Following a first-class experience in Alexandria last year while covering the D.C. culinary scene for Meetings Focus, I wanted to discover more about what makes this Colonial-era seaport “extraordinary.”
That’s the theme of Visit Alexandria’s new “Meetings Made Extraordinary” campaign, which harnesses personalized planning, mobile technology and the “experience economy” to help planners “create memorable meetings in a destination that inspires delegates to step outside the box.” Alexandria more than delivered on that promise during my return visit this May.
Having overnighted at Kimpton’s 107-room, event-capable Lorien Hotel & Spa last year, which included sensational dining at adjacent BRABO restaurant, I went with the brand’s nearby Hotel Monaco this time. Fresh off a multimillion-dollar redesign of all 241 guest rooms, corridors and lobby, the hotel offers 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, and dining at adjacent Jackson 20, where I had charcuterie, pulled pork and other American-inspired fare.
With some 4,400 rooms overall, the city’s biggest meetings properties are the 30-story deluxe Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, offering 55,000 square feet of space, and 319-room Westin Alexandria, with 20,000 square feet of space and the largest ballroom in Old Town.
Exceptionally easy to reach—just five miles south of D.C., under a mile from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and served by Amtrak and four Metrorail stations—walkable Alexandria makes agenda-planning a breeze. I observed this first-hand over the course of an immersive day and night driving, bicycling and strolling around town.
Founded in 1749, Alexandria is the oldest and most intact of D.C.’s original neighborhoods, with Old Town the third-oldest locally designated historic district in the nation. With the Potomac waterfront at one end and the towering George Washington Masonic Memorial at the other, high-energy King Street, with free trolley service, is dominated by a nationally acclaimed restaurant and bar scene.
Group-capable heritage and cultural treasures proliferate the region, including the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, Gadsby’s Tavern Museum and Torpedo Factory Art Center. Equally appealing are unique programs such as Paint This!, Iron Chef-style culinary challenges and the Of Pubs & Patriots dine-around.
Home to the Convention Industry Council, National Science Foundation and numerous other bodies, association-rich Alexandria is made to measure for committees, boards, corporations—and extraordinary outcomes.
Visit Alexandria
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