Guests jammed to Dixieland music and feasted on Louisiana-style cooking to celebrate Alexandrias hotel industry at the annual Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association summer social event Thursday.

Alexandria hotels are one of the citys top employers, generating around $22 million in tax revenue each year, according to ACVA. 

And the industry continues to grow, said Alexandria Hotel Association President Charles Banta. Since 2007, more than $400 million has been privately invested into Alexandria hotels, Banta said, pushing the number of Alexandria hotel rooms to more than 5,000.

Higher demand has expanded the citys hotel fleet. In the past year, the number of rooms sold rose 3 percent, according to ACVA President and CEO Stephanie Pace Brown.

Hopes appear high for the citys hotel industry a $14 million renovation is already underway in the Hilton Mark Center, where the event was held.