VRLTA held its 2026 Ordinary Awards on Tuesday, September 15 at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump. The association reported a sold-out room.
Eric Terry, president of VRLTA, said nominations reached a record number this year. The evening opened with the return of the Stars of the Industry Reception, which honours every finalist ahead of the main reception and the awards show.
What the register carries for lodging operators
VRLTA publishes a statewide study of local meals taxes, transient occupancy taxes, effective sales taxes and bed taxes. The study draws on tax data from all 133 defined localities in Virginia. The association states the purpose as transparency for policymakers, operators and consumers.
The licence test behind Legislator of the Year
Senator Elizabeth Bennett-Parker took Legislator of the Year. She represents Senate District 39, which includes the City of Alexandria and portions of Arlington and Fairfax counties.
She worked with VRLTA on HB 975, the reform of the Mixed Beverage Annual Review Ratio. She served as the bill's chief patron in the House of Delegates during the 2026 General Assembly session.
The previous test required many mixed-beverage licensees to generate at least 45 percent of applicable sales from food and nonalcoholic beverages. HB 975 replaced that test with a tiered framework based on monthly food sales and extended relief to certain smaller restaurants.
The lodging winners
Liberty Trust Hotel in Roanoke took Lodging Property of the Year. Leidy Stinson of the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa took Lodging Manager of the Year. Sean Hackney of the Omni Hotel Richmond took Lodging Employee of the Year. Ravi Patel of SINA Hospitality took Hotelier of the Year.
AC Hotel Arlington National Landing won New Lodging Property of the Year. The 2026 programme created that category and New Restaurant of the Year for businesses that began operating in 2025 or later. VRLTA opened the selection of those two categories to a public vote for the first time in the programme's history. The vote ran through Sunday, August 16.
The lifetime award and the second announcement
Mark Yardis, vice president of operations at Shamin Hotels, took the Golden Pineapple Lifetime Achievement Award. VRLTA announced that award and the legislator award on August 31, two weeks before the ceremony.
Yardis came to Virginia in 1987 as hotel manager of the Omni Richmond. He later served as its general manager and held a regional operations role at Procaccianti. He joined Shamin Hotels in 2007.
The rest of the register
Restaurant of the Year went to Ada's on the River in Alexandria. The Jim Wordsworth Award for Restaurateur of the Year went to Mark Litz of Massanutten Resort. Victoria Cosner of Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards took Chef of the Year, Eric Emerson of Chix on the Beach took Restaurant Manager of the Year, Shawn Taitano of Catch 31 Fish House & Bar took Restaurant Employee of the Year, and Sara Albert of Ocean Eddies Seafood Restaurant took Bartender of the Year.
The remaining awards covered attractions, breweries, wineries, distilleries and campgrounds. Winter Wander at Boar's Head Resort took Attraction of the Year, Southern Revere Cellars took Brewery of the Year, Wolf Gap Vineyard took Winery of the Year, Belmont Farm Distillery took Distillery of the Year and Small Country Campground took Campground of the Year. Agriberry Farm & CSA took Supplier of the Year.
Dover Hall took the Hospitality Hero award for a business. John Zirkle Jr of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association took the individual award. Cora Gnegy of Giles County Tourism took the DMO/CVB employee award. Taylor Borden of Virginia State University took the hospitality student award, Scott Horne of Isle of Wight County Schools took the ProStart teacher award and Gary Cohen of Glory Days Grill took the President's Award.
The sponsors and the award's name
Sponsors included Virginia Tourism Corporation, Richmond Region Tourism, Visit Fairfax, Visit Virginia Beach and Culpeper Tourism & Economic Development. The supplier list carries Ecolab, Sysco, Performance Food Group, Keany Produce and Global Payments. Hotel groups on the list include Shamin Hotels, SMI Hotel Group, Harmony Hospitality and Danville Hotel Collection.
The award takes its name from Chinn's Ordinary, built around 1728 at Chinn's Crossroads, now Middleburg. The building has operated as the Red Fox Inn & Tavern since 1937.
Two counts the register does not settle
The winners release carries no revenue, occupancy or average rate figure for any recipient. The winners list names 27 awards. VRLTA's finalists post of July 27, 2026 describes the programme as 26 individual and organizational awards across four primary categories.