Richard Branson is at it again, reinventing yet another wheel, this time it’s the hotel. The first ever Virgin Hotels property is set to open this January 15th in Chicago’s business epicenter, The Loop. The rooms and the hotel are being kept under wraps until opening, but in classic Virgin style, their hotel experience takes the assumed, ordinary details and makes them something extraordinary and unexpected. Most unexpected of all, and a welcome surprise, is the lack of add-on fees for everything from WiFi to room service. According to Raul Leal, CEO of Virgin Hotels, “The hotel industry took in over $2 billion in 2014 [according to the AP] for add-ons such as Wi Fi, early check-in, luggage storage, business center transactions and more. Customers are being ripped off for services that should be a right, not a revenue stream, and Virgin Hotels plans to be that customer champion the industry needs.”
Arguably every hotel endeavors to make guests feel special and at home, but the new Virgin model walks the walk. WiFi is included---download all the movies you want, just as if you were on your sofa at home. Minibar’s come stocked but at authentic prices (charging what you’d pay for a coke as if you were shopping at home), and rooms (or chambers as Virgin likes to call them) come furnished with a patent-pending lounging bed, making them most likely better than what you have at home.
Free WiFi is wonderful news (although most European hotels have been offering that for years.) Normal minibar prices are a pioneering notion and one I am personally thrilled about. The lounge bed with its custom headboards (see image) makes working, reading, sleeping, and, ahem, other things, enviably easy and comfortable. Indeed, the bed is likely going to be Virgin Hotels' signature item---one we will all be raving about. The rooms are divided into two distinct spaces (one for showering and dressing, and one for sleeping and lounging). A set of sliding doors separates the bath from the bedroom---and adds another layer of buffer between a good night's rest and main hotel hallway.
You’ll also see changes in room service—no special room service delivery fees and ordering can be done on your phone via the hotel's mobile app—so when that flight is delayed and you missed dinner all you need to do is order up a hot meal en route to the hotel. And, lest I forget, they also offer a nightly social hour, with, you guessed it, free cocktails from 6 -7 pm.
The hotel's Commons Club is another unique Virgin concept, open to guests and locals, it’s meant to be many things all at once. It’s a place to put away your device and mingle, enjoy a good read, or grab a bite. Virgin Hotels calls it a “dynamic hybrid of bar/lounge, laid-back study and restaurant – all with the vibe of a private members club.” The space promises to be intriguing with a restored ceiling (circa 1928), bar, lounge, library and TV room.
Also on deck for Chicago, Miss Ricky’s, a classic American diner (opening in March), the vibe aims to be hip, yet “gritty” serving breakfast anytime along with snacks and grilled entrees. Two Zero Three is the hotel’s coffee and wine bar, and Rooftop, an indoor/outdoor space with Chicago city views, cocktails, and Izakaya-inspired dishes.
Leal notes that Chicago is merely the beginning. “Chicago is the first Virgin Hotel in the world. Following its opening in January, Nashville is slated for 2016, and New York for 2017. We have numerous markets in the pipeline including San Francisco, San Diego, Dallas, London, Miami and other New York neighborhoods. We anticipate 20 hotels in the next ten years.”
Opening 2016 – Nashville – One Music Row
240 guest rooms, multiple concept suites, food and beverage outlets, and fitting for Music City, a cutting edge recording studio.
Opening 2017 – New York – NOMAD neighborhood
475 guest rooms, multiple concept suites, food and beverage outlets, rooftop bar plus an outdoor pool and spa.
Virgin Hotels Chicago – 203 N. Wabash (in the Loop)
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