Hotel Roanoke

The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center

Main entrance area
Hotel chain Curio, A Collection by Hilton
General information
Architectural style Tudorbethan
Address 110 Shenandoah Ave. NW
Town or city Roanoke, Virginia
Country United States
Opened 1882
Owner Virginia Tech
Website
www.hotelroanoke.com
References
Hotel Roanoke
Location 110 Shenandoah Ave., Roanoke, Virginia
Coordinates 37°16′28.3″N 79°56′21.9″W / 37.274528°N 79.939417°W / 37.274528; -79.939417Coordinates: 37°16′28.3″N 79°56′21.9″W / 37.274528°N 79.939417°W / 37.274528; -79.939417
Area 6.5 acres (2.6 ha)
Built 1882 (1882)
Architect Post, George B., and Sons; Small, Smith and Reeb
Architectural style Tudor Revival
NRHP Reference # 96000033[1]
VLR # 128-0025
Significant dates
Added to NRHP February 16, 1996
Designated VLR October 18, 1995[2]

The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center is a luxury hotel located in the Gainsboro neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. Originally built in 1882, the hotel has been renovated many times. It is currently owned by Virginia Tech and operated under the Curio - A Collection by Hilton brand. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[1]

History

Hotel Roanoke circa 1910

The Hotel Roanoke was built in 1882 by the Norfolk and Western Railway (now part of the Norfolk Southern Railway), which had recently constructed its administrative offices in the city, bringing in over a thousand railroad workers. It officially opened on Christmas Day, 1882. In July, 1898, a fire started in the kitchen which shut down the hotel for several months. The hotel was reopened in January, 1899, restored with a few additions.[3]

The next major renovation took place in 1938, remodeling the hotel to have a more Tudor look. Additional new wings were added in 1947 and 1955.[3]

In 1989, Norfolk Southern deeded the Hotel Roanoke to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) for $65,000 (USD). After the flag lowering ceremony on November 30, the hotel was closed. Sale of the contents began and continued for 17 days.[3]

In 1992, the "Renew Roanoke" campaign was launched to raise enough money to reopen the hotel. Virginia Tech had set a deadline of December 31, 1992 to have enough money. By late fall, the campaign was still short $1,000,000. In an unprecedented Christmas-time fundraiser, the campaign succeeded, raising $5,006,000. Norfolk Southern then donated an additional $2,000,000; 30 times what it received for the hotel. The Hotel Roanoke reopened in 1995 and still operates today.[3]

A conference center was built directly adjacent to the Hotel Roanoke and opened in 1995. A pedestrian bridge was also constructed over Norfolk Southern's railroad tracks to link the hotel and conference center to downtown Roanoke near the Wachovia Tower.

Roanoke's landmark former passenger rail station was built across the street from the hotel. In 2004, it was converted in a museum devoted to the photography of O. Winston Link as well as housing the Roanoke Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center is operated by Curio - A Collection by Hilton, hotels (part of Hilton Worldwide Hotels). The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center was affiliated with DoubleTree by Hilton from 1995 - February 27, 2016.

Famous guests

In addition to hosting many conventions, the Hotel Roanoke has also had a number of famous guests, including:

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Leslie A. Giles and John R. Kern (September 1995). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Roanoke Hotel" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. and Accompanying two photos
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