The boss of Virgin Hotels says the chain’s “big inspiration” is the founder’s aim to have a property in every destination served by Virgin Atlantic.

Speaking as he prepared to open Virgin Hotels New York early next year, James Bermingham – chief executive of Virgin Hotels – said: “It’s really, really important to us that we’re in every destination that Virgin Atlantic flies to.

“Equally important for us is that we are in the markets where Virgin Voyages cruises to and from.

“The wonderful opportunity we have across the Virgin family is the relationships we have, and Virgin Atlantic is a key strategic partner for us.

“[Sir Richard Branson]’s vision for hotels was to make sure that that he had, in every Virgin Atlantic destination, a hotel that our passengers could stay in. That was a big inspiration and continues to be.”

Sir Richard visited the hotel last week to see how it is preparing to open on February 1, and also chose the artwork for the presidential suite – a two-storey penthouse on the 38th floor called Richard’s Flat, which boasts a pool table, baby grand piano and dining area.

He told Travel Weekly: “Many of our Virgin businesses were born out of frustration, and that’s just what happened with Virgin Hotels. I’m fortunate enough to travel quite a bit and spend a lot of time in hotels, so I have a good understanding of what travellers want.

“From smartly designed rooms to welcoming service, I’ve always taken notes of what I thought hotels needed more of. So, we decided to create a hotel brand to disrupt the industry and make it better. I’m so proud of what the wonderful team at Virgin Hotels has created.

“I’m thrilled we now have hotels in multiple cities around the world where they can continue the Virgin experience even after getting off a Virgin flight. There are many things that Virgin Hotels and Virgin Atlantic have in common, but the main thing is that they – along with all our Virgin companies – put the customer experience at the heart of everything they do and continue to challenge industry standards to make them better.

“Obviously the advantage Virgin has of having people flying on Virgin Atlantic and then staying in a Virgin hotel in NYC and then maybe going on a Virgin Voyages cruise is that we can give them reward programme through Virgin Red which helps unite it in even further.”

Described as the chain’s flagship property, Virgin Hotels New York offers 460 rooms, known as chambers – 42 of which are suites.

The 40-storey property is in the NoMad district and offers views of the city’s famous landmarks and an outdoor pool.

The first Virgin Hotels property opened in Chicago in 2015, followed by Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans, Las Vegas and recently Edinburgh.

Shortly after New York opens, the chain will launch its Glasgow property, and break ground in Miami, Denver and Philadelphia.

Sir Richard added: “The UK is where it all began and where the brand gathered its reputation and strength; it is one of our core markets. I’m so glad that we finally opened our first hotel in the UK in Edinburgh.

“Next in the region is Glasgow, which is personally important to me because that’s where my lovely wife Joan is from.”

Bermingham told a Travel Weekly webcast: “We take inspiration from every destination, every market that we’re in.

“In New York, we were really inspired by the city itself, the energy.

“Because we’re in the centre of everything, we wanted to bring New York into the building so a very important part of the creative direction was making sure that you had floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere because the views are just spectacular.”

He also highlighted the “Virgin irreverence”, introducing an element of fun through artwork and red motifs.

“Mostly what you will see that it is truly Virgin is our teammates,” he added.

“This is a vintage Virgin team…great personalities, great characters, and we really encourage them to be themselves to deliver service their way.”

Another highlight of the hotel is the third-floor restaurant Everdene, which features indoor and outdoor areas to make the most of its city-centre location.

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