LONDON, Jan. 19, 2023 — Virgin Hotels – the luxury lifestyle hospitality brand of the Virgin Group and Virgin Limited Edition – the private global collection of unique retreats, hotels and exclusive islands owned by Sir Richard Branson have today announced that they will come together under the new parent brand named Virgin Hotels Collection.
The two award-winning and world-class luxury hospitality brands that form part of the Virgin Group have some of the most incredible and unique properties within the industry and this unity will see two brands come together to further change the luxury hotel business for good. They will also be joined under the Virgin Hotels Collection brand by Virgin Residences and collectively they have a significant growth strategy to add more city locations, resorts and residences.
James Bermingham, current CEO of Virgin Hotels will take up the realm of CEO for the new Virgin Hotels Collection brand on 1 April as long-serving Jon Brown, CEO of Virgin Limited Edition steps down at the end of March; having spent more than 24 years leading Virgin Limited Edition as the ultra-luxury and hugely successful brand it is today.
James joined Virgin Hotels back in 2021 with an impressive 37 years in the industry and more than two decades at Montage International building its luxury and luxury lifestyle brands, before taking on the CEO role for Virgin Hotels and successfully delivering a global growth strategy and multi award-winning customer experiences. He will now be responsible for driving this forward for all brands under Virgin Hotels Collection.
Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group commented “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 unrivalled 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.
“I’d like to thank Jon Brown, who has dedicated an incredible 24 years to Virgin Limited Edition. Jon had the vision and drive to turn our dreams into a reality, and he truly put his heart and soul into making Virgin Limited Edition the incredible company it is today.”
“I have some huge shoes to fill in Jon’s departure and I can only promise to ensure his legacy and give Virgin Limited Edition the same love and devotion he did – with the added opportunity to bring further growth, collaboration, and innovation by bringing our wonderful brands together and ensuring they are best placed to compete in the luxury lifestyle and ultra-luxury markets” said James Bermingham, CEO of the newly launched Virgin Hotels Collection.
“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…
“I’d like to take this opportunity to say an enormous thank you to of course our people, all our past, present, and future guests along with, our loyal trade partners across the globe, who have helped make our brands into the success they are today. I very much look forward to continuing this journey even further, developing joint opportunities as we proudly bring these incredible brands together.”
Formed to shake up the hotel industry, Virgin Hotels has been making its mark in key locations across major cities in the US and UK, combining heartfelt service with a personalised hotel experience. The brand has a significant global growth strategy including resort destinations and residences, having already seen six city hotels open and two more set to open in 2023.
Renowned for its world-class luxury standards, unique experiences and boasting two of the world’s most exclusive private-islands, Virgin Limited Edition shares the same undeniable passion for championing customer experience and one that the Virgin Group has disrupted in the industry for more than 50 years. Virgin Hotels Collection will focus on accelerating 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.
For more information on Virgin Hotels Collection visit www.virginhotelscollection.com
For more information on Virgin Hotels visit www.virginhotels.com
For more information on Virgin Limited Edition visit www.virginlimitededition.com
