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DESPITE TRAVEL SLUMP, HOTELS ARE SPROUTING
Major hotel chains are finding the Fredericksburg area appealing
Date published: 7/9/2009
BY CATHY JETT The ailing economy means fewer people are traveling for either business or pleasure. Yet several hotels have just opened--or soon will open--in the Fredericksburg area. So what gives? Major chains like the metropolitan Washington region because it hasn't been as hard-hit as many other parts of the country, said Colleen Hairston, president of the Fredericksburg Regional Hospitality Council. So companies such as Marriott, Hilton and Intercontinental Group, which recently opened a Holiday Inn Express in Thornburg and is building a Candlewood Suites in Massaponax, are saturating the market with several different brands, she said. Each brand is aimed at a specific type of customer, which theoretically means they shouldn't be competing for the same demographic. The new Courtyard by Marriott is for the tech-savvy business traveler, for example, while the Residence Inn by Marriott that opened in January next to Spotsylvania Towne Centre is an extended-stay hotel popular with families on vacation and people who have to be in the area for several days or more for business. Hotel chains also have their eye on the Fredericksburg area because it is attracting more tourists and corporate businesses, Hairston said. Last year's discovery of the remains of George Washington's boyhood home in Stafford County made national headlines, for instance, and the opening of the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center's new wing gave people an additional reason to visit downtown Fredericksburg. Spotsylvania also is seeing an increase in visitation due to triathlons and fishing tournaments at Lake Anna, said Rachel DeLooze, the county's tourism marketing director. The Fredericksburg region's appeal is likely to increase after the State Fair of Virginia opens in Caroline County and Spotsylvania kicks off events in observance of the 15oth anniversary of the Civil War. "This helps to extend the overnight visits so that our visitors may enjoy our historical sites, golf, events and all other attractions our area has to offer," Hairston said. Cathy Jett: 540/374-5407
Date published: 7/9/2009
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