Virgin unveils first ever hotel
After numerous missed deadlines and rumors – mostly instigated by Virgin themselves – the opening date for the first ever Virgin Hotel has been set.
The Virgin Hotel Chicago will open for business on January 15 next year with rates starting at $209 a night.
The Virgin Hotels website has launched, giving a taster of what guests can expect in Chicago.
It will have five F&B outlets run by chef Rick Gresh, which will all be operational by February.
Amenities include a gym and spa and super-fast ‘uninhibited’ Wi-Fi, as Virgin puts it: ‘bandwidth is a right, not a revenue stream.’
The focal point of the hotel will be the Commons Club – ‘a hybrid of lobby bar, laid-back study and restaurant’ open to all guests.
Rooms or ‘chambers’ as Virgin calls them, will have sliding doors separating the sleeping area from the dressing room area, ‘creating two lifestyle-focused rooms in one,’ the website says.
Bedrooms will also have minibars stocked with snacks at ‘street’ prices, oversized vanity units and well-lit mirrors.
Dog-friendly rooms are also available, equipped with dog beds.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements