CIM Group, Centennial Yards to Add 261-Room Virgin Hotel to Downtown Atlanta's $5B Mixed-Use Development
CIM Group, Centennial Yards Company, and The Drew Company announced April 22 that Virgin Hotels will open a 261-room property within the $5 billion, 50-acre Centennial Yards mixed-use redevelopment in Downtown Atlanta, marking the lifestyle brand's first Georgia location and adding a hospitality anchor to one of the largest city-center real estate development projects in the country.
Scheduled for a 2027 debut, the hotel will serve as a cornerstone of the Centennial Yards Entertainment District, a 470,000-square-foot component of the broader development situated adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena.
Hotel Design and Amenities
The 261-room property will feature Virgin Hotels' signature "Chambers" concept, which positions each room as a multi-functional space for rest, work, and leisure. The room mix includes 21 Grand King Chambers, 21 One-Bedroom Suites, a Penthouse Suite, and "Richard's Flat," described by the company as the brand's signature residential offering.
The hotel will offer three distinct food and beverage venues: a ground-floor lobby bar with an outdoor patio designed for morning and late-night service; a signature restaurant and pool bar featuring a private dining room and covered outdoor terrace overlooking the Entertainment District's plaza and pool deck; and a rooftop bar and lounge intended for private events and social gatherings with views of the surrounding sports and entertainment district.
Additional amenities include a large pool deck with 10 private cabanas, a seasonal exterior bar, an event lawn, and approximately 2,900 square feet of flexible meeting space across three rooms. Chops Lobster Bar is slated to open on the hotel's ground floor in 2027.
Entertainment District Context
The Virgin Hotel announcement adds a hospitality component to an Entertainment District that has been attracting a range of tenants across experiential and dining categories. Cosm's immersive venue, Shake Shack's first downtown Atlanta location, and The Irish Exit pub are all preparing to open within the district in 2026. A 5,300-seat Live Nation music venue is scheduled to follow in 2027.
At The Mitchell residential community within Centennial Yards, Khao Thai Isan is set to open in 2026, and local soul food restaurant The Busy Bee Café is scheduled for 2027. Zephyr, the Southern Brasserie at Hotel Phoenix, has already opened within the neighborhood.
Centennial Yards Company was created by CIM Group to act as the owner and master developer of the project. Once complete, Centennial Yards is expected to offer approximately 8 million square feet of commercial and residential space, comprising 4 million square feet of retail, entertainment, office, and hotel space, alongside 4 million square feet of new residential development.
"There is something extraordinary about the destination we're creating in Downtown Atlanta," said Shaul Kuba, Co-Founder and Principal of CIM Group. "Virgin Hotels brings a level of excellence that complements the experiences we're building for travelers and the local community."
Developer Roles
The Drew Company, headquartered in Boston, brings prior Atlanta market experience to the project as the developer of the nearby Signia by Hilton Atlanta. The firm has operated for 35 years across commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate development, with a focus on public-private partnerships involving hospitality venues, convention centers, and entertainment facilities.
"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," said John P. Drew, CEO of Drew Company. "We are thrilled to announce our involvement in the project and introduce Virgin Hotels to the Atlanta market."
CIM Group, founded in 1994, operates as a community-focused real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender, and developer. The firm reports having delivered more than $60 billion of real estate and infrastructure projects across the Americas.
Brian McGowan, President of Centennial Yards Company, said the partnership reflects the development's broader ambitions for the district. "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," McGowan said. "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."
Virgin Hotels' Portfolio and Atlanta Market
Virgin Hotels Atlanta at Centennial Yards will join a portfolio that currently includes properties in London-Shoreditch, Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Edinburgh, and New York City. The brand has identified additional ground-up development and conversion opportunities in Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Seattle, among other markets.
Joe Margison, CEO of Virgin Hotels, noted the brand's existing ties to Atlanta through Virgin Atlantic's daily service between Atlanta and London and Manchester, operated 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," Margison said.
The Centennial Yards development connects surrounding communities at the historic junction of rail lines where Atlanta was founded, and the project's scale positions it among the largest city-center developments currently underway in the United States.