WILLIAMSBURG, Va., July 22, 2011 – Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va. will embark on a long-term expansion and upgrade of its facilities beginning this fall.

The first projects to be undertaken include construction of a two-story restaurant at the marina, a luxurious family-oriented swimming pool complex where the current Bray Links par-3 golf course exists and redesign of the current fitness center and swimming pool. These projects are scheduled to be completed by May 2012.

The resort will add a 210-room hotel building featuring a new golf pro shop, conference space, restaurant, lounge and wedding venue. The new building will sit to the south of and on the site of the current Eagles restaurant and lounge as well as the golf pro shop. Timing for the new hotel has not been finalized. Various other upgrades such as a new entrance and walkways throughout the resort are also planned.

Kingsmill’s multi-million-dollar master plan has been designed to complement the great facilities that already exist at the resort, while capitalizing on its convenient and scenic location along the beautiful James River. Already one of the best resorts along the east coast, the planned improvements will raise Kingsmill’s profile yet again for business, meeting and leisure travelers.

"This plan has something for all of our guests, whether they are on business, enjoying a family vacation, getting married or having a golf getaway,” said Gordon Taylor, vice president of Kingsmill Resort operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts. “Our new pool facilities will have the bells and whistles that keep kids happily entertained, while the new hotel and conference facilities will make doing business at Kingsmill more seamless than ever before. Kingsmill hosts dozens of weddings every year, and now our couples will have even more choices for staging the wedding of their dreams. And golfers will certainly like the new pro shop and restaurant.”

Kingsmill has applied for a variety of county permits and has scheduled several meetings with area residents and homeowners associations to share its “master plan” for resort upgrades and development of real estate within the Kingsmill community. The first meeting was held Thursday, July 21, 2011.
Several parcels of land are already zoned and under consideration for development, added Taylor. Timing has not been determined for such development.

Artists’ renderings and other graphic displays providing more details of the projects will be on display in the Kingsmill Resort lobby beginning the last week of July.

Kingsmill Resort’s condominium-style accommodations are especially suited for meeting attendees, couples, traveling families, etc., and can be customized to suit guests’ individual  needs. Guests  can book one- , two- or three-bedroom condominiums with full kitchens and patios or decks, among other amenities.

The resort offers a variety of recreational offerings including organized children’s activities, three 18-hole championship 18-hole golf courses and a nine-hole par-3 course, 15 tennis courts, a marina with boat rentals, a fishing pond, hiking and jogging trails, full-service spa, game room and exercise facility. Kingsmill is consistently rated among the best golf resorts in Virginia, and has hosted 29 PGA and LPGA sanctioned golf tournaments over the past several decades.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of several affiliated Xanterra entities) operates lodges, restaurants, tours and activities at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country’s largest park concessioner. Xanterra Parks & Resorts has operations in the following locations: Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Zion, Crater Lake, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Furnace Creek Resort in Death Valley National Park, Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va. and eight Ohio State Park Lodges as well as the Geneva Marina at Ohio’s Geneva State Park. Xanterra Parks & Resorts also operates Windstar Cruises as well as Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts has been committed to the preservation and protection of the environment for many years. Through its environmental program, “Ecologix,” Xanterra Parks & Resorts has been recognized repeatedly for environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association of America, American Hotel and Lodging Association, National Parks Conservation Association, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

For more information about Xanterra Parks & Resorts, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit www.xanterra.com.