The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center hosts board meetings, industry conventions, galas, keynote sessions and weddings across 34 meeting rooms and more than 63,000 square feet of event space. Its garden courtyard seats up to 250 guests outdoors, and the 14,400-square-foot Roanoke Ballroom handles the largest gatherings. The hotel stands at 110 Shenandoah Avenue NW in Roanoke, Virginia, a short walk from downtown, and belongs to the Curio Collection by Hilton.
Seminars and company events
The conference center is a member of the International Association of Conference Centers and has its own team of conference planners. An in-house technology consultant designs the audiovisual setup for each event, from video conferencing to stage lighting and sound, and technicians are on call seven days a week. Meeting rooms are wired with fiber optic and Ethernet connections, conference phones and PA systems. Day meeting packages include a buffet lunch. The hotel has held Virginia Green certification since 2005 and can run an event along those environmental guidelines. After a $14 million renovation of the guest rooms, the hotel has announced an expansion of nearly 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor conference and recreation space.
Weddings and receptions
Wedding specialists run a dedicated bridal office and offer packages. The Roanoke Ballroom and the Crystal Ballroom, the hotel's two grand ballrooms, host large receptions, with breakout rooms and pre-function space next to the main ballroom. The lower courtyard and lawn in front of the conference center seat up to 50 guests for an outdoor ceremony. The Garden Courtyard has a gazebo, a lounge area with a fire and seating for up to 250. The hotel also hosts anniversaries, bar and bat mitzvahs, product launches and awards dinners. Readers of Virginia Living, The Roanoker and City Magazine have voted it a favorite wedding venue.
Rooms and capacities
The Roanoke Ballroom covers 14,400 square feet and is the hotel's signature space for galas and keynotes. The Garden Courtyard covers 6,270 square feet and seats 250. The Regency Overlook is a private dining room for groups of 25 to 75. Club aka: is a party space styled as a speakeasy, with its own event coordination and bar. The remaining meeting rooms range from boardrooms to breakout rooms.
Accommodation
Guests stay in the same building, in rooms renovated as part of the $14 million program, with free Wi-Fi. The Spa at Hotel Roanoke sits on a Health and Wellness floor, and the hotel has a pool and fitness center.
Catering
All catering comes from the hotel's kitchen. Packages cover breakfast, lunch, receptions, breaks and dinner, either as buffets of regional food in the Regency Dining Room or as custom banquet menus. The hotel is home to the region's only Four Diamond restaurant. The Pine Room Pub and the 1882 Lobby Bar suit evening drinks after a meeting day, with live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.
History and setting
The Tudor-style hotel has received guests since 1882 and is known locally as The Grand Old Lady. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It sits in the Gainsboro neighborhood on the edge of downtown Roanoke, the main city of Virginia's Blue Ridge region.
Getting there
Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport is the nearest airport. Downtown Roanoke, with its restaurants and attractions, is within walking distance for groups planning off-site dinners.
