Centennial Yards’ status as a destination for hip, big-name brands shows few signs of slowing. 

Officials with the $5-billion downtown megaproject announced this week Virgin Hotels will open a 261-room location as a key component of the 8-acre Entertainment District, which continues to take shape across the street from State Farm Arena. 

The 14-story Virgin Hotels building topped out earlier this year but won’t be open in time for 2026 FIFA World Cup festivities; Centennial Yards officials say it’s set to bring an “award-winning and spirited lifestyle experience” to the district sometime in 2027. 

Expect a signature restaurant onsite, a lobby bar on the ground floor, a rooftop bar and lounge, and a pool deck with 10 cabanas and a seasonal bar next to an event lawn, according to an announcement from CIM Group, Centennial Yards Company, and Drew Company. 

Plans also call for roughly 2,900 square feet of meeting space across three rooms. 

Virgin Hotels

The forthcoming Virgin Hotels property, as shown in January after it had topped out over downtown's former Gulch. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A four-story Centennial Yards hotel project is also moving forward on vacant land where downtown meets Castleberry Hill, along Ellis Street. 

Completed buildings include Centennial Yards’ first apartment tower The Mitchell (18 stories tall) and the upscale new Hotel Phoenix, an 18-story lodge with 292 guest rooms, 15 suites, and a penthouse overlooking Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 

The Entertainment District is envisioned as a central facet of the 50-acre redevelopment adding several city blocks to downtown, with assistance from a record City of Atlanta tax incentives package. Plans also call for roughly 2,000 new residences eventually. 

How the topped-out new hotel is positioned (center, right) in relation to the Live Nation music venue (center) and State Farm Arena in the Entertainment District. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Recent signings at the Entertainment District include Busy Bee Café, Shake Shack, Chops Lobster Bar, Live Nation Concerts, and The Irish Exit, a New York City Irish pub, among others. 

Meanwhile, immersive entertainment venue Cosm is on pace to open June 10 for a Game 4 showing of the NBA Finals, featuring (wink) the Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks.

Centennial Yards/FB

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