SCHOOL NEWS
Hotel Features: • 199 rooms • 11,500-square-feet of meeting spaces and classrooms • 6,000+-square-foot ballroom • 5-acre arboretum and gardens • Opens spring 2023
A rendering of the future hotel at Darden, which will open in spring 2023 and be operated by Kimpton
New Darden Hotel and Conference Center to Become Kimpton’s First On-Campus Boutique Hotel
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he Darden School Foundation and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Collection, in March announced a groundbreaking partnership through which Kimpton will open its first hotel in a university setting on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville. The announcement means the impressive facility that has been rising over the past year to replace the former Inn at Darden will be operated by one of the most respected names in the hospitality industry. Set to open in spring 2023, the new Kimpton hotel will provide a world-class hospitality experience on the Grounds of one of the world’s leading business schools. The five-story boutique hotel — surrounded by a five-acre arboretum and botanical gardens— pays homage to both the University of Virginia’s and Charlottesville’s longstanding traditions; commitment to community; and creative, innovative and forward-thinking spirit. Owned by the Darden School Foundation, the hotel is Kimpton’s first destination on the campus of a university. “We have found kindred spirits with the team at the Foundation as well as the entire University of Virginia community at large,” said Kimpton CEO Mike DeFrino. “Kimpton is a brand
known for its constant pursuit to create meaningful human connections, and we know that’s been a pinnacle for the UVA and Darden communities since their founding. We have exciting things in store, and we’re eagerly counting down to next spring.” The project is made possible thanks to generous donors, including lead donor Frank M. Sands Sr. (MBA ’63), who provided seed money as part of his transformational gift to Darden in 2019 — the largest in School history. Principal founding sponsors of the hotel, arboretum and botanical gardens include Martina Hund-Mejean (MBA ’88), George Tahija (MBA ’86), Dick Crawford (MBA ’74), the Altec/ Styslinger Foundation, the Hugin Family, Steven C. Voorhees (MBA ’80) and Donald E. Morel Jr., Ph.D. (TEP ’97). Reservations will open up in the coming months. For event inquiries or information regarding group bookings, contact Home_Office_Sales@kimptonhotels.com. For information on making a gift to support the hotel, restaurants, arboretum and botanical gardens, please contact Samantha Hartog, interim vice president for Advancement, at hartogs@darden.virginia.edu.
SUMMER 2022
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