Virgin Holidays Opens the v-room Manchester

LONDON, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Stars of the Big and 'Small' Screen Unveil New Departure Lounge at Manchester Airport

Virgin Holidays customers travelling from Manchester Airport will get their own taste of Rockstar Service from 1^st July when the holiday company's new v-room opens its doors in Terminal 2. The second of the popular dedicated leisure departure lounges joins that opened at Gatwick three years ago in adding more extras to the holiday experience just when it is needed: as soon as the customer is checked in and ready to switch off.

Local stars Suzanne Shaw of Emmerdale and Coronation Street's Chris Fountain were joined by the mischievous Minions straight from Universal Orlando Resort's forthcoming 3D CGI Despicable Me attraction, Vegas showgirls and a Caribbean barman - all representing the three destinations currently served directly by Virgin Atlantic from Manchester - at the opening.

The v-room Manchester is a funky and colourful 400m² space overlooking the main passenger concourse, just yards from the departure gates. Comfortably able to accommodate up to 100 customers at a time, it has been beautifully designed with an attention to detail and style that reflect both its Manchester location and the destinations about to be enjoyed by its customers. Once checked in by Virgin Holidays staff at a dedicated reception, guests are free to enjoy three distinct areas:

• v-room for kids:

A water-themed zone for babies, toddlers and little ones to romp around in and burn off some energy before boarding the aircraft, featuring soft play facilities, a magnetic wall and interactive games.  

• v-room for tweens:

The gaming zone, where a wall-sized screen will immerse big kids and adults in a selection of X-Box Kinect games, is joined by an 'outside-inside' space with free internet access, plasma TVs and funky furniture.

• v-room for adults:

An adults-only area featuring specially commissioned artwork, in which grown ups can chill out with the day's paper, use the free wi-fi or just relax before a well-earned holiday. A spacious information area, manned by Virgin Holidays staff, is available for any questions or to book excursions.

A hot and cold buffet, serving a mixture of breakfast and brunch dishes and beverages every day, is available to all guests and is included in the entry price. A full bar is available for those wishing to purchase an alcoholic drink before flying.

Over 60,000 people have enjoyed the v-room at Gatwick since it opened and pre-orders for the Manchester facility have already exceeded 5,000.

Admission to the Manchester v-room will be £20 for adults, and £12 per child (infants are free), with complimentary access for all Virgin Holidays customers staying at a Platinum Collection hotel. Tickets are on sale now for Virgin Holidays customers departing from Manchester Airport from 1^st July 2011. To find out more, visit http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/vroom

Notes to editors

Recommended Twitter hashtag: #v-room

About Virgin Holidays

Virgin Holidays is the UK's leading Worldwide Holiday Company with all inclusive holidays, last minute holidays and beach holidays. Offering adventures to the USA, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle and Far East, the Indian Ocean and Australasia. 

As one of the top travel companies in the UK, Virgin Holidays strives to deliver amazing holiday experiences to all customers. Formed in 1985 following the creation of Virgin Atlantic, and built on the Virgin principles of excellent customer service, high quality and value for money, Virgin Holidays offers maximum convenience and flexibility with an emphasis on fun, excitement and innovation. The company introduced the concept of 'rockstar service' in 2010 to describe the kind of exceptional customer service and exclusive experiences that are only available to those who book with Virgin Holidays, including the v-room at London Gatwick (opened in 2008), 'check in, chill out' and dedicated hotel concierge lounges across the world.

SOURCE Virgin Holidays