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NEW ORLEANS – Sir Richard Branson hosted a ceremony for the future Virgin Hotel.

The Virgin brand owner held the meeting at 11 AM this morning. The ceremony took place in the warehouse and art district– this will also be the location of the hotel.

Mayor Cantrell joined in on the occasion and even spoke a few words. “It’s been a long time coming but it was well worth the wait.”

Sir Richard told guests the Virgin Hotel experience is different than any other because of encounters he’s had in the past. “I’ve had some pretty bad hotel experiences.” The Virgin owner shared, “I wanted to personally see that I enhance other people’s experiences.”

As of now, only one Virgin Hotel is open, which is in Chicago. However, that is changing very soon. Branson and his team flew to San Francisco directly after the NOLA celebration to open up their second location.

Other than the New Orleans location, three other Virgin Hotel’s are underway in Dallas, Nashville, and New York City.

By 2021, NOLA will be the sixth Virgin Hotel location.

Sir Richard’s team made sure to mention the positive economic impact the hotel would bring to the city immediately– 260 construction jobs opened up today.

Sir Richard’s team says the project cost north of 80 million dollars.