Richard Branson Might Open A Virgin Hotel In Silicon Valley

Richard Branson is entering the hotel world with the first Virgin Hotel set to open in Chicago this fall, but the much-hyped brand is already discussing other locations.

According to the Silicon Valley Business Journal, one of those locations could be Mountain View, home to Google and a host of other tech companies.

The Virgin Hotels website promises an experience that features "contemporary style and great functionality, an efficient yet personalized experience, ample communal space and a signature restaurant." It also mentions that the "target guest is more than comfortable with technology and craves customization and efficiency."

Besides that, details on the property have been somewhat unclear, as there's been no mention of how big the hotel will be, what it will look like, or what the terms of a deal with the city would include.

Last week, Mountain View city council members discussed the possibility of leasing two downtown parking lots to the hotel chain. According to the Mountain View Voice, city officials have looked to redevelop the area for years.

"Our hopes are to build, as part of a new parking structure, a Virgin Hotel that would help finance the new parking garage on existing lots," project architect Bill Maston said to the local paper. "This would be a public benefit that would actually increase available parking in downtown Mountain View while bringing a first-class hotel into the downtown area."

The city council did not reject the proposal during the meeting, requesting more information on the project before moving forward.

The Chicago hotel will be the first location Virgin Hotels has opened since the company launched in 2010. It's more than a year behind schedule after being delayed by cost overruns. The brand also recently announced plans for hotels in New York City and Nashville.