http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-25T10:54:45Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Virgin http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/10/21/0488/4780 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Noosa_River.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>There's some accommodation opening up in Queensland that most of us won't be able to visit--unless you're one of the 35,000 employees of Richard Branson's Virgin mega-empire. <p>After buying <b>Makepeace Island</b> about five years back, Branson and his co-owners have been lovingly getting it fixed up as a place for Virgin employees and their families and friends to vacation. They call it an "eco-tourism retreat" and the three villas will apparently house about 20 guests. There's a swimming pool and tennis court and it sounds like no expense was spared to make everything look good.<p>Makepeace Island, which is in the middle of the Noosa River, is nearly ready for visitors, according to recent reports, and we're wondering amandak 2008-10-21T09:15:48-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/7/2/121051/4971 <![CDATA[<p><p><img src="http://www.jaunted.com/files/3/richard_branson_jfk.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/richard%20branson"><b>Richar Branson</b></a> billionaire mogul/hotelier has managed to take time away from his busy space-travel planning schedule to outline a plan for an eco-resort on <b>Mosquito Island</b> in the British Virgin Islands (of course.) <a href="http://www.hdmag.com/hospitalitydesign/content_display/industry-news/e3iccb6491f194a7ce96036b6998a8fecaf">The AP</a> reports: <blockquote><p>The plan calls for 20 villas and a beachfront restaurant. The resort would be powered by wind turbines and solar panels, while captured thermal flows would cool the buildings. Guests would eat food from an organic orchard, and they would have access to beach buggies that run on biofuels.<br> </blockquote></p><p>Branson's eco-friendly plans are being reviewed by the government but the word is they "seem to like" his ideas. More on the eco-resort can be found <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-07-01-branson-mosquito-island_N.htm">here.</a><p>Branson is in the juliana 2008-07-02T12:21:28-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/8/133933/0652 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/kasbah_tamadot.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>If you've seen <i>Casablanca</i>, you've dreamt of nights spent at the kasbah, no? Rest assured there are plenty of riad and kasbah accommodations throughout Morocco; some remain empty and some like the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Kasbah+Tamadot/local/1174"><b>Kasbah Tamadot</b></a> have been turned into luxury retreats. <p> <p> At the bidding of his mother, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Richard%20Branson">Sir Richard Branson</a> bought this property as he began a round the world hot-air balloon excursion from Marrakech. He renovated the magical walled-in building and, in 2005, it became the latest addition to his <b>Virgin Limited Edition</b> portfolio. <p>Amidst the fairy-tale setting, you'll find 18 individually designed guest rooms, each one offering some sort of outside space, be it a balcony, terrace or private rooftop area, with magnificent mytwocents 2008-04-08T17:27:37-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/3/26/35828/4327 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.jaunted.com/files/3/richard_branson_jfk.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Richard%20Branson">Richard Branson</a> pokes his nose into everything and has sticky fingers in every business pie. Now we hear he's got his beady eyes on a skyscraper hotel in <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/city/Manchester"><b>Manchester</b></a>.<p> <p>If the deal comes off, there'll be a shiny <b>Virgin City Hotel</b> sign on a 44-storey skyscraper on Aytoun Street, Piccadilly. The four-star hotel would only take over 23 floors of the building, and the rest would be taken up by whatever brings most profit to the Albany Crown developers - offices and shops mostly.<p> Virgin City Hotel is a baby brand and has not actually yet signed any deals with any hotels anywhere. But if it follows the Virgin style, we can imagine the hotel - femmefatale 2008-03-26T09:15:00-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/