FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Kelli Norman  Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau  |  knorman@VisitVirginiaBeach.com |   757.385.4700

2013 brings new developments; a Quebec value rewards card and a longer timeframe for Canada Weeks, the annual savings program

(Virginia Beach, Va., Jan., 2013) – While the beautiful beaches, gorgeous boardwalk and miles of hiking trails will always be a part of Virginia Beach, this year, the city is abuzz with brand new developments that will make 2013 a perfect year for Quebecors to visit. From the new Virginia Beach Rewards to the return of Canada Weeks with a longer timeframe and new hotel openings, French Canadian guests to the East Coast resort city have plenty to look forward to. For information or images on travel in Virginia Beach please visit www.VisitVirginiaBeach.com or www.VisitVirginiaBeach.com/pressroom.

Summer Sizzles Longer in Virginia Beach During 2013 Canada Weeks:The annual summer savings program is back, but with a twist. The “Canada Weeks” program invites Canadian travelers to enjoy two extra nights free in Virginia Beach when they book a six-night stay at a participating hotel. This year, the timeframe kicks off two weeks earlier, on July 14, to encourage travel during Quebec's famed Construction Weeks. For a list of participating Virginia Beach hotels and other outfitters offering discounts, please visit www.visitvirginiabeach.com/visitors/international/canadaweeks.       

Virginia Beach Offers Quebecors a New Value Rewards Card – New for 2013, the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering Virginia Beach Rewards, a value rewards card for all Quebecors that gives various deals and discounts at over 50 area attractions, restaurants and hotels throughout the city during Canada Weeks. Upon receipt of the card, visitors will need to go to www.VisitezVirginiaBeach.com to register it and start receiving a list of discounts and value rewards. Examples include offers from Surf & Adventure Company and Chesapean Outdoors, two local outfitters that provide surfing, kayaking and paddleboarding tours and rentals, who are offering a “book one, get one 50% off” promotion as part of the program.                 

New Hotels Offer More Choices in Virginia Beach:With the beauty of a pristine coastal environment combined with new development districts, including new and renovated hotels, Virginia Beach offers Canadian visitors an experience unlike any other. Large-scale oceanfront developments estimated at more than $150 million are underway with the Laskin Road Gateway Plan. It includes the mixed-use project 31Ocean, which will add more than 130,000 square feet of Class A office space, boutique retail and upscale restaurants, as well as 178 luxury resort-lifestyle apartments. New restaurants set to open this spring include Chops Steak & Seafood, Fresh Farms Café, Buffalo Wild Wings and Victoria's La Dolce Vita European Bakery & Café, which will feature freshly baked goods and pastries, a wine-tasting area and fresh hand-brewed coffee.

Just a mere three blocks away at 34th Street and Atlantic Avenue, Phase Three of the Ocean Beach Club & Resort, the Oceanaire Resort Hotel, quietly opened for business in mid-summer of 2012 and is ready for an exciting inaugural season. The perfect blend of luxury and ultra modern facilities, it boasts high quality finishes and goods, well-appointed spacious suites with fully furnished kitchens, resort amenities such as a 10th floor Club Lounge with a beautiful oceanfront sun deck, the Ultra martini lounge and Aqua 21 Pool & Patio. In addition to these onsite amenities, the property is part of the Ocean Beach Club resort complex, so guests can use all of its amenities as well. 

Additionally, last spring, the Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel completed its multi-million dollar renovation. The hotel, located at the exclusive northern end of the Virginia Beach boardwalk, added innovative features and resort-style amenities to its already long list of indulgent accommodations. The renovated guest rooms include 25 Oceanfront suites - 10 studio suites and 15 one-bedroom suites - all featuring two flat-screen TVs, kitchenette and pull-out sofa bed and private balconies adjacent to every guestroom. Other hotel enhancements include the Sheraton Fitness® Programmed by Core Performance center, guest laundry facility, new outdoor pool plaza featuring the 60-seat Cabanas Bar and Grill outdoor café, newly renovated indoor pool, Kids Splash Zone and an indoor play-area with planned activities. With direct beach access, state-of-the-art guest rooms, list of new amenities and upscale dining, the new Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel is an excellent option when visiting the resort city.

Virginia Beach entices visitors to “Live the Life” every season of the year! Located in the southeastern corner of the state in the Coastal Virginia region, Virginia Beach is four hours southeast of D.C. by car and within a day's drive from Québec. For visitor information, call 1-800-VA-BEACH (800/822-3224) or visit the Web site www.VisitezVirginiaBeach.com for online trip planning. For media information and digital images, click on www.VisitVirginiaBeach.com/pressroom.

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