-table menu options. The complex, with 917 guest rooms, entered a partnership with two local farms to source ingredients for its menus.
Meeting Hotels
Among properties in Ashburn are the 154-room Embassy Suites Dulles-North, 136-room Aloft Dulles North and 135-room Hilton Garden Inn Dulles North.
In Leesburg are the 950-room National Conference Center, 296-room Lansdowne Resort, 126-room Holiday Inn Leesburg at Carradoc Hall, 101-room Hampton Inn & Suites Leesburg and 99-room Best Western Leesburg Hotel and Conference Center.
In Sterling are the 368-room Marriott Washington Dulles Airport, 297-room Holiday Inn Washington Dulles, 171-room Doubletree Hotel Dulles Airport-Sterling, 170-room Hampton Inn & Suites Washington-Dulles International Airport and 162-room Hyatt House Sterling/Dulles Airport North.
Conference Center
The National Conference Center in Leesburg; exhibit space, 25,524 square feet and approximately 265,000 square feet of total meetings space; number of meeting rooms, 250; (703) 729-8000
Airport Transit
Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., about six miles south of Sterling, 10 miles south of Ashburn, 17 miles south of Leesburg and 26 miles southwest of Purcellville. Transfer cost by taxi to Sterling, $15; to Ashburn, $25; to Leesburg, $35; to Purcellville, $55
Taxes
Transient occupancy tax, 5%; state tax, 5%; total tax on hotel rooms in Loudoun County, 10%
Group Venue
Groups can spend a pleasant few hours at the Sunset Hills Vineyard, which originally was built in the 1870s and sits on 50 acres of rolling farmland. The property's restored Amish barn is a quaint delight featuring 35-foot-high ceilings and a beautiful mahogany tasting bar that can accommodate up to 50 thirsty people. (540) 882-4560
Dining Out
The Wine Kitchen in Leesburg specializes in seasonal American bistro fare, including pork chops served with braised kale and bacon. (703) 777-9463
Contact
Visit Loudoun, (703) 771-2170 or (800) 752-6118
Richmond
After being closed for some 20 years, the former John Marshall Hotel recently completed a two-year renovation and reopened as the Residences at John Marshall. While the property is now an apartment complex, its two original ballrooms are available for events. The Virginia Room (4,930 square feet), and the Marshall Ballroom (3,400 square feet) feature 1920s design and vintage crystal chandeliers. Attendees also can gather on a 1,996-square-foot balcony.
The Hippodrome Theater in historic Jackson Ward has reopened after being shuttered for 40 years. The former vaudeville and movie venue now offers live music, a full-service dining area, a VIP club, a dance floor and a bar. The space can accommodate 672 guests.
The Residence Inn by Marriott recently completed a $1 million renovation of its 80 guest rooms, which received updated flooring, new beds, stainless-steel appliances and artwork. There is one 400-square-foot meeting room on-site.
The Richmond Slave Trail, a self-guided walking tour chronicling the history of the slave trade in the city, is now enhanced with interpretive signage and maps to vivify the experience for visitors. The trail begins at the point where slaves first arrived in the city and continues to the former marketplace where they subsequently were put on sale. Guided tours are available through the Elegba Folklore Society.
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 Hyatt House Richmond West, 102-room Wingate by Wyndham Richmond Short Pump and 80-room Residence Inn by Marriott.
For additional information on Richmond-area hotels and meeting facilities, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center
Greater Richmond Convention Center; total exhibit space, 180,000 square feet; total meeting space, approximately 80,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 38; (804) 783-7300
Airport Transit
Richmond International Airport, about 10 miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $20
Taxes
Room tax, 5%; sales tax, 8%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13%
Group Venue
In the Jackson Ward Historic District, known as "the Harlem of the South," the vintage 1907 W.L. Taylor mansion has been transformed into Mansion Five 26, an eclectic restaurant serving local specialties such as ham drop biscuits, fried oysters with Cajun remoulade, and creamy mashed potatoes described as "lethally delicious" by one reviewer. The venue also includes the Speakeasy bar, whose décor celebrates the decadent Prohibition era and features high ceilings, dark woods and dim period lighting. Groups of up to 160 people can enjoy libations along with live music offered Thursday through Saturday. (804) 308-2913
Group Tour
Real Richmond Food Tours offers groups a unique way to experience the city's food scene via nine different excursions, including a gluten-free version for those with dietary concerns. Outings take two and a half hours. Private group tours are available upon request. (804) 840-5318
Contact
Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 370-9004
Other Cities, Other Sites
Donald Trump recently got into the Virginia winery business after purchasing the Kluge Estate Winery, just 15 minutes from downtown Charlottesville. The 900-acre vineyard, now dubbed Trump Winery,
is open to the public and also is available for indoor and outdoor
private events, including customized wine tastings and tours. (434)
977-3895
The Tides Inn completed a renovation and redesign of its guest rooms last year. In addition, the Irvington
property now offers a new floating dock with 24 boat slips. Guests
staying at the 106-room inn also can enjoy a full-service spa, three
restaurants that specialize in regional Chesapeake cuisine, and
IACC-certified conference facilities that include more than 30,000
square feet of meeting space, much of it overlooking the bay. (804)
438-5000
A new Embassy Suites hotel currently is under construction and scheduled to open in Springfield sometime in 2013. The property will feature 219 suites and an estimated 6,000 square feet of meeting space.