Alexandria, Virginia, recognized in 2023 by Travel + Leisure among the Best Cities in the U.S. and voted a Condé Nast Traveler Top 3 Best Small City in the U.S., welcomes a new hotel for meetings and groups in Old Town, an influx of group dining, art and history attendee experiences at the waterfront and special programming to celebrate Alexandria’s 275th anniversary in 2024. Extend your business stay with the exciting expansion of Del Ray’s dining scene and the arrival of new spots to sip around town, plus retail openings that expand Alexandria’s local shop small scene from gifts to high-end fashion. Keep reading to learn about new Black history and archaeology exhibits, waterfront public art and more.
New Hotels Feature Distinctive Conference Spaces and More
Renderings Courtesy of Hotel Heron
In spring 2024, Aparium Hotel Group’s flagship adaptive-reuse development, Hotel Heron, is slated to open in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. Originally opened in 1926 as the George Mason Hotel, the 134-room property combines the iconic inn with an adjacent new building featuring a combined total of 7000 square feet of conference space designed for socializing, co-working and more. Other amenities including a hearth-inspired restaurant offering Mid-Atlantic cuisine, a cozy cocktail bar with the city’s first seasonal rooftop bar, a state-of-the-art fitness center and meeting spaces.
Image Courtesy of Hotel AKA Alexandria
Hotel AKA Alexandria brought a new wave of elegance to the Old Town North neighborhood in spring 2023. The property is world-renowned architect Piero Lissoni’s first U.S. hotel project and was awarded the 2023 “Best Domestic Hotel Transformation” by Interior Design, a global, industry-leading design magazine. In spring 2024, the hotel will expand its offerings with the opening of the kitchen and an expanded menu and enhanced dining experience, plus the opportunity to enjoy artisanal cocktails on the hotel terrace. Meeting and event space offerings will expand with a 3,000-square foot ballroom and two 600 square foot breakout rooms, collectively offering over 14,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.
In early 2024, various hotels in Old Town are expected to complete renovations, including an upgrade of the Virginia Ballroom (2,484 sq. ft.) at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Alexandria Old Town and a lobby, meeting space and guestroom renovation at the Hilton Garden Inn Alexandria Old Town National Harbor. Plus, the Westin Alexandria Old Town is expected to launch a re-brand of the restaurant in summer 2024.
Alexandria’s New Waterfront Group Activations
Riverside Dining, History and Art Experiences
In 2024, Alexandria’s waterfront continues to evolve with new experiences across group dining, history, arts and more, from Robinson Landing to Old Town North and beyond.
New interpretive signage along the two interconnecting routes of the self-guided African American Waterfront Heritage Trail was installed at the end of 2023. The 10 new historic interpretation signs and two new orientation signs permanently mark the contributions of African American people to Alexandria’s historic waterfront. The self-guided trail was developed as a volunteer community initiative with support from the Office of Historic Alexandria.
This spring, Alexandria Archaeology will debut a new temporary exhibit entitled “The Buried Ships of Robinson Landing” at the Robinson Landing gallery space. The exhibit will feature scale models of the three ships excavated there in 2018 and continue to expand the Alexandria Archaeology Museum’s “without walls” approach to educating visitors on archaeology in Alexandria.
Pictured: Interstellar Influencer (Make an Impact) rendering; Image Credit: STUDIOKCA
Coming this spring, Interstellar Influencer (Make an Impact) will be unveiled as the sixth annual temporary public art installation at Waterfront Park, on display until November 2024 as part of the City of Alexandria’s Site See: New Views in Old Town series. Created by Brooklyn-based, award-winning artist/architect duo Jason Klimoski and Lesley Chang of STUDIOKCA, the installation explores the impact of an asteroid that hit the earth 35 million years ago near what is now Alexandria. Interstellar Influencer uses metal, water and light to create a 1:1000 scale representation of the asteroid and the 85-kilometer wide, 1.5-kilometer-deep crater it left behind, that shaped the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed and the flow of water through its rivers and tributaries. STUDIOKCA hopes the “representation of the asteroid and its impact helps raise awareness of the fragility of our shared existence on this planet and the extraordinary (and sometime extraterrestrial) foundation of our modern cities and waterways.”
Alexandria’s 275th Anniversary
In 2024, the city will mark its 275th birthday with special events and programs celebrating the past and the diverse culture of Alexandria today. The majority of ALX275 activities will take place from April through mid-September, featuring signature events, special exhibits and more. The opening of waterfront public art installation Interstellar Influencer (Make an Impact) kicks off the 275th anniversary programming in the spring. Alexandria’s award-winning Port City Brewing Company will produce an original hoppy India Pale Ale called ALX275, brewed with 275 lbs. of hops, that will be served on draft at the Portside in Old Town Summer Festival in June, which features the ALX Jazz Fest, at Port City’s Tasting Room and Old Town Pub Crawl and at more special events from April through September. Also in September, the 275th anniversary festivities include events for the 10th anniversary of the Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial and the 50th anniversary of the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
New exhibits include Alexandria Archaeology’s “The Buried Ships of Robinson Landing” with scale models of the three excavated ships at a temporary new waterfront gallery space. The Alexandria Black History Museum’s Moss Kendrix exhibit will honor the nationally significant visionary who revolutionized how African Americans were depicted in the media in the mid-20th century. The special collection of artifacts will demonstrate how the D.C.-based advertising and public relations pioneer transformed the advertising industry, paving the way for the diversity of actors and models who today are featured throughout marketing creative. Meanwhile, Historic Alexandria’s oral history exhibition, “Mapping Alexandria: Stories of a Changing City,” is coming to The Lyceum in June. Interactive features of the exhibition include a story kiosk where the public can record and upload their own oral histories, an interactive map and more.
New Art and History Exhibits
Pictured: Angeline Oei; Photo Credit: Laura Hatcher Photography
Visitors can immerse themselves in new artistic and historical experiences in 2024. There is a new crop of artists at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, with 25 new creatives awarded studios since 2022. Among them, see sustainable couture clothing designs from Singaporean-born Angeline Oei, Anthony Nsofor’s paintings and photography speaking to Nigerian nationality and the Black experience, and Sierra Barnes’s comics and illustrations infused with Eastern and Central European mythology. Plus, the Art Center’s “Innovation & Creativity” collaboration with Virginia Tech continues through fall 2024 with free exhibitions at the Target Gallery exploring everything from Shakespearean poetry to invasive species and beyond.
Torpedo Factory’s offerings join 2024 waterfront installations including Interstellar Influencer (Make an Impact) and “The Buried Ships of Robinson Landing.” Meanwhile, Gonzaga High School’s groundbreaking research on slavery, “Searching for Truth in the Garden,” finds a new temporary home at the Freedom House Museum. On view through April 15, 2024, this traveling exhibition explores the life of Gabriel, a teenager enslaved at Washington Seminary (now Gonzaga) in 1829. Gabriel’s story offers a poignant lens through which to examine the complexities of slavery and its lasting impact.
New Group Restaurant & Unique Spaces
Waterfront:
Pictured: Cooper Mill (Image Credit: Sanchez/Palmer Architects); Jula’s on the Potomac
This year, one of the city’s last remaining historic waterfront warehouses (6,400 sq. ft.) will transform into a new upscale market and relaxed tavern space on the first floor, with a private event space on the second floor hosting up to 120 people. Located in Robinson Landing, Cooper Mill gets its name as a nod to the former mill on the site which fabricated barrels for the Alexandria Flour Company. Cooper Mill joins Jula’s on the Potomac’s 7,500 sq. ft. summer 2023 expansion, with a capacity of 300 for standing events and 125 seated, as the latest additions to the Alexandria waterfront dining scene.
Pictured: Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center
Head to the floating visitor experience on Alexandria’s waterfront to explore the tall ship Providence for your next private reception with turnkey options at the full-scale reproduction of the first ship commissioned to the Continental Navy. An attendee immersive experience where you can offer attendees to take on the role of a sailor under the command of the legendary Captain John Paul Jones. During the immersive one-hour dockside tour at the new Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center, groups can host their reception for up to 120 guests. For more intimate teambuilding experiences or event outings, groups can host a private chartered on an all-inclusive sail up to 40 people.
Dine Like a Local in Del Ray After Your Conference
Pictured: Zuki Moon; Image Credit: Costa Dino Photography
Del Ray is home to new dining destinations galore. Beginning in spring 2024, Le Petit Ananas will serve up shaved ice treats from a trailer beside Bagel Uprising, the perfect way to end a meal at one of the neighborhood’s newest eateries. In June 2023, Hi/Fi Tex-Mex BBQ debuted in beloved Del Ray eatery Evening Star Café’s backyard, featuring menu items such as brisket-stuffed corn tortilla tacos and meaty platters decked out with pickled peppers and smoked crema. Then, Zuki Moon opened in fall 2023 with an Asian fusion menu intertwining Japanese and Filipino flavors to savor during live DJ performances on the weekends. Also in fall 2023, Jet’s Pizza brought its sizzling Detroit-style slices to E. Glebe Road, at the edge of Del Ray and Arlandria. Just around the corner, Orkney Springs Distillery opened in December with a tasting room proffering vodka and gin.
Boutique Reception and Off-Site Venues
No matter your type of event, be it teambuilding, after-hours networking or a welcome reception, Alexandria’s new openings have your event covered. Wine-wise, recently opened Negus Winery and Meadery, located off Van Dorn Street, specializes in renditions of Ethiopian tej, honey wine, based on a recipe from owner Gize Negussie’s mother. It’s thought to be the first tej tasting room in the U.S. Beer buffs can look forward to the 2024 opening of D.C.-based Atlas Brew Works in Carlyle Crossing, with a brewery, taproom running on sustainable energy, plus food from award-winning Andy’s Pizza. Nearby, Mieza Blendery opened to beer aficionados (and their furry friends) in summer 2023 with a tasting room featuring draft pours and bottles to go while Orkney Springs Distillery’s new Del Ray outpost offers vodka and gin tastings by reservation.
Pictured: Negus Winery and Meadery (Image Credit: Redeat Hable); Casa Luna
In 2024, the team behind MacMillan Whisky Room in the Mosaic District is opening a new concept with expanded offerings and live music in Old Town North, MacMillan Spirit House a 100 seat restaurant and bar. In the meantime, the cocktail-inclined should head below Kisso Asian Bistro to Casa Luna, exuding subterranean speakeasy vibes with creative handcrafted cocktails paired with sophisticated bar bites. Or visit wonderland with a trip to Alice’s Cocktail Bar above Thai Signature.
Sweet Ways to Explore Alexandria
Getting out of bed just got a bit more appealing with these new coffee shops and sweet spots. Boston-based Tatte Bakery & Café, with popular locations throughout the D.C. region brings its breakfast sandwiches, gluten-free goods and airy vibe to King Street in January 2024. Plus, coming late summer 2024, brunch lovers can head to a new Founding Farmers location at the Potomac Yard Oakville Triangle development.
Image Credits: The Greenery by TLC; The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar
PIES Fitness Yoga Studio owner Marsha D. Banks-Harold and her family will soon open Connect & Sip Café adjacent to the studio to further cultivate community. Post-workout diners and passersby alike can enjoy coffee, tea, small plates, pastries and CBD products. Meanwhile, fans of sugar-dusted fried dough will delight in the upcoming opening of Ben’Yays on upper King Street, while boba tea aficionados can look forward to Bloom Tea, also serving Vietnamese coffee, coming to South Old Town. On Queen Street, The Greenery is a sustainable coffeehouse offering chef-crafted, plant-based specialty drinks, fresh coffee, teas and refreshments. Craving a sweet coda to the day? Share an over-the-top milkshake at The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar on King Street. And coming soon, Madame Coco’s: The Enchanted Emporium on the 100 block of St. Asaph is a whimsical chocolate lounge and retail store that will have ice cream in unique flavors along with private events opportunities.
Shop to Impress for Your Next Conference
Alexandria’s shopping scene expands in spring 2024 with the opening of Crème de la Crème, a King Street boutique offering high-end tableware and home goods inspired by French and Italian living. Plus, look out for a new concept from American In Paris this spring, centered around globally curated apparel from independent designers, a private label collection and more.
Recent openings in 2023 have broadened Old Town’s shopping offerings from children’s toys to upscale fashion. Local boutique owner Amy Rutherford opened her third Old Town shop, Pippin Toy Co., a magical oasis for kids, just in time for the 2023 holiday season. In July 2023, the Genius Genus became a new houseplant haven on Prince Street. Nearby, upscale New York City-based boutique Frances Valentine opened in May 2023 featuring fashionable finds inspired by co-founders and best friends Elyce Arons and Kate Spade.
Insider Tip: For the best insider event options and experiences in Alexandria, reach out to the Visit Alexandria team or submit your RFP request here.
