Greater Wilmington

DELAWARE

The Riverfront of Wilmington, DE; photo credit: Leslie Kipp; courtesy: Greater Wilmington, DE CVB

GREATER WILMINGTON, DE

www.VisitWilmingtonDE.com

OVERVIEW:

Greater Wilmington Delaware caters to a lot of different interests. Great shopping, hip arts and entertainment to grand estates and gardens such as Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library; Hagley Museum; Nemours; and Mt. Cuba Center, named America’s Best Botanical Garden in USA Today’s 2020 Reader’s Choice Awards. The area’s rich history is another strong point, and a visit to historic New Castle makes for a nice side trip for meeting goers.

Area hotels tend to be smaller, and that has always been an attractive feature for those looking to buyout an entire space. This has become an even greater incentive in the age of COVID-19. Similarly, many outdoor spaces appeal to those who want to escape the crowds of larger cities and take in some fresh air during meeting down times.

Le Cavalier at HOTEL DU PONT in Wilmington, DE; photo courtesy: Le Cavalier

“I can’t fail to mention the impact President Joe Biden has had on our area,” explained Jessica Bittman, director of sales for the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Wilmington is his home city. We’ve seen a significant increase in interest in our destination all around since the election.”

WHAT’S NEW:

PM Hotel Group and The Buccini/Pollin Group, Inc. introduced a new concept to Wilmington’s storied HOTEL DU PONT in spring of 2020, a progressive, French brasserie helmed by Chef-Partner Tyler Akin, a Wilmington native and the acclaimed restaurateur behind Philadelphia concepts Stock and Res Ipsa Cafe.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch seven days a week, 365 days a year. Its cuisine pulls influences from Provence and North Africa along with nods to cherished Green Room classics, all served up in an approachable atmosphere that is at once contemporary and nostalgic. The restaurant, designed by Stokes Architecture & Design, boasts 125 seats with an intimate 14 seat bar, a private dining room and seasonal outdoor patio seating on Rodney Square.

For the project, The Buccini/Pollin Group has partnered with Christina River Exchange, LLC, a full-service FF&E procurement company based in Wilmington that serves the hospitality industry nationwide.

HOTEL DU PONT took the honors for “Best Historic Restaurant” from Historic Hotels of America for 2020. No small feat, given the hotel opened Le Cavalier at the Green Room in the midst of the pandemic. A Four-Diamond rated hotel, it also is home to 25,000-square feet of meeting and conference space, including its iconic Gold Ballroom; and 217 guest rooms and suites. Other additions to the hotel included DE.CO, a gourmet food court, and Currie Salon and Spa, a full-service day spa recognized by numerous trade and beauty magazines as one of the best. “The hotel and Le Cavalier have developed a series of leisure packages featuring dining options from a food and drink credit to a full, in-suite private dining experience for 2-10 persons,” noted Greg Kavanagh, managing director of the HOTEL DU PONT. “There are additional private dining venues within the hotel that include menu and service from Le Cavalier.”

Flexibility is the key, he noted. “Rebuilding the services that have been reduced during the past year takes careful planning, and the team at HOTEL DU PONT is ready to earn the confidence of loyal return clients, as well as new guests who may be coming to Wilmington.”

The Wilmington Riverfront continues to expand its offerings, as well. In addition to two new hotels that opened in 2019, the European-style Riverfront Bakery and the Juice Joint juice bar opened in 2020.

Across the river is the new 76ers Fieldhouse, an exciting addition for the sports scene. This 161,000-square

foot facility features three full-size NBA regulated basketball courts, seating capacity for up to 2,500 people, and both indoor and outdoor turf fields.

The newly renovated Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware is located on the northern portion of the university’s campus, just minutes from Newark’s Main Street, and its meeting space is fully equipped with the latest technology. The hotel just recently completed a full renovation and updated all of its guest rooms, meeting spaces, and public areas. A full and creative banquet menu can be tailored to suit a wide variety of needs, including “Best of Delaware” crab cakes that remain as a signature item.

In addition to this renovation, the Courtyard Newark also has implemented CDC, Marriott, and State of Delaware protocols for the safety of its guests and staff. “We worked directly with the State to create the operations plans for safe hotel, dining, and meeting operations - not just in our hotel, but for the entire state,” noted William A. Sullivan, CHTP+, MS, CHIA, CHE, managing director and faculty UD Hospitality Business Management for Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware. “Remote meetings using our excellent Internet service also have enabled us to serve our guests.”

“With the COVID-19 vaccine being more widely available, and changes in the state of Delaware protocols for meetings capacity, we are looking forward to seeing more events and meetings in the coming months,” added Sullivan. “We remain focused on guest and staff safety, great food and service, and the return of our loyal and new customers.”

THINGS TO DO

Offering interactive outdoor art, neverbefore-seen and exclusive to the state, the Delaware Discoveries Trail is adding its 10th and newest mural to the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. This art-focused trail was launched in September 2020 by Delaware’s Tourism Office with the goal of creating Insta-worthy moments with interactive street art painted by Delaware artists to highlight and bring attention to the great destinations found throughout the state. The immersive art adds even more brightness to an already vibrant scene at Riverfront Wilmington, joining the colorful Delaware Children’s Museum’s mural that was designed and painted by Terrance Vann, another artist who hails from the state in celebration of recent historic moments with Delaware-centric balloons adorning the recently nationally spotlighted Chase Center, the location of President-Elect Joe Biden’s acceptance speech in November.

While exploring these unique locations in search of the perfect photo for their Instagram feeds, travelers can submit four #DelawareDiscoveries of the artwork at DelawareDiscoveries.com for a chance to receive a limited-edition prize.

COMMUNITY

“I have been here as a support person for our hotels and the meetings and conventions community overall,” stated Bittman. “I regularly check in with my network and have been there to empathize when they’ve had to lay off team members or, in worse cases, close. I’ve also been working hard to keep up with the near constant