After 10 years with Virgin Hotels, CEO Raul Leal will be stepping down from his role.
Leal joined Virgin Hotels in 2010 as the first employee when the company was building its initial pipeline of projects and developing its lifestyle hotel offering. In a statement announcing the resignation, the company said Leal had “played a significant role in creating the brand's character and infrastructure, inspiring its unique design, and instilling its exemplary service ethos.”
With the brand established and hotels in Las Vegas, New York, and New Orleans set to open this year, Leal has decided to step back from the day-to-day management of the business and focus on new personal projects. He also will continue consulting for Virgin Group as an advisor on brand and design-related matters.
“Raul has been instrumental in helping to establish the Virgin Hotels brand and culture over the last decade,” said Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. “His eye for design, his devotion to his team and focus on our guests has created a unique proposition and we are thankful for his leadership.”
“Raul has built a tremendous platform for Virgin Hotels to expand from over the last 10 years,” said Peter Norris, chairman of Virgin Hotels. “We have won several distinguished hotel awards and have shaken up the lifestyle hotel sector with our distinctive proposition and innovative designs. His passion for service and his commitment to his people mark him out as a hotelier of distinction and leave the brand in excellent shape to thrive in the coming years.”
A new CEO for Virgin Hotels will be announced in the coming weeks.