SAN FRANCISCO—Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Collection, announced a 199-room hotel set to open in spring 2023 on the Grounds of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Its first destination on the campus of a university, the new Kimpton in Charlottesville, Virginia, will complement the campus and its culture with interiors, guest service, food and beverage programming, and indoor and outdoor meeting and event spaces.
Owned by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation, an independent and nonprofit corporation, the Kimpton in Charlottesville will stand five stories tall and feature 199 guestrooms, including 12 suites, designed collaboratively by the Kimpton Design team, Looney & Associates, and Beleco Design. Architects Cooper Carry Inc. will create an exterior in the classic Jeffersonian style for which the UVA Grounds are known, pulling from the university’s history and in homage to its traditions and commitment to the community. Furthering that spirit and a gathering experience will be two on-property restaurant and bar concepts—a taproom and a ground-level restaurant with an outdoor terrace. Complementing these will be a wine cellar, available for both meetings and private dinners. As with all Kimptons, amenities and services such as morning coffee and tea service, evening social hour, “Forgot It? We’ve Got It!” program, in-room yoga mats, on-site fitness center, bicycles, and pet-friendly policies will enhance the guest experience.
“We are so honored to partner with the Darden School Foundation on this monumental first for Kimpton,” said Kimpton CEO Mike DeFrino. “We have found kindred spirits with the team at the Foundation as well as the entire University of Virginia community. We’re a brand known for our constant pursuit to create meaningful human connections, and we know that’s been a pinnacle for the UVA and Darden community since its founding. We have exciting things in store, and we’re eagerly counting down to next spring semester.”
Located on the Grounds of the Darden School of Business, near the UVA School of Law and concert, event, and sporting venues, the hotel will become a venue for inspired meetings and events. For those looking to host corporate conferences to weddings, the hotel will offer 11,500 square feet of meeting spaces and classrooms for celebrations and educational gatherings. The hotel has an over 6,000 square foot ballroom with capacity to host a 425-person seated reception. Respect for the environment will be present throughout the property in a five-acre botanical garden and arboretum on the hotel grounds.
“It’s great news that the Darden School Foundation will partner with IHG and Kimpton, some of the most respected names in the hospitality industry, to present this unique property,” said UVA Darden School of Business Dean Scott Beardsley. “Darden is globally renowned for its outstanding faculty and transformational education experience, and, with Kimpton, we are confident we will deliver an equally world-class hospitality experience to our guests. Everyone from the Darden, UVA, and local communities will be welcome, as will anyone visiting Charlottesville who is looking for a great place to stay, dine, or host an event.”
Founded in 1762, Charlottesville is a city with history and culture. Located 100 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and 70 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia, Charlottesville is known for its historical citizens from Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe to Edgar Allan Poe and William Faulkner. Visitors to Charlottesville and the surrounding Albemarle County seek its climes and vistas for activities such as hiking, ballooning, wine and beer tours, and entertainment. Home to the University of Virginia.
When it opens in spring 2023, Kimpton in Charlottesville will join Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Baltimore, Maryland, The George Hotel, The Banneker Hotel, and Hotel Monaco in Washington, D.C., as Kimpton’s fifth boutique hotel in the mid-Atlantic region.
