Virgin Hotels and Virgin Limited to Combine to Form New Brand
by Daniel McCarthy
The new Virgin Hotels Collections.
Two of the brands under the Virgin banner are combining to form a new parent brand called Virgin Hotels Collection.
Virgin Hotels, which is the company’s luxury lifestyle hospitality brand, and Virgin Limited Edition, the company’s private collection of retreats, and islands owned by Sir Richard Branson, are coming together under the new parent brand Virgin Hotels Collection. The Collection will also include Virgin Residences.
The current CEO of Virgin Hotels James Bermingham will take over as CEO of the new Virgin Hotels Collections brand starting on April 1. Jon Brown, the current CEO of Virgin Limited Edition who has been with the company for almost 25 years, will step down at the end of March.
“I’m thrilled that we are bringing Virgin Limited Edition and Virgin Hotels together under the Virgin Hotels Collection brand. Two incredible teams that share a deep passion for creating unrivaled and unique customer experiences whilst making a positive impact on people and the planet. James is a visionary leader, and under his leadership, I am confident we will create one game-changing company,” Branson said in the announcement on Thursday.
Virgin says that the new brand will accelerate “the growth of both brands, to offer a truly differentiated customer experience, while continuing to make a meaningful contribution to the communities and destinations its brands operate in.”
Virgin Hotels has been in expansion mode in recent years with new properties opening in New York, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. It also has hotels in Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Nashville, and New Orleans, with a Miami hotel planned for 2025.
New CEO Bermingham hinted at even more expansion this week.
“As if launching Virgin Hotels Collection wasn’t enough, we have an unbelievably exciting year ahead for the new collection with the opening of Virgin Hotels in New York, followed by Glasgow and then the widely anticipated launch of Virgin Limited Edition’s beautiful Son Bunyola Hotel in Mallorca’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thereafter, the launch of Virgin Residences Miami, as well as Virgin Hotels Denver, both in 2025. And we certainly won’t be stopping there,” he said.
