As CEO of Virgin Hotels, Raul Leal has taken on the immense task of helping bring Virgin's distinct, cheeky vision to life. The first hotel in Chicago was "a labor of love," he says. He's helmed the company since 2012 (joining in 2010 as president), but the Cuban-born veteran hotelier has long been drawn to lifestyle hotels, starting Tecton's boutique division Desires Hotels before making the switch to work for Richard Branson. For more information and a complete transcript of the interview, go to hospitalitydesign.com/people/podcasts

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