Virgin Group is set to launch a new urban hotel brand in the next three months, according to Marketing Week.

Jackie McQuillan spokeswoman for the Virgin Group said it was “very much in the development stage” and will be an “urban hotel concept”.

Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson has said he would like to develop a hotel brand based on Starwood’s W hotel, “urban townhouse properties, halfway between a hotel and a private club”.

It has been suggested that the first properties will be in New York, London and Los Angeles, all served by the company’s airline Virgin Atlantic.

If successful they could be followed by hotels at more destinations served by the airline, such as Mumbai.

As reported in Caterer, Branson had said during a Business Forum event in London last month that city hotels were a possibility for the future.

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By Gemma Sharkey

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