Sotherly Hotels Inc. has completed its $10 million renovation of Hotel Ballast, formerly the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, at 301 N. Water St. in downtown Wilmington. The company is celebrating a grand unveiling this week of the landmark property's refreshed interior and exterior and rebranding, which were announced last year. “We are excited to complete thi ...

Fort Fisher State Historic Site took bronze in a recent survey of most-visited North Carolina attractions, but another label gives it the gold. With 871,676 visitors in 2017, the tourist destination is No. 1 when it comes to the state’s historic sites, according to N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources officials. Drawing nearly 42,000 more visitors las ...

Officials with the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher said it hosted 484,118 visitors in 2017, a number originally underreported in a survey of the state’s most-visited attractions by Carolina Publishing and Associates. What’s more, the accurate number marks the Kure Beach attraction’s highest attendance in 41 years. As for the recent annual survey, half of ...

It’s no secret now that craft beer is big business. And as the number of local breweries continues to grow, they’re impacting the area economy in more ways than one. From eight breweries opening since 2014 to today’s 15 breweries in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties, there’s no sign of slowing. In fact, five more breweries are slated to ...

The N.C. Azalea Festival, Cucalorus Festival, Wilmington Boat Show and the Wrightsville Beach Marathon Madness Weekend all bring different forms of entertainment to the region. But the leaders of these large events, which take place in Wilmington each year, cited some of the same needs to grow in the community, including more venues, long-term sustainability and mo ...

Michael Braxton's new bicycle rental business in downtown Wilmington grew from his other business: event and wedding planning. Braxton recently opened The Spoke and Wheel in Chandler's Wharf at 225 Water St., in a space that also has room for an office for his wedding and event firm, L'evenement Epique, which means "epic event" in French.  ...

Three Wilmington hospitality businesses received 2018 AAA Four Diamond distinctions, announced AAA Carolinas. What’s more, the establishments are no strangers to the coveted distinction.   All located in downtown Wilmington, they are the Graystone Inn, 100 S. Third St., receiving the rating 19 consecutive years; The Verandas Bed & Breakfast Inn, 202 Nun St ...

The Leland Tourism Development Authority recently completed its strategic plan for the 2018 calendar year, setting the path for its restructured department to move forward with new initiatives for attracting visitors. The strategic plan was approved at the authority's board meeting this month, said Jackie Harlow tourism and marketing coordinator for the town of Lela ...

Wilmington outpaced Raleigh in Airbnb host income and guest arrivals in 2017, according to a statewide review released by the hospitality company Tuesday. Overall, residents of North Carolina made $96.8 million last year by sharing their homes with visitors via Airbnb, the release stated. That's a nearly $46 million increase over 2016. With $3.9 million in host i ...

Airbnb hosts earned $7.5 million in New Hanover County in 2017 and nearly $11 million total in the tri-county region, according to numbers provided recently by the San Francisco-based hospitality company. Also in New Hanover, which includes the seaside towns of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach along with the city of Wilmington, there were 56,200 guest a ...