Inside the Virgin America Boston Launch

Virgin America kicked off their service to Boston with a bang last week, in an evening filled with excitement, celebrities and as usual, more than a few delicious beverages.

Gadling bloggers were on hand to capture the event that started at Logan Airport around 3PM. Naturally, Sir Richard Branson made the last minute decision to come down from the jetbridge in drag, after which a brief ceremony introduced us to the gate area, some foxy New England Patriots cheerleaders and a mishmash of Virgin crew and media.

Afterwards, the entire crew migrated over to the Liberty Hotel in Downtown Boston, where our old friend Mark from Jaunted was already setting up camp, then the whole lot of us headed down to the atrium for more festivities.

Proper ceremonies from the Revolution Takes Flight campaign started at seven, with CEO David Cush and Richard Branson both making speeches over the throbbing crowds below.

Check out our video covering the event after the jump.


Virgin America Boston Launch Highlights from Gadling on Vimeo.

All of our thanks to the staff and crew of Virgin America who worked their asses off during the event.

Until Orange County,

Gadling

Jail then, luxury hotel now

Theme hotels, or even better hotels that have a quirky story behind them, have become quite popular in the luxury hotel circle.

Take the Liberty Hotel in Boston, for example. It is carved out of an iconic 19th century Charles Street Jail. Built in 1851, the Charles Street Jail was thought to be one of the best examples of the “Boston Granite Style” of the mid-19th century.

Today, the quarters are probably a bit more comfortable than they used to be. Within the main building, there are 18 guest rooms, as well as meeting rooms, a grand ballroom and what the hotel describes as one of the city’s hottest nightlife scenes. The adjacent 16-story tower houses 280 guest rooms with the latest in luxury linens, amenities and technology, enhanced by expansive views of Boston.

Jail-turned-luxury hotel? How is that for gentrification?