The Hotel Roanoke is an iconic location in the Roanoke/Blacksburg region. Once a railroad hotel, it…read moreis now owned by Virginia Tech and operated by Hilton. The build is amazing. The structure has a Tudor facade and inside you find lots of wood finished panels, all having the luring you into reenactment of HG Wells Time Machine or a Stephen King The Shining. The hotel is connected to a very nice conference center, which I will discuss in a separate review, it also gets five stars. During the Pandemic, the hotel took the opportunity make renovations. I'm not particularly happy about what they did to The Pine Room, but the rest of the renovations seem positive. I find the beds at the HR a bit stiff for my old back, so if you're a soft mattress person you won't want to make long stays here. But a few nights I can deal, because the positives out weigh the need for a little extra sleep. Positives: downtown location makes easy and safe walking to the local bars, restaurants and museums. Really unique architecture makes the stay an experience. Fantastic staff are always there and pleasant! Negatives: train wheels through at 5 in the morning (they really should grease this axles) and the beds are hard.

Located in the parking lot of the hotel, this marker is easily accessible and there is some limited…read morestreet parking. It reads, "The Hotel Roanoke was built in 1892 by the Norfolk and Western Railroad. Over the next century, despite fire and depression, it became the city's social center. The Tudor Revival building became a beloved landmark for thousands of visitors. Its original 34 rooms had grown to 384 rooms when, in 1989, the N&W donated it to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. After a major renovation and the addition of a conference center, it reopened in 1995. The Hotel Roanoke was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1995 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1996." The hotel is currently owned by Virginia Tech and operated under the Curio Collection by Hilton brand. It is a stunning property and a significant piece of Roanoke history. This business (I'm talking to you, Yelp!) SHOULD REMAIN separate from the hotel itself. [Review 13778 overall, 1099 of 2020, number 1213 in Virginia.]

This, the main branch of the United States Post Office in the city of Roanoke, Virginia is my…read morefavorite of them all. For it's a clear example of the efficiency and excellent customer service, that throughout the years have distinguished our postal service and its dedicated employees. Even though they have had to confront competition along the way, it has only served to make it even better. For competition is the American way, where everyone benefits from it along the way. On the year 2025, the United States Postal Service (USPS) celebrated its 250th anniversary. This postal system was officially established by the Second Continental Congress on July 26, 1775, with Benjamin Franklin appointed as its first Postmaster General. It was founded to bind the nation together and facilitate secure and accessible communication among all communities. Its original intent was to ensure the inexpensive distribution of printed material to educate a democratic electorate. After the arrival of the computer, the internet, and the email, and with all the competition of private companies such as UPS and FedEx, the USPS went through some hardships. But they have remained in the hearts of every single person in our communities. We admire and look forward to the daily arrival of our mailcarier. To going to the Post Office to mail a letter or pick up a package. We enjoy buying and collecting stamps. We appreciate and respect the service that the U.S. Postal Service employees do for us. I invite you to visit their 250 Anniversary website USPS.com/250 and read the two books that they put out last year to celebrate the occasion: "Delivering for America: How the United States Postal Service Built a Nation," and the special 250th anniversary edition of "The United States Postal Service: An American History." And also, I invite you to watch my favorite movie that I watch every year around this Holiday Season: "Miracle on 34th Street." Today, I visited this post office to purchase some Forever stamps. I enjoy walking into their building and always finding it clean and filled with posters and flyers containing useful information. I enjoy taking a peak at their small little museum as you enter the building. As a contrast to this they have right in front of it, a Self-Service station with the latest electronic computer. Then there is a long, wide hallway filled with P.O. Boxes on the left, and the post office counter on the right after entering through another glass doors. They even have a branch of the Blue Eagle Credit Union inside the same building, for the convenience of their customers. In this U.S. Post Office you can not only buy stamps, send letters, mail and pick-up packages, but even purchase shipping supplies and greeting cards, among other things. The line always moves fast due to the very efficient postal clerks, who even though they move fast, give you their total attention and take their time to make you feel at home and not rushed, explaining what needs to be explained about the system to provide you with useful information. When my turn arrived, a walked over to the counter and received a warm and friendly greeting from the postal clerk. When I inquired about the latest editions of their commemorate Forever Stamps, he pulled out a box with all of them. I had time to look over them and picked a book of the one I like the most, and then proceeded to pay with my credit card. I was in and out in no time at all, after receiving not only my stamps and receipt, but a heartfelt Thank you. I walked out of this Post Office feeling proud that I was an American citizen and that I lived in this great country of ours.

We had an 8am appointment for a passport. No one showed ups waited for 50 minutes with many others…read morewho had appointments. Eventually learned the person called out sick, but no one bothered to tell any of the waiting customers, many of whom had little

Amazing statue and such a fun little treat while driving around the downtown Roanoke area. Parking…read morenearby since it's an a strip mall/ shopping area.

While in the Roanoke, VA area visiting family, Kayla Beth Fields Deacon and I turned it in to a…read moreRoad Trip. We left the hotel and drove about 10 miles over to the downtown area to see the Transformer Mega Giant Optimus Prime He was so excited!!

Opposite the Montgomery County Sheriff's office, this memorial is dedicated to those who are…read morecurrently serving, those who have served and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The monument indicates the same and includes a list of names from Montgomery County who served and died during World War I (1917-1918) and World War II (1941-1946). It is located in a small grassy space with some parking nearby. It is granite and in very good condition, considering that it was erected by the Montgomery County American Legion Post Number 59 on May 31, 1953 (Memorial Day). [Review 13822 overall, 1143 of 2020, number 1256 in Virginia.]

The Roanoke Public Library is a wonderful resource for the community. Located in the Downtown…read moreRoanoke area, in a building that went through renovation from the original, it maintains the classical relaxed look, yet at the same time, it has those modern touches that has kept it up with the times. It now has a Virginia Room where people can do research on the history of Roanoke, among other things. And around this area it has meeting rooms where one can reserve to do research or to meet. Besides the traditional bookcases with books, the library has an extensive computer area located in the Darryl G. & Young-Ja Howery Mezzanine, as well as a cellphone charging station. I tried charging my cellphone there with the cords provided and a notice came up on my phone that this cord was too slow to charge my phone and to try to use another one because with this one it would take 8 hours to do so. This is one of the reasons I only gave this library a 4 star rating. The intention to provide modern services was there but not the execution. I brought it to the attention of the librarian to see if it could be corrected for the future with better charger cords, or even better, with devices where you can rest the cellphone on them and they would automatically charge the phone. I'm sure that after the Library Director reads this review he will follow-up because he is a very knowledgeable individual and wonderful human being. The librarians here are all very friendly and helpful. In the basement of the library the Blue Ridge Literacy is located. This is a place where among other this they teach English for free to immigrants new to the area. A reality that I can not leave behind is that many of the homeless of our community frequent the library during the day as a refuge to keep cool in the Summer and Warm in the Winter. Something that the library could do is have a station with booklets and information to help these write a resume, and look for and apply for a job using the computers. It could also offer workshops in one of the meeting rooms to teach and develop the skills needed for them to overcome the adversities that lead them to be homeless. Throughout the years the library has played very important roles in the community, and through creative thinking and innovation, it can find new ways in the future to meet the community's need head on.

Great little library with really helpful librarians. The book selection isn't huge but you can…read moreorder from any of the libraries and get it sent to this one

Lovely little park with a beautiful statue of Mary Draper & several story boards posted which share…read moreher harrowing story. What a strong & brave woman. There are many native plants growing there it's a peaceful place to visit & meander while learning about Ms. Ingles.