Hotel Roanoke

Roanoke’s “Grand Old Lady” stands on the hill overlooking downtown Roanoke. Styled to appear like an old English inn, it served as Roanoke’s grand hotel from its opening in 1882. Located near the new Union Station, it welcomed passengers arriving from smoky, sooty trains and quickly became known for fine dining and amenities. Roanokers treated it as the place to gather for occasions, banquets, and wedding receptions, while the railroad regularly held events, meetings, and dinners there for employees, visitors, and dignitaries. Though it lacked the scenic setting of the Greenbrier on the Chesapeake and Ohio, it became equally renowned for service. Through years of trials and tribulations, its doors did not close until December 1989. Over time, the original structure changed in appearance and accommodations but remained close to its original styling, and it, the original General Office Building, and Union Station were designed as a family of railroad-owned buildings. In 1982, Norfolk and Western merged with the Southern Railway to form the Norfolk Southern Corporation. As Norfolk Southern focused on railroad operations rather than the hotel business, and as headquarters moved from Roanoke to Norfolk in the 1980s, an era ended. The hotel was given to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Virginia Tech and the City worked together to remodel the hotel while the City built a conference center. Since reopening in 1995, it has continued to be “the Hotel” for Roanokers and serves more patrons than ever.

Roanoke, Virginia · United States