DALLAS—Eclectic yet upscale, the Design District is a key piece of Dallas' cultural fabric comprised of its namesake interior design showrooms, art galleries, fine dining establishments and most recently, apartment homes with a live-work-play community. It has an identity all its own.

Another corporate brand with an identity uniquely its own is Virgin Group, led by Sir Richard Branson. Under the Virgin umbrella, Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that combines quality service, straight-forward value and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with a track record of innovation.

The newest Virgin Hotel will be developed for opening in 2018 within the Design District. The 240-room hotel will feature luxury suites, restaurants, bars, meeting space and a rooftop terrace with a pool, spa and gym. The Virgin Hotel will be located at Hi Line and Turtle Creek.

Construction will start March 2017 and will be the first Virgin Hotel in Texas. Dunhill Partners Inc. has chosen Gatehouse Capital Corp. to be the developer for the new hotel, according to Bill Hutchinson, president of Dunhill Partners.

“Gatehouse Capital has demonstrated it is the premier lifestyle hotel developer in the country with its development of W Hollywood, W Dallas, W San Diego and W Silicon Valley among many others,” says Hutchinson. “Gatehouse is an experienced and credible addition to our team. We are glad to have their team's extensive experience on this project.”

Each property will intermix a passion for food and beverage with music and culture, providing an environment for travelers and locals alike. Virgin Hotels Chicago is now open, with Nashville, New York and others to follow.

“We love the Dallas Design District and have had an office here for five years. I am so happy that Dunhill Partners purchased the Design District and is taking the development to the next level. Virgin Hotels is an iconic brand with a great vision on revolutionizing an industry. The national lifestyle hotel segment is an important development platform within Gatehouse and this project presents an opportunity for us to further showcase our capabilities with a great brand and owner,” Marty Collins, CEO of Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital commented.

Founded in 1997, Gatehouse Capital is a national real estate investment and development firm with a hospitality focus. Gatehouse has been engaged in the development of upscale hotels in expanding markets with a reputation for elevating brands and market awareness. By partnering with industry leaders and visionaries throughout its collective team, Gatehouse continually validates its core mission: to deliver extraordinary projects in every sense, beginning with economic return. Gatehouse has three platforms in its business model: national luxury lifestyle hotels; public-private hotel conference development and hotel developments on hospital campuses.

“This will be the first in what we hope is a series of Virgin Hotels developed by Gatehouse,” Collins tells GlobeSt.com. “We love the positioning of a hotel collection within the larger Virgin Family Group that values authenticity, sustainability and social purpose which are all values we share above essential economics. The Design District is a perfect location for the brand with its art, tunes and fashion focus. Hopefully our long history in the lifestyle hotel space in California and Texas with add value to all parties.”

New York

Instant Insights /

First Virgin Hotel in Texas Picks Design District

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