Guests checking in to the Virgin Hotels New Orleans will find residential-style rooms with partition doors, vanity stations, SMEG minibars and beds that ‘do tricks’. Jenny Southan reports
Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, opened the Virgin Hotels New Orleans on August 18, 2021, in the city’s Warehouse District. As you’d hope from this innovative company, the hotel works hard to do things better – and with a sense of humour.
Designed by New Orleans design firm Logan Killen Interiors, Virgin Hotels says that local art, historical detailing and Art Deco-inspired elements woven throughout “evoke a sense of old-world meets modern luxury”.
Ranging from 27 sqm to 102 sqm the hotel has 238 Chambers, Grand Chamber Suites, a Penthouse Suite, and Richard’s Penthouse Flat – an apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown New Orleans.
There is also a red SMEG mini-fridge stocked with “street-priced” food and drink (suggesting there is no mark-up), an HD TV, yoga mat and “café worktable” with a rattan base and tempered glass, which is placed in front of a built-in window (or facing a banquette between two twin beds, as below). (Globetrender approves of this – so often hotels place workdesks by the wall.)
How much does a stay cost? The cheapest rate including taxes in September 2021 was US$217 a night.
There is also the Pool Club – a rooftop pool, restaurant and bar; and ground-floor Commons Club, the brand’s flagship restaurant, bar and lounge. Virgin Hotels describes this as the “social epicenter” of the property, designed to feel like a “members-only social club but open to all”.
The Commons Club consists of three areas: the Bar, the Kitchen (featuring an indoor porch for dining) and the Shag Room (an “intimate private space with a playful vibe suitable for small groups”).
Meanwhile, the Funny Library Coffee Shop is a communal workspace with an “assortment of games and whimsical and funny books curated from local book shops”. Coffee served is by La Colombe. The hotel also has a light and airy 24-hour gym on the third floor.
“The city’s welcoming spirit, exciting entertainment, and incredible culinary scene are all things we are excited to bring to life through our hotel. We look forward to becoming a gathering place for the entire community and a destination for both locals and visitors alike.”
“But we also have a real made-in-New Orleans ethos at play here, from the art and design throughout the hotel to the personalized experience we provide our guests through The Know loyalty program and our LUCY mobile app. Virgin Hotels New Orleans will surely offer a window into a city waiting to be explored.”
Guests can sign up for the brand-wide guest preferences and loyalty program The Know to unlock a personalised stay, exclusive use of the LUCY app, member rate discounts, room upgrades, unique dining and event experiences, and a free cocktail hour called “the Spirit Hour.”