Virgin Holidays has once more revolutionised its retail experience by opening the first-ever travel agent to feature an operational spa. The brand new store in Milton Keynes offers customers a totally immersive holiday booking experience.
Spas are already a staple in many Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses around the world, but this is the first time the concept has been available in a v-room store. Now, customers will be able to enjoy a relaxing manicure or hand massage, as they peruse an extensive collection of holiday options – courtesy of experts trained by the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.
The Milton Keynes v-room is designed in the style of a luxurious airport lounge to provide a relaxing environment for customers. As well as the spa, unique features include a virtual reality rollercoaster, a complimentary bar serving bubbles, a children’s play area and a selection of Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class and Premium Economy seats to enable customers to “try before they fly.”
Lee Haslett, VP of Sales and Product at Virgin Holidays, commented: “We’ve been revolutionising the way our customers book their holidays for several years and our latest v-room in Milton Keynes is the next step on that journey. We know that our customers are looking for something extra than just a standard holiday and our v-rooms are the first step on that journey – whether that’s the instore bar, children’s play area or rollercoaster simulation. I’m excited that we’re able to bring our v-room concept to Milton Keynes and I can’t wait to see what our customers think of our first ever in-house spa.”
Mark Morton, Milton Keynes Store Manager, added: “Whether it’s a beach holiday in Antigua, a cultural excursion in Havana, a throw of the dice in Las Vegas or the family holiday of a lifetime in Orlando – we’ve got a tonne of brilliant long-holiday deals for Milton Keynes residents. The entire store concept is relaxed and informal; we want people to feel as if they’re chatting to a friend over a glass of Prosecco. If you want to explore holiday options in a welcoming environment you can’t go past this world-first concept.”
In total Virgin Holidays now have thirteen v-room high street stores across the UK, as well as a number of recently opened concession stores in retail giant Next.
Key features of the new Milton Keynes v-room:
- A spa area, allowing customers to enjoy a manicure as they peruse holiday options
- A complimentary bar serving soft drinks, Prosecco and snacks
- A children’s’ play area with interactive screens
- A selection of Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class and Premium Economy plane seats to enable customers to try before they fly
- A unique virtual reality rollercoaster experience – taking customers to Las Vegas and back, via space
- Five kiosks with relaxed seating for families to consult with Virgin Holidays’ expert travel consultants
The store is the biggest Virgin Holidays has launched to date – spanning an impressive 1,700 square foot – and was designed by YourStudio and project managed by Resolution Interiors.
The innovative v-room design has recently won a “Gold” award at the 2018 London Design Awards for openings in Cardiff and Norwich, and the Milton Keynes store is the third opening under the new v-room design principles.
