Roanoke, Virginia, USA

Roanoke, in Southern Virginia was described as a "typical Southern town" to me by Lisa, who knows these sorts of things; her brother is the general manager at the Hotel Roanoke; we visited as part of a "Whistle Stop" family tour ...

Street Scene, Roanoke

Placing pictures of the hotel we stayed in at the top of a page on this site is a bit unusual - I normally talk about the place first. But in the case of Roanoke, the two are intertwined.

Hotel Roanoke

The hotel was built in 1882 by the Norfolk and Western Railroad, whose "hub" is less than 100 yards from the building, and over the years it grew from 34 rooms to more than 10 times that size. In 1989, the railroad donated it to Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI), and it was re-opened in 1995 after a total refurbishment and the addition of a conference centre; it's now a fabulous luxury hotel with the decor of the 19th century, but with the comforts of the 21st.

Hotel Roanoke

High on the hill above Roanoake is the Roanoke star which can be seen for miles.

Roanoke Star

As well as the older buildings, there's much new in Roanoke - both in the city centre and outskirts.

Wachovia, Roanoke

No matter where in the world we are, we always keep in touch with the Wellhouse Consultants office in Melksham.

Roanoke - working in hotel room

Both Ethernet and Wireless networking was available in the room; a good fast connection too. I'm told that at the time of writing, the Hotel Roanoke is the only one in the area with both forms of networking throughout. Phil - we love your place!