Virgin Hotels has outlined plans for five hotel openings between now and 2023, including the brand’s first UK property in Edinburgh.
First up will be Virgin Hotels Las Vegas this spring, a reimagination of the former Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, and set to become part of Hilton’s Curio Collection.
This will be followed by Virgin Hotels New Orleans, which had originally been slated to open in early 2019, but which will now debut this summer.
The 225-room hotel will feature a rooftop pool and lounge, gym, meeting and events space, and the signature Commons Club, a combination workspace, cocktail lounge, and library.
Then this autumn Virgin Hotels New York City will open on 29th and 30th in the city’s Nomad district, featuring 463 rooms, a “roofscape pool” and “numerous dining outlets”.
Further ahead the group expects to open its first UK property in Edinburgh in 2022. The 225-room Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will be located at 1-6 Victoria Street within the landmark India Buildings and a new Southern extension.
Finally Virgin Hotels Miami is slated to open in 2023 within a 40-storey new-build property, offering 250 rooms, a spa, over 15,000 square feet of meeting and events space, and “multiple dining and drinking outlets”.
The group opened its first property in Chicago in 2015, before adding hotels in San Francisco and Dallas in 2019, and Nashville last summer.
However the owner of the San Francisco hotel served notice to terminate the management agreement with Virgin Hotels last year, and it is no longer listed on the group’s website.
Virgin Hotels says it is also exploring new opportunities in the US and internationally, including Philadelphia, Glasgow, Cannes and Ibiza.
Commenting on the news Raul Leal, CEO of Virgin Hotels, said:
“As evidenced by our openings this year in these major cities, we are very optimistic about the return of travel despite the tremendous difficulties posed by Covid-19.
“We’re not only thinking of the out-of-towner but also focused on providing the unique Virgin Hotels experience to the communities we call home. By leveraging our exclusive Chamber (room) design, forward-thinking technology, food and beverage offerings, and entertainment, we’re able to ensure a delightful stay while keeping our travellers safe.”
