The Publisher Hotel and the Five Chophouse Bar. (Photo courtesy The Vakos Cos.)
When the ribbon was cut Thursday afternoon to officially open downtown Fredericksburg’s second hotel, it represented several full-circle moments in the life and career of the guiding force behind the project: William J. (“Bill”) Vakos Jr.
Vakos’ father, William J. Vakos, came to the United States from Greece in 1913 and eventually settled in Virginia Beach. Vakos Jr. was born in 1945 as the ninth of 11 children, all of whom lived in a three-bedroom house with their parents.
About a decade before Vakos Jr. was born, his father opened the Colonial Inn Motel at the corner of 29th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach. Vakos Jr. grew up working at the motel in a variety of roles (bellhop, pool boy, maintenance, etc.) before joining the Marine Corps and getting deployed to Vietnam for 13 months during the war. His first son, William J. (“Bill”) Vakos III, was born while he was in Vietnam.
Upon his return from Vietnam, Vakos earned Bachelor’s and law degrees from the College of William & Mary (coincidentally, his wife of 58 years is named Mary). In 1974, Vakos Jr. moved his young family to Fredericksburg to start a law practice.
Vakos Jr. enjoyed practicing law, but he soon found that the development business interested him more. He formed what is now known as the Vakos Companies in 1976 — just blocks from where The Publisher now stands — and started buying and renovating downtown buildings. That included the former Princess Anne Hotel at 904 Princess Anne St. and The Chimneys Building (now home to Billiken’s Smokehouse) at 623 Caroline St.
As the years went by, his company transitioned to focusing mainly on suburban projects, many in Spotsylvania County (where the company is headquartered near Exit 126 off Interstate 95). Some of the company’s better-known developments are Southpoint I and II, Southpoint Landing, Thornburg Towne Centre, and Spotsylvania Courthouse Square.
As time went by, Vakos Jr. found himself increasingly interested in getting back into downtown Fredericksburg projects. A decade ago, sensing a unique opportunity, he purchased the former Free Lance-Star (FLS) headquarters property, a roughly four-acre assemblage off William Street at the entryway into downtown Fredericksburg.
“It seemed like there could be an improvement that would enhance the welcome to downtown Fredericksburg,” Vakos Jr. said.
Vakos Jr.’s company, as it always does, took its time analyzing the market before landing on the overall development plan for the former FLS parcels that they call William Square. In addition to the new 98-room Publisher Hotel, they have built two primarily residential buildings (both have commercial spaces as well, including an Anytime Fitness that is open to hotel guests and the public) and a 311-space parking garage.
Despite the extensive analysis that led to The Publisher Hotel, Vakos Jr. said ultimately he went with “prayer, sensibilities and a gut reaction” that downtown could support a second hotel (the first being the Courtyard by Marriott on Caroline Street). His company has owned numerous additional hotels over the years, though The Publisher is the only one currently.
Vakos Jr.’s grandson, Collin, eventually was tasked with overseeing The Publisher project alongside his father (William J. Vakos III) and grandfather. Collin Vakos was instrumental in the decision to partner with Marriott on the project (The Publisher is part of Marriott’s boutique “Tribute Portfolio” brand, of which there are just three Virginia hotels). A decision was made to make the hotel the most upscale in the region, and the only one that’s full-service. The Vakos family wants it to be a destination hotel that hosts wedding parties, corporate travelers, D.C. weekend travelers and more.
Significant attention went into every detail of the hotel. For example, every guest room is decorated with a photo of the former Princess Anne Hotel that young Vakos Jr. cut his development teeth on. The name of the hotel pays tribute to The Free Lance-Star’s long history on the site. Vakos Jr. considered former FLS owner Josiah P. Rowe III a role model, and he hopes to someday bring the “Lance” paperboy statue back to the site (he stands vigil in front of the FLS’ current office in Fredericksburg’s Central Park Corporate Center).
A look inside the Five Chophouse. (Photo courtesy The Vakos Cos.)
Equal attention to detail was given to the high-end restaurant at The Publisher: Five Chophouse & Bar. (The name “Five,” explains the Vakos family, represents the five pillar values of the company: Family, Faith, Community, Service and Excellence). The 6,000-square-foot restaurant — which is inside the hotel but has a William Street entrance — caters to both hotel guests and locals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
With the hotel and restaurant now open (they first welcomed guests in July), the Vakos Companies is setting its sites on future downtown projects.
These days, Vakos Jr. is chairman of the company and says he is more of an advisor, while his son Vakos III has taken the mantle of president, and Collin Vakos vice president of development. The company still owns two development sites adjacent to and across the street from the hotel and is studying possibilities for both.
In a couple of weeks, they will purchase the nearby office building at 520 William St., and they own additional property at the corner of Wolfe and Prince Edward streets.
Vakos Jr. is happy to see the company return to its roots in downtown (though they still also have active projects elsewhere, including the Thornburg Towne Centre near the under-construction Kalahari Resorts). He’s gratified to see his son and grandson carrying on the company’s legacy, while he and his wife “sit back and see the next two generations doing well for themselves.”
Bill Freehling covers local business for the Fredericksburg Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].
