Award-winning dining and accommodations await Virginia Tech and Hotel Roanoke conference-goers
Whether the interest is wine and fine cuisine, sports, research, or 4-H camps, people of all ages can enjoy award-winning conference and meeting accommodations and professional services at Virginia Tech facilities, hotels, and conference centers in Blacksburg and Roanoke.
Conference and camp guests hosted by Virginia Tech’s Division of Student Affairs have access to the nation’s top-ranked campus food as well as some new accommodations.
For the past five years, the Princeton Review has ranked Virginia Tech dining services among the top three on the nation’s campuses. The university also has received top honors from the National Association of College and University Food Services and several other organizations.
Campus residence halls, dining centers, and facilities
During summer 2012, the Division of Student Affairs Conference and Guest Services will open the newly renovated East Ambler Johnston Hall to conference and camp participants, offering amenities including air conditioned rooms, fitness and game rooms, and a 49-seat movie theater. When renovations to the west wing of Ambler Johnston are completed in the fall, the facility will offer housing for up to 1,100 summer guests.
Several more Virginia Tech’s residence halls are open each summer to conference and camp participants, altogether offering affordable accommodations annually to more than 15,000 guests from about 90 different groups, ranging from youth and athletic camps to conferences for professionals. Groups also can use campus classrooms, banquet halls, a ballroom that hosts 1,500 people, and outdoor areas for events.
To plan an event at a Virginia Tech Division of Student Affairs facility, contact Conference and Guest Services at 540-231-5721.
The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center
In 2011 The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center hosted more than 25 weddings and provided conference, meeting, and banquet services for about 70,000 people from throughout the U.S. and the world.
The facility, which recently was named a top-10 meeting destination in a readers’ choice survey by ConventionSouth, offers 147 hotel rooms and suites and 24,000 square feet of conference space, including a 700-seat ballroom, 10 conference rooms, and an assembly hall.
The inn and conference center is constantly adding new attractions and keeping up with travel and dining interests. Wine Enthusiast Magazine has named Virginia as one of the 10 best wine travel destinations for 2012. Recently Preston’s, the inn’s fine-dining restaurant, unveiled its own private label merlot and chardonnay wines produced by Prince Michel Vineyards and Winery in Madison, Va.
Conference and meeting guests at the facility also can enjoy golf packages at the nearby Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, which was ranked among the top 10 Best Campus Courses for 2011 by Golfweek magazine.
For more information about planning a conference or meeting at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, visit the website or call 540-231-8000 or 877-200-3360.
Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
Since 2008 more than $8.5 million worth of renovations have been made at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, including upgrades of all guest rooms and conference facilities. Most recently, the open-air Garden Courtyard was updated and now features more than 6,000 square feet of space and seating for 250 people for outdoor events.
A National Historic Landmark, the hotel and conference center offers 331 guestrooms and 63,000 square feet of conference space. In 2011 more than 119,000 guests spent the night at the hotel and more than 235,000 meals were served to hotel and conference guests. The facility – a joint project of Virginia Tech, the City of Roanoke, and Hotel Roanoke LLC – is managed as a Doubletree by Hilton Hotel.
In February the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center received Hilton Hotel’s Best Property Operations – Americas East Award in recognition of the long-term effective management of the facility’s infrastructure. This is only the latest honor for the hotel, which has won a number of awards for top hotel performance and excellence in food and beverage services.
The hotel and conference center also hosts Virginia Tech’s Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement, which offers professional development programs for business, industry, education, government, and nonprofit organizations.
For more information about planning a conference or meeting at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, call 540-985-5900 or 800-222-8733.
Conference planners interested in the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center or the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center can use the services of Virginia Tech’s Continuing and Professional Education, a program that annually helps organize more than 400 events attracting more than 30,000 participants.
