Convention Center Campus Expands
Raleigh's convention center campus just got bigger and better. The Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown (pictured below), a 175-room, all-suite hotel, opened in early July. The new downtown Raleigh property features a second-floor restaurant, a rooftop bar and lounge, and has a total 2,500 square feet of meeting space. The convention center campus now boasts 928 total rooms within just steps of the Raleigh Convention Center (RCC).
RDU International Airport Hits 50 Total Nonstop Destinations
With two new cities and four new nonstop routes, RDU International Airport will soon serve 50 nonstop destinations, thanks to a recent announcement from Frontier Airlines. The airline will begin serving two new destinations—Kansas City and Providence, beginning Spring 2018—as well as launching new flights from Austin and Cincinnati beginning Oct. 5. RDU served a record number of passengers in 2016 with more than 11 million travelers passing through the airport, a 10.4-percent increase over 2015, and was recently named the "best connected medium sized airport" in the country by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Praise from the Press
Positive press coverage in national lifestyle and meetings-focused publications continues to roll in. Food & Wine profiled local chef, musician and passionate mind Cheetie Kumar in the piece, "Cheetie Kumar Is a Rock Star Chef, Literally." Co-owner and chef at the eclectic, pan-Asian hotspot Garland in downtown Raleigh, Food & Wine describes Kumar as "magnetizing and full of energy" as they highlight how she manages a dual career as a chef and musician. In a separate piece, Vogue highlighted both Kumar and chef Ashley Christensen (of Poole's Diner, Death & Taxes and more) in "Top Female Chefs Reveal Their Best Summer Grilling Tips." Food & Wine also put the spotlight on Niall Hanley's Raleigh Beer Garden, writing that the "airy, three-story space drenched in greenery...offers more beers on tap than any other place in the world, by a long shot."