A new 99-room hotel is coming to Ridgeway in Henry County with an expected construction finish in spring of 2028.
Shamin Hotels, the largest hotel owner and operator in Virginia, purchased two acres of land for $800,000 and will develop it into a Home2 Suites by Hilton, said Chetan Uka of Shamin Hotels.
The company announced that it will invest $20 million into the site, which will be on Old Sands Road. The plot of land is at the intersection of U.S. 58 bypass and U.S. 220 business. A ground breaking on the 63,000-square-foot hotel is set for December, Uka said.
“We’re just really excited,” Uka said. “I want to get this moving.”
The two acres were sold from a larger 145-acre tract in Ridgeway owned by Sheffield Estates, which has a tax assessed value of $1.8 million, according to the Henry County online real estate information.
Churchill Downs, the owner of Rosie’s, is also planning to purchase six acres of the property, which will be directly beside the hotel, said County Administrator Dale Wagoner. The Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved the special use permit Wednesday for Rosie’s to relocate to Ridgeway. Rosie’s Gaming Room has been located in the Dutch Inn in Collinsville since 2021.
The design and plans for the venue are being finalized, said Michael Kelly, an attorney and public relations representative with the gaming company. Shamin Hotels did not know about the Rosie’s relocation when they signed the purchase agreement last December, Uka said. He said he doesn’t expect the gaming room to draw people to stay at the hotel but is excited about more development in the area.
Wagoner said communication with Shamin Hotels and Rosie’s began about a year ago.
Shamin Hotels began looking at Henry County while developing hotels in Danville, Uka said. They met with local leaders, like members of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation and Wagoner. Uka said seeing the growth in the county prompted them to develop a hotel.
“We obviously had a call with Hilton, and they were like, ‘yes, 100%,’” Uka said.
Proximity to North Carolina and the Martinsville Speedway weren’t big factors in choosing the property in Ridgeway, Uka said. The biggest factor was the nearby Smith River Sports Complex, he said, and that’s one reason why they chose an extended stay hotel.
“It will open up opportunities at our sports complex that we currently do not have, with hosting larger, more nationally known tournaments,” Wagoner said.
It will also give visitors a place to stay when they travel in for race weekend or Rooster Walk, Wagoner said.
Martinsville and Henry County identified a need for additional lodging in the area through a market study conducted by HVS Consulting & Valuation.
It pointed out challenges, including a limited supply of hotel rooms, and an “inconsistent quality of existing lodging options and prior negative lodging experiences reported by event organizers and visitors,” according to the study.
Wagoner said the study “clearly demonstrated we needed additional higher end lodging in our community to meet growing demands for overnight accommodations.”
The study found that currently, visitors find lodging in Rocky Mount, Danville or North Carolina.
It recommended a 90-room midscale or upper-midscale, limited service hotel with a strong national brand affiliation and a suggested opening date of Jan. 1, 2028. The intersection of 58 and 220 was one of several locations the study suggested.
