Richmond Region Welcomed Nine New Hotels in 2008

Authenticity, Affordability and Accessibility Continue to Make Region an Attractive Travel Destination

Richmond, VA (Jan. 6) – Alert your out-of-town friends, family members and business colleagues! The Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (RMCVB) today announced the Richmond Region opened nine new hotels in 2008, adding more than 1,000 hotel rooms to its inventory and bringing the Region’s total to 16,300. New hotels include those by Candlewood Suites, Comfort Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, Days Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn, Springhill Suites by Marriott and the Region’s first Westin.

Adding to the 16,300 existing rooms, more than 1,300 hotel rooms are currently under construction, all of which will be finished by 2010. Projects under construction include the landmark Miller & Rhoads building, directly across from the Greater Richmond Convention Center, which is being redeveloped as a 252-room Hilton Garden Inn and will be completed in the first quarter of 2009. The hotel will feature 7,000 square feet of meeting space and 20,000 square feet of street-level retail space.

“The recent hotel development speaks well to the Richmond Region’s assets as a travel destination, be it for business or pleasure,” said Jack Berry, RMCVB president and CEO. “It is a compliment to our area to have so many top-of-the-line hotels increase their presence in our market.”

Hotels that opened in 2008 include:

• Candlewood Suites: 82 rooms
  15820 Woods Edge Road, Colonial Heights, VA 23834
• Days Inn at Kings Dominion: 53 rooms
  16220 International Street, Doswell, VA 23047
• Candlewood Suites Glen Allen – Virginia Center Commons Mall: 84 rooms
  10609 Telegraph Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059
• Comfort Suites: 100 rooms
  10601 Telegraph Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059
• Courtyard by Marriott Richmond North: 137 rooms
  10077 Brook Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059
• Hilton Garden Inn Richmond Airport: 130 rooms
  441 International Center Drive, Sandston, VA 23150
• Holiday Inn Richmond Airport: 143 rooms
  445 International Drive, Sandston, VA 23150
• Springhill Suites by Marriott Richmond Northwest: 103 rooms
  9960 Independence Park Drive, Richmond, VA 23233
• Westin Richmond: 250 rooms
  6631 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230

“Visitors to the Richmond Region enjoy an authenticity that they can’t find everywhere,” Berry said. “We have big-city amenities without the big-city price tags, which is especially important to travelers in this slow economy. The Richmond Region is an ideal place for meetings and conventions as well as a great place to visit for a leisurely vacation or weekend getaway.”

On top of 400 years of history, the Richmond Region boasts the largest convention center in the state of Virginia, fantastic hotels, more shopping centers per capita than any other U.S. city and fantastic, world-class dining. The Region is easily accessible and affordable, both of which are top-of-mind motivators for visitors.

The Historic Richmond Region is conveniently located off Interstate 95 and Interstate 64 and is less than two hours away from other popular destinations such as Washington, D.C., Charlottesville, Colonial Williamsburg and Virginia Beach. Richmond International Airport (RIC) boasts daily non-stops to Toronto on Air Canada, and low-cost air carriers such as JetBlue and Air Tran bring travelers to the Region at unbeatable rates. Two Amtrak stops in the Richmond Region make it easily accessible by train.

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The Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau (RMCVB), the official destination marketing and tourism organization for the Richmond Region, is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Region to meeting planners, tour operators and leisure travelers.RMCVB operates the Visitor Centers located at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and the Richmond International Airport.

More than 5.7 million people visit the Richmond Region annually, contributing more than $1.8 billion to the local economy. For more information, visit www.VisitRichmondVA.com.

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