What It’s Like to Stay in a Virgin Hotel

27.07.2023 - 18:21 / smartertravel.com / Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson’s latest trending project isn’t galactic space travel, it’s hotels. The 66-year old mogul has dabbled in the hospitality industry before with his Virgin Limited Edition business, but now he’s bringing the Virgin brand stateside with a handful of Virgin Hotel properties. The first of these is Virgin Hotels Chicago, which I was able to experience in person on a recent trip to Chicago.

Located in the Loop area, Virgin Hotels Chicago will celebrate its second anniversary in January 2017. And while Chicago might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of a flagship location for the new hotel brand, Branson says on the company’s site, “We thought there was a real opening in Chicago for a place like Virgin Hotels. Soho House is nice, but I thought we could create something just as nice without being private.”

The hotel brand is targeted at “the creative class,” which, according to Virgin’s website, “demand[s] style and substance and are willing to pay a premium for the Virgin Experience.” Promoting a “membership without dues” environment, the brand focuses on simple amenities that offer a bit of the unexpected: things like free Wi-Fi, no fee for pets, no cancellation fees, hassle-free late checkout, and street pricing on snacks and the minibar, but also larger room space for guestrooms (called chambers), a complimentary cocktail hour for guests (at the convenient time of 7:00 p.m.), the nicest hotel gym I’ve ever seen, and a digital concierge service, called Lucy.

Then there are the hotel’s restaurants, bars, and lounges, which are all designed to ensure you never want to actually leave the hotel. Starting with the lobby, you’ll find a coffee shop and wine bar, Two Zero Three and an American-style diner called Miss Ricky’s (you must try the spaghetti and meatballs). On the second floor, there are meeting spaces and the hotel’s lounge and bar space, called The Commons Club. On the top two floors you’ll find a gym, concert and private event space, as well as the rooftop bar, Cerise. (Seriously, you’ll never want to leave—but if you do, download the hotel’s app to control and set your room temperature, order room service, and find suggestions for things to do from “In the Loop“, a curated list of activities by local bloggers that rotates seasonally.) And all of these venues appeal to locals too, so you’ll find a diverse crowd at all of these spaces, making for a more unique hotel expereince.

Scroll through for images of Virgin Hotels Chicago.

The hotel does a nice job of sticking to the Virgin name, but not being too in your face about it. When I spoke with the company’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Doug Carrillo, about