"Virgin Hotels New Orleans debuted Wednesday, August 18, along with the hotel’s restaurant, Commons Club; it opened during a summer that saw the opening of a number of big-deal hotels in New Orleans. The $80 million Warehouse District hotel, a few years in the making, has 238 guestrooms, a rooftop pool and lounge, a coffee shop, something called a Shag Room, and a food and beverage program from Alex Harrell, a well-known local chef who’s led the kitchen at Sylvain, Angeline, and most recently, Hotel Peter and Paul. The restaurant, Commons Club, shares the same name as the restaurants at Virgin properties in Nashville, Chicago, and Dallas." - Clair Lorell
