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Did You Know?

  • The Jefferson Hotel was supposed to open on November 1, 1895, but at the last minute it was realized that November 1 was a Friday, and it was considered bad luck to start anything on a Friday. So the hotel was opened on Halloween instead.

  • From the time the hotel opened until 1937, rooms were just $1.50 per night.  A room with a private bath was $1 more per night.

  • The Thanksgiving Day Dinner at the hotel in 1949 cost $2.50.

  • When Elvis stayed at the hotel in 1956, he brought his own television and the hotel manager was shocked that Elvis ate his bacon with his fingers.

  • In the mid 1950s, the hotel had a pink limousine to drive guests throughout the city.

  • The Jefferson has been in several movies including My Dinner with Andre (1981), First Kid (1996), HBO's Ironed Jawed Angels (2004), The American President (1995) and the recently discovered Rock and Roll Hotel (early 1980's).

  • Alligators once resided in marble pools in the Palm Court Lobby.  Richmonders would vacation in Florida and bring the baby alligators home as pets.  As they outgrew sinks and bathtubs, residents would bring them to live at The Jefferson.  Tour the hotel’s public area and see how many alligators you can find today!

  • Twelve US Presidents, including Harrison, McKinley, Wilson, Coolidge, Taft, both Roosevelts (Theodore and Franklin Delano), Truman and Reagan, both Bushes (George H. W. and George W.) and Obama have been guests at The Jefferson Hotel.

  • Legend says that Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was discovered by his life-long agent while dancing across the dining room at The Jefferson Hotel. 

  • Frank Sinatra once entertained guests in Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel with an impromptu performance after enjoying his dinner.

  • Artifacts from over a century of the hotel’s history are housed in a museum at the bottom of The Grand Staircase, including a photo of Elvis at the hotel's old lunch counter.

  • The priceless statue of Thomas Jefferson that stands watch over the Palm Court lobby has only left his post on one occasion.  In the 1902 hotel fire, he was rescued from the building only to have his head bumped on the cobblestones.  He took a brief vacation to Edward Valentine’s art studio where his head was reattached.

  • The Grand Staircase at The Jefferson Hotel has long been rumored to be the staircase featured in the iconic film, Gone with the Wind.

  • The Jefferson Hotel is often cited as one of the finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture still in existence today.

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Services

Convention Services
The Jefferson's Convention Services staff is prepared to assist you with every aspect of your event, from the details of your program as they will be performed within the hotel to off-site requirements. In order to further assist you with your group, our convention services staff will also serve as your destination management professional. They will be your local authority on all of the services and activities available to our group guests.

Destination Management Services

  • Team building programs
  • Theme parties
  • Tour planning, transportation and tickets
  • Sporting events - golf, baseball, hockey, fishing, whitewater rafting 
  • Ground transportation and "meet and greet" services
  • Photography
  • Entertainment
  • Dine-around
  • Scavenger hunts
  • Spouse programs
  • Area attraction brochures
  • Hotel promotional items
  • Gifts and delivery services
  • Site visits

The Business Center
The Business Center, located in President's Hall, maintains an extensive inventory of office supplies and offers service to all Hotel guests including, typing, shredding, photocopying, laser printing, notary services, packing and shipping, and facsimile services, Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.  After hours services and assistance may be obtained at the front desk.
Rental equipment, for meetings, or for private use in a guest room may be arranged through the Business Center. Equipment available includes Polycom sound stations, laser printers, fax machines, paper shredders and laptops. Items may be rented by the hour or for the day.

Adjacent to the Business Center are Computer Workstations, which are accessible 24 hours a day with a guestroom key. Each workstation includes a Dell computer and black and white printer. High-speed Internet service is available on each computer, plus a wired high-speed connection for laptops. The programs available at the Workstation include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint. This is a complimentary service to all of our overnight hotel guests.

PrintMe.com, a system that offers accessibility through the Internet via the web and email, is available for remote document printing.  Guests can send to the PrintMe-enabled printer from the road, their room, or from anywhere they have Internet access. Documents are secure from the time they are uploaded until the guest prints them.

Additional computer workstations and an ATM are available in the Palm Court lobby and may be also accessed 24 hours per day with a guestroom key.

Wireless High-Speed Internet Access
The Jefferson is pleased to offer wireless high-speed internet access throughout the hotel. This is a complimentary service in the guestrooms and public spaces. This service may be purchased in the meeting rooms for a nominal charge. Please contact your Convention Services Manager for a quote.

Wireless cards may be borrowed from the Front Desk. An $80.00 refundable deposit will apply. For those guests not traveling with a laptop, high-speed internet access is available through our Business Center. A per quarter-hour charge will apply with the first ½-hour complimentary.

Audio Visual
Swank Audio Visuals (www.swankav.com) is the in-house vendor and their experienced staff and competitive pricing make them the best choice for your audio visual needs. In-house personnel are available 24 hours a day to assist you.

Small group items like projectors and flipcharts are available, as well as supplemental speakers and fast fold screens for a larger gathering. All can be quickly provided with a phone call or pre-arranged with your Convention Services Manager. The Jefferson audiovisual staff can also provide show services for any size corporate or social event or can help plan and produce your multimedia, video or live presentation.

Click here for list of Audio Visual Services.

Executive Coach Transportation
The Jefferson Hotel offers a luxury motor coach that may be reserved for your group transportation needs. The coach offers mid-high leather seating for twenty-five passengers. A TV/VCR and AM/FM radio with a PA system are available during your tours or travel around the Richmond area.

Food and beverage service may be arranged for your group. Morning pastries, afternoon cookies or reception fare may be selected from our banquet menus.

Arrangements for the use of the luxury coach may be made in advance with your Convention Services Manager. A non-refundable deposit or prepayment is required with the reservation.

Blooms at The Jefferson
Allow Blooms at The Jefferson to assist with all of your floral needs.  Whether sending an arrangement to a VIP guest or selecting centerpieces, designer Rick Lunsford can assist you with creative, extraordinary floral presentations.  Mr. Lunsford’s designs have been featured in Southern Accents magazine, numerous regional publications and in several major motion pictures. Your Convention Services Manager can assist you with your order.

Green Meetings
The Jefferson Hotel is proud to be certified as a Virginia Green Lodging hotel.  Our hotel staff works diligently to conserve water and energy on a daily basis and follows an aggressive recycling and resource conservation program.  Our meetings are serviced with china, glass, silver and cloth napkins to minimize waste and our Convention Services staff can assist with other conservation efforts for your meeting at your request.