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
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