Introducing the First Virgin Hotel in Europe by Richard Branson

On Tuesday, Sir Richard Branson celebrated the upcoming hotel in Edinburgh through a beautiful ceremony. The new building is going to take over the historic India Buildings in Edinburgh’s Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Center.

During the celebration, Branson beautifully spoke about his connection to the city: his wife is Scottish, while his grandparents were from Edinburgh.

“The city holds a very special place in my heart,” Branson said. “Virgin Hotels takes its role as neighbors’ in this beautiful city very seriously, and we want this hotel to fit in with the fabric of the city and are working with the local community to make sure of this.”

The hotel is set to be open in 2020 and will feature 225 rooms and suites, designed to complement the historic structure.

“India Buildings is absolutely stunning and has so much for us to work with,” Branson wrote in a blog post. “It is full of stories and legends, and I’m sure we can create many new ones.”

The India Buildings are historical buildings that date back to as early as 1864 and have been unused for the past decade. Furthermore, they were deemed “at risk” by Historic Environment Scotland.

Sir Branson also mentioned that the hotel will include the flagship “Commons Club,” which is a multi-use food, drink and party space. The founder (who started the music label Virgin Records) further promised to “bring more live music back to the capital in surprising ways.”

The Virgin Hotel groups is currently in a period of rapid expansion, with the first hotel opened in Chicago, 2015. This summer, a second location is going to be open in San Francisco. In the future, new openings are planned for Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, D.C., Las Vegas, Silicon Valley and Palm Springs.

Source: www.travelandleisure.com