Local hotelier Sina Hospitality launches journey firm aimed toward area’s sports activities tourism market

Sina Hospitality has launched 804 Travel, which connects sports activities groups with resort lodging whereas they keep within the area to compete at native tournaments. Pictured is the resort operator’s Fairfield Inn & Suites at 5252 Airport Square Lane in Henrico. (BizSense file)

An area resort operator is making a play for a much bigger piece of the Richmond space’s sports activities tourism enterprise.

Sina Hospitality this week launched 804 Travel, which helps out-of-town youth sports activities groups coordinate native lodging when competing in tournaments within the area. The group works on behalf of the groups to seek out obtainable resort rooms and negotiate decreased room charges.

Behind 804 Travel is Ravi Patel, who can be CEO of Sina, which continues to function as a separate firm.

804 Travel is attempting to set itself aside from related competing corporations with a employees that has a background in resort operations, which Patel stated would make for a greater expertise for purchasers.

“We’re hotel people. We understand the urgency of travel and what you need,” he stated.

Ravi Patel

Patel stated that whereas 804 Travel would place sports activities vacationers at Sina properties, it might additionally funnel groups to native resorts run by different operators, owing to the demand for rooms generated by the area’s rising sports activities tourism sector.

“It’s such a big segment of the Richmond tourism market, you have to deal with everyone. If you don’t have the rooms, it’s not fair to the teams,” Patel stated.

He stated 804 Travel can be centered on tournaments taking place within the Richmond area.

Patel stated that 804 Travel was already in contact with services within the area to assist it get in entrance of its potential buyer base of touring youth sports activities groups.

“We’re working with different sports venues to get our client base up,” Patel stated.

Patel stated sports activities tourism occasions have been a notable driver of resort bookings at Sina properties over time, and the development impressed the launch of 804 Travel. The firm is gearing up amid current development within the Richmond area’s sports activities tourism services, together with a area enlargement undertaking at River City Sportsplex in Chesterfield accomplished in late 2024, in addition to the opening of the 185,000-square-foot Henrico Sports & Events venue in 2023.

While 804 Travel is a separate firm from Sina, 804 Travel has its workplaces at Sina’s headquarters in Henrico. 804 Travel has 5 workers, a few of whom are additionally Sina workers. 804 Travel is co-owned by Sina, however isn’t a subsidiary of the resort operator.

The launch of 804 Travel comes as Sina continues to broaden its footprint of three dozen resorts open or within the works throughout six states.

Construction is predicted to start out this fall on a 102-room Residence Inn at 5249 Commonwealth Centre Parkway within the Brandermill space of Chesterfield. Also this fall, a 96-room SpringHill Suites close to Richmond International Airport is slated to open.

Early subsequent yr, Sina plans to interrupt floor on a Residence Inn and a Fairfield Inn & Suites close to Westchester Commons.

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