CIM Group, Centennial Yards Company, and The Drew Company Announce Partnership to Bring Award-Winning Virgin Hotel to Downtown Atlanta

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 22, 2026--

CIM Group and Centennial Yards Company along with the Drew Company announced today that Virgin Hotels, the award-winning lifestyle brand, is bringing its signature spark and spirited lifestyle to Centennial Yards, the $5 billion, 50-acre mixed-use redevelopment transforming Downtown Atlanta.

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Scheduled for a 2027 debut, the hotel will serve as a cornerstone in Centennial Yards’ Entertainment District. This landmark project joins Virgin Hotels’ global portfolio of iconic urban hotels, including New York, Edinburgh, and its most recent homecoming in London.

The Entertainment District will span approximately 470,000 square feet within the Centennial Yards development, revitalizing underutilized land in the heart of Downtown Atlanta into a hub with immersive venues, dining, retail, and hospitality, adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena. With major tenants like Live Nation and Cosm already announced, the district is expected to become one of the premier destinations in the United States for live entertainment and culinary experiences.

“Virgin Hotels brings a bold blend of energy, personality, and world‑class hospitality, and we’re proud to welcome their first Georgia location to Centennial Yards,” said Brian McGowan, President of Centennial Yards Company. “With The Drew Company’s established presence in Atlanta and their partnership every step of the way, we’ve been able to bring this vision to life — creating a vibrant district that celebrates connection, culture, and the future of Downtown.”

​​Designed to be more than a place to stay, the property’s 261 rooms will feature Virgin’s signature ‘Chambers’ concept, with each room offering a multi-functional space that allows for rest, work and play in a stylish setting. Bringing the signature Virgin VIP energy, this mix of high-design accommodation will be highlighted by 21 Grand King Chambers and 21 One-Bedroom Suites, while the upper floors house the hotel’s most prestigious keys. The collection is anchored by a Penthouse Suite and ‘Richard’s Flat’ — the brand’s signature residential masterpiece that brings an unparalleled level of style and service to the Atlanta market.

“We’re so excited to bring Virgin Hotels to Atlanta,” said Joe Margison, CEO of Virgin Hotels. “In Centennial Yards, we’ve found a partner that shares our vision for a vibrant, welcoming neighborhood. With Virgin Hotels Atlanta, we want to bring our signature mix of heartfelt service, bold design and playful spirit to a property that feels rooted in Atlanta and perfectly matched to the energy of Centennial Yards. It’s a city Virgin knows well, with Virgin Atlantic connecting customers to London and Manchester daily and across the US in partnership with Delta Air Lines. It’s exciting to deepen that connection and create a new way for guests to experience the Virgin brand in one of the most dynamic cities in the US.”

As their second major development in Downtown Atlanta, The Drew Company brings valuable expertise to the project team and is reaffirming their commitment to providing a world-class hospitality experience in the heart of Atlanta.

“While we were completing the nearby Signia by Hilton Atlanta, we witnessed firsthand how transformational CIM Group’s plans for Centennial Yards would be and knew that we wanted to be a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity. We are thrilled to announce our involvement in the project and introduce Virgin Hotels to the Atlanta market - a perfect fit for the Centennial Yards Entertainment District to showcase all that Downtown Atlanta has to offer while bringing its own unique, cheeky identity and energy to the area,” said John P. Drew, CEO of Drew Company.

Across the portfolio, each Virgin Hotel is inspired by the cultural rhythm of its host city, with a focus on creating vibrant spaces that reflect the neighborhood while offering something fresh and unexpected. Virgin Hotel Atlanta at Centennial Yards is set to become a premier social destination for both travelers and locals, offering three distinct culinary and cocktail experiences:

Centennial Yards Company was created by CIM Group to act as the owner and master developer of Centennial Yards. As one of the largest and most ambitious city-center developments in the country, Centennial Yards connects surrounding communities and creates several new city blocks at the junction of the rail lines where the city was founded.

In the Entertainment District, momentum continues to build as Cosm’s immersive venue, Shake Shack’s first downtown Atlanta location, and renowned pub The Irish Exit prepare to open in 2026, bringing new energy and fresh gathering spots to the heart of the neighborhood. A 5,300‑seat Live Nation venue will follow in 2027, anchoring the district with a major new destination for live entertainment. Also in 2027, Chops Lobster Bar will open on the ground floor of the Virgin Hotel, adding a signature Atlanta dining experience to the district. At The Mitchell residential community, the culinary offerings continue to expand with Khao Thai Isan set to open in 2026 and local soul food icon The Busy Bee Café opening in 2027. And finally, Zephyr, the Southern Brasserie at Hotel Phoenix, recently opened a lively addition to the neighborhood’s offerings.

“There is something extraordinary about the destination we’re creating in Downtown Atlanta,” said Shaul Kuba, Co-Founder and Principal, CIM Group. “Virgin Hotels brings a level of excellence that complements the experiences we’re building for travelers and the local community.”

The Virgin Hotel also prioritizes wellness and community, featuring a large pool deck with 10 private cabanas, a seasonal exterior bar, and an adjacent event lawn. For the business and creative community, the hotel offers approximately 2,900 square feet of flexible meeting space across three rooms.

For more information about Virgin Hotels, visit www.virginhotels.com for more on the portfolio. To learn more about future developments, visit development.virginhotels.com.

ABOUT VIRGIN HOTELS

Virgin Hotels is a luxury lifestyle hospitality brand that brings together heartfelt service, thoughtful design and a personalized hotel experience shaped by the innovation and relentless focus on customer experience that Sir Richard Branson's global Virgin Group has pioneered for over 50 years. Each property blends food and beverage, music, entertainment, design and culture with the spirit of its destination, creating a vibrant and inclusive environment for both travelers and locals. The current portfolio includes seven hotels: Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch, Virgin Hotels Dallas, Virgin Hotels Nashville, Virgin Hotels New Orleans, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, and Virgin Hotels New York City. Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel conversions, and ground-up development in Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, and more. Please visit www.virginhotels.com for more details.

ABOUT THE DREW COMPANY

For 35 years, Drew Company has been boldly transforming properties, neighborhoods and the cities in which it operates with a diverse portfolio of visionary commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate projects. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Drew Company is a privately held, real estate development, management and consulting firm which oversees a broad range of ventures spanning real estate, hospitality, technology and entrepreneurial investment. Best known for its effective and collaborative approach in managing complex public-private partnerships, Drew Company has developed and operates hospitality venues, convention and exhibition centers, entertainment facilities and global trade centers worldwide. Please visit https://drewcompany.com/ for more details.

ABOUT CENTENNIAL YARDS

Centennial Yards is a $5 billion transformational mixed-use development in Atlanta, the Southeast’s biggest and most influential market. As one of the largest and most ambitious city-center developments in the country, Centennial Yards is expected to revitalize 50 acres of underutilized land in the heart of Downtown Atlanta to connect surrounding communities and create several new city blocks at the junction of the rail lines where the city was founded. Once complete, Centennial Yards is expected to offer 8 million square feet of world-class new commercial and residential space comprised of 4 million square feet of dynamic retail, entertainment, modern office, and hotel, and 4 million square feet of new residential, as well as a vibrant public realm that will provide outdoor gathering spaces to all Atlantans and visitors of Centennial Yards. Centennial Yards recently announced the additions of a Live Nation music venue and Cosm to the entertainment district. For more information, visit www.centennialyards.com.

ABOUT CIM GROUP

CIM is a community-focused real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer. Since 1994, CIM has sought to create value in projects and positively impact the lives of people in communities across the Americas by delivering more than $60 billion of essential real estate and infrastructure projects. CIM’s diverse team of experts applies its broad knowledge and disciplined approach through hands-on management of real assets from due diligence to operations through disposition. CIM strives to make a meaningful difference in the world by executing key environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and enhancing each community in which it invests. For more information, visit www.cimgroup.com.

Aerial artistic rendering of Virgin Hotel Atlanta at Centennial Yards

LONDON (AP) — Four debut novelists are among six books on a U.S.-dominated list of finalists for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction, which is open to female English-language writers from any country.

American authors take four of the six places on the shortlist for the 30,000 pounds ($40,000) prize, announced Wednesday by a judging panel led by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Among them are bestselling writer Lily King’s campus-set romance “Heart the Lover” and Susan Choi’s twisty family saga “Flashlight,” a finalist for last year’s Booker Prize.

First novels making the list include U.S. writer Virginia Evans’ “The Correspondent,” a novel told in letters with an older woman as protagonist that became a slow-burn hit after its release in 2025; and Addie E. Citchens’ “Dominion,” a story of power and patriarchy centered on a Black church in Mississippi.

Rounding out the list are two debut novels by British writers: Marcia Hutchinson’s “The Mercy Step,” a girl’s coming-of-age story set in northern England, and Rozie Kelly’s tale of love and grief, “Kingfisher.”

Gillard, who was Australia’s leader between 2010 and 2013, said the books are all page-turners with intriguing characters that explore “power — where it lies, where it doesn’t lie. How you find the ability to chart your own life course, what it means to potentially have others that are pushing you in different directions as you try and chart that life course.”

The number of debut novelists doesn’t mean the authors lack experience. Hutchinson is a former lawyer in her 60s, while Evans wrote seven unpublished novels before finding international success with “The Correspondent.”

“I think the way the publishing industry is working now, there are quite a number of authors coming to the fore for whom being a fiction author is well and truly a second act in a life that has brought other careers,” said Gillard.

“I’m delighted to see that,” Gillard told The Associated Press — though she is not in a rush to join them. While former leaders including Bill Clinton in the U.S. and Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland have written or co-written political thrillers, Gillard says she is not working on a novel.

“Never say never, but I’m not sure about that,” said Gillard, who has written a memoir and nonfiction books about women and leadership. “But I’m a fiction lover, a fiction reader, and it’s been just fantastic to have this experience” as a Women’s Prize judge.

Next, the five judges will meet to choose a winner. Previous winners of the fiction prize, founded in 1996, include Zadie Smith, Tayari Jones and Barbara Kingsolver. A sister prize for nonfiction was founded in 2024.

Winners of both prizes will be announced June 11 at a ceremony in London.

FILE - Author Susan Choi poses with her book 'Flashlight' as she arrives for the Booker Prize 2025 ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia, speaks during a forum on climate change and health at the headquarters of Commonwealth Secretariat in London, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)