Williamsburg, VA and Blacksburg, VA: (September 27, 2017) Newport Hospitality Group Inc., (NHG) a leading hotel management company, has opened the Residence Inn Blacksburg-University on September 8, 2017, located next to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
This Residence Inn features 126 rooms and suites, and is the newest property in the fast-growing Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan area. Built on a site previously occupied by a hotel that had outlived its intended use, this new property’s main driver of demand is its proximity to the university which has grown to surround the location.
Prior to opening the Residence Inn Blacksburg-University, NHG also built the Hyatt Place Blacksburg/University on the same site. This hotel debuted to the public in May 2017 and is already highly successful under NHG’s ongoing management. The construction of both branded properties involved the demolition of the existing structure followed by a full redevelopment of the underlying site, which included the building of the two new hotels as well as 39,000 square feet of combined retail space with CVS as an anchor store partner.
To ensure that this project would be a resounding success, NHG teamed with two Virginia Tech alumni – development partners Kirk Johnson and Shivon Dosky – so that the local needs were thoroughly understood from very early on in the planning phase. The combined team worked tirelessly over several years to assess several development scenarios before finally settling on a mixed-use, hotel-retail plan. Once the vision was finalized, NHG then complemented this regional knowledge by sourcing the general contractor and designers.
Over its 26-year history, NHG has been intricately involved in the development of numerous hotels, leading the design, building and opening processes. These development projects have been spearheaded by Newport’s CEO, Andrew Carey, who has built a team of design and construction experts capable of delivering the most complex projects.
“This redevelopment is a testament to our hotel sourcing and development expertise, as well as our dedication to guest service excellence,” said Andrew Carey, CEO at NHG. “We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to reinvigorate this land and to continue to play an important role in the growth of the Blacksburg market. From enhancing the initial design to hotel launch, we were able to draw upon our extensive experience to enable both the Residence Inn and Hyatt Place to excel in their market.”
Residence Inn by Marriott specializes in extended stays and is widely recognized as one of the crown jewels in Marriott’s family of brands. It offers great value to its guests and is an excellent source of portfolio diversification for owners. Parallel to this, the sub-brand is known for its exceptional customer service. NHG recruited the best local talent and engaged them with rigorous training so that all associates were fluent in the chain’s systems and brand standards well before both hotels’ openings.