Virgin Hotels breaks ground on a 225-room property in the Warehouse District

Cheryl Gerber/South Beach Photo

Last week, Virgin Hotels and The Buccini/Pollin Group broke ground on a 225-room, $80 million property at 550 Baronne Street in the Warehouse District.

Featuring a masonry warehouse-style facade, the 14-story hotel is designed by Mathes Brierre Architects and CallisonRTKL Architects, with Broadmoor Construction serving as general contractor.

Interiors are spearheaded by local design firm Logan Killen, who designed them to reflect a “Southern residential feel ... combining colorful, tropical architectural motifs with Virgin’s signature style of fun and smart,” states the press release.

The swanky properties are geared toward female business travelers, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. Other amenities include a rooftop pool, coffee shop, library, gym, meeting space, and a 482-square-foot lounge called “the Shag Room.”

“It’s going to have all the signature offerings of our hotels, including the exceptional customer experience that Virgin is known for,” said billionaire and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson in a press release. “We will certainly make sure to celebrate the local character of The Big Easy throughout our hotel.”

Slated to open in 2021, the luxury hotel marks Virgin’s seventh property. Other locations include Chicago and San Francisco. More hotels from the lifestyle hospitality brand are underway in Las Vegas, Nashville, New York, and Edinburgh.

“We were extremely diligent in ensuring we tapped the right partners to develop, design and curate the best hotel product for this extraordinary market,” said Virgin Hotels CEO Raul Leal. “Today’s groundbreaking means we are one step closer to seeing our vision come to life.”

Virgin Hotels New Orleans will open in 2021.

Renderings via Logan Killen Interiors for Virgin Hotels)