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The Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center is under new ownership. Ugandhar “Kumar” Mukkamala of Chantilly and Vijitha Gutta of Atlanta, operating as Natural Bridge Hotels LLC, closed last month on a purchase of the historic property adjacent to Natural Bridge State Park.
Gutta said she hopes to make the hotel a “fun, family, historic vacation place” for guests. Plans include completely remodeling the facility “with new amenities, but saving the historic feel and look, to bring the glory back.”
During a visit to Natural Bridge about five years ago, Gutta recalled, she was “attracted to this hotel because of the history,” noting that Thomas Jefferson once owned the iconic limestone arch that is the number one tourist attraction in the Rockbridge area. She said she wanted to renovate the historic hotel, “to save the legacy to share for the future generations.”
Renovations to the 152room hotel and accompanying cottages are planned for the upcoming year. She said she wants the hotel, conference center and Colonial Dining Room to be a welcoming place for local residents and visitors alike. She hopes “to make locals proud of this historic landmark.”
In addition to being business partners, Gutta and Mukkamala are cousins. She said they enjoy spending time with their families and friends and traveling. Other business interests include ownership of a couple of hotels in Ashland. They have a learning center in Georgia and have previously had multiple learning centers in California, Michigan and North Carolina.
The Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center is continuing its affiliation with Trademark Collection By Windham. The sale of the property from Natural Bridge
, page 9 Hotel and Conference Center to Natural Bridge Hotels LLC closed on Oct. 6. Christine Cantone acquired majority ownership in the hotel in 2019 in a purchase from Tom Clarke. In 2014, Clarke bought the property when it was then part of what is now Natural Bridge State Park.
Gutta and Mukkamala said they are “excited to see multiple groups returning and new athletic teams staying” at the hotel in coming months. New groups have scheduled conferences in the spring.
Numerous holiday events are planned in December. A brunch buffet with Santa is planned for Sunday, Dec. 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. An inaugural tree lighting on the front lawn of the hotel will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, at 5:30 p.m.
On Christmas Eve, Sunday, Dec. 24, special Christmas meals will be served in the Colonial Dining Room. A New Year’s Eve Dinner will be served in the Colonial Dining Room on Sunday, Dec. 31, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. A New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball will follow, from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., to usher in the new year.
