The University of Virginia's new Virginia Guesthouse officially opened to guests and visitors on April 29, 2026. 

Positioned at the hinge between Central Grounds and North Grounds, Virginia Guesthouse was conceived as a hotel, conference center, visitor hub, and social commons gathered into one building. As an anchor of the Emmet-Ivy Corridor, it connects the historic academic Grounds to North Grounds, a major center of athletics and student life at UVA. More than a hotel, Virginia Guesthouse is designed as a welcoming gateway to the University for prospective students, faculty, alumni, conference guests, and the broader public.

Virginia Guesthouse offers 214 guestrooms and a broad mix of spaces for gathering, dining, and events. Three distinct food-and-beverage venues animate the building throughout the day: The Counter Café at the ground-floor lobby, Poplar for full-service dining, and The Perch, a rooftop terrace bar overlooking the University and the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond. With more than 22,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including two ballrooms and a 10,000-square-foot main ballroom, the building is designed to support events ranging from large conferences to smaller university and community gatherings. Hanbury served as Architect of Record, in collaboration with TenBerke as Design Architect and Interior Designer, and Dumont Janks as Landscape Architect.

"We focused on creating a place that acts as both a point of arrival and a connector within the Ivy Corridor; it's incredibly rewarding to see it operating that way from day one. Its spaces are designed to support exchange in a way that feels authentic to UVA and the surrounding Charlottesville community." - David Keith, CEO