US: Virgin Hotels has opened its first property this week, a renovation project in the heart of Chicago’s Loop.
US: Virgin Hotels has opened its first property this week, a renovation project in the heart of Chicago’s Loop.
The 26-storey Virgin Hotels Chicago consists of 250 guests rooms, including 40 single-room suites and two penthouse suites. Located at 203 N. Wabash Ave., the hotel occupies what was the Old Dearborn Bank Building. Virgin has retained several of the building’s original features, including a 1920s oak cigar bar, ornate brass elevator doors in the lobby and an elaborate tiled ceiling
Virgin Hotels CEO Raul Leal said: “We did something really special for the first guest. We had the entire team waiting in the lobby for them when they checked in, and we gave them, for the rest of their life, a place to stay on January 15.”
The hotel’s centerpiece is its second-floor Commons Club, open to guests and the public, which features a bar, a full kitchen, a library with curated books and local memorabilia and a lounge area.
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson announced the creation of Virgin Hotels in late 2010, with the Miami-based company buying the Chicago building in 2011 for about $14 million. Refurbishing the historic art deco building took longer than expected as officials worked with the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.
Virgin Hotels plans to open 20 more locations by 2025, with its second scheduled for Nashville later this year and third for New York in 2017.
virginhotels.com
