Virgin Hotels Reaffirms Commitment To Prioritizing Diversity And Inclusivity

On Human Rights Day, Virgin Hotels announces formal mission, immediate initiatives and goals to continue prioritizing equality at their hotels and home office

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Virgin Hotels

Dec 10, 2020, 16:23 ET

MIAMI, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Sir Richard Branson, today announces its formal diversity, equality and inclusivity framework. Virgin Hotels is, and always has been, committed to diversity and inclusion. By publicly laying out guidelines, commitments and goals at https://virginhotels.com/diversity-and-inclusivity/, Virgin Hotels is establishing a clear path forward as it continues to work in a more positive direction.

"I've been part of the Virgin Hotels family from the very beginning, and from its inception I have been proud of the diversity and inclusion that lies at the heart of everything Virgin does," says Raul Leal, CEO of Virgin Hotels. "Diversity is one of the fundamental principles of the Virgin Hotels brand and a core value that has been brought to life across our properties. Our top priority is ensuring all teammates, guests, visitors and the community continue to experience our hotels in an inclusive environment that supports racial harmony."

With the support of inclusion strategist Donnie N. Belcher, Virgin Hotels is formally launching a page on their website dedicated to transparently sharing their ongoing efforts. Included is a clear diversity and inclusivity statement, asserting Virgin Hotels' mission to ensure "Everyone Leaves Feeling Better" and the importance of creating an environment where all feel safe, valued and welcome. Also included are three clear commitments and goals the brand is prioritizing:

Working with and supporting local community partners in the cities where our hotels are located that help support and lift up Black communities
Implementing trainings at all hotels and the home office to help raise awareness of unconscious bias impact
In coordination with our external advisor, we have audited our existing policies to ensure they support our inclusive approach, and will continue to work with Donnie Belcher to evaluate existing policies to ensure they support our approach

In an effort to continue supporting organizations that assist the local community, Virgin Hotels has introduced a check round up program in their dine and drink establishments across all hotels. Guests can either round up their purchase to the nearest dollar or donate a set amount. Proceeds from each property benefit the following local agencies:

Virgin Hotels Chicago - SocialWorks: Founded by Grammy-award-winning musician and humanitarian Chance the Rapper, SocialWorks aims to empower the youth through the arts, education and civic engagement, directly affecting thousands of kids each year.
Virgin Hotels Dallas - Cafe Momentum: A restaurant and culinary training facility, Cafe Momentum works to transform young lives by equipping the community's most at-risk youth with life skills, education and employment opportunities to help them achieve their full potential.
Virgin Hotels Nashville - The Mary Parrish Center: The Mary Parrish Center has provided more than 7,000 survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and/or stalking with a full array of no-cost, comprehensive services.

Virgin Hotels is also sharing on their new webpage a timeline highlighting their efforts in the past supporting diversity and inclusivity and the organizations it's partnered with along the way.

For more information on Virgin Hotels diversity & inclusivity commitment, visit https://virginhotels.com/diversity-and-inclusivity/. To learn more about Virgin Hotels, please visit www.virginhotels.com

About Virgin Hotels:
Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service, straightforward value and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with the track record of innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson's global Virgin Group has pioneered for 50 years. Each property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture, fusing with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. Virgin Hotels Chicago, - named the "#1 Hotel in United States" in 2016 and "#1 Hotel in Chicago" in 2016, 2017 and 2020 by the Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards - Virgin Hotels Dallas - named the "#16 Hotel in Texas" - and Virgin Hotels Nashville are now open. Locations in Las Vegas, New York, New Orleans, Miami and Edinburgh to follow. Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel and office conversions as well as ground-up development in cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and London.