Virgin Hotels Chicago facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Virgin Hotels Chicago |
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Virgin Hotels Chicago entrance
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| Former names | Old Dearborn Bank Building |
| Alternative names | 203 North Wabash Avenue 54 East Lake Street |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Location | 203 North Wabash, Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°53′10″N 87°37′34″W / 41.8861°N 87.6260°W |
| Completed | 1928 |
| Owner | Virgin Hotels |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Booth Hansen |
| Designated: | June 4, 2003 |
The Virgin Hotels Chicago is a cool hotel in Chicago, Illinois. It used to be an office building called the Old Dearborn Bank Building. Now, it's a modern hotel that uses a special mobile app for many services. This 250-room hotel is the very first one from Richard Branson's Virgin Hotels brand. It's designed to be especially welcoming for women traveling for business.
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A Historic Chicago Building
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This building is located where East Lake Street meets North Wabash Avenue. It was built between 1926 and 1928. The building has fancy decorations made of terra-cotta, showing medieval and mythological designs. These decorations were popular on movie theaters back then.
The building was designed in a style called neoclassical architecture. It's one of only two office buildings designed by the famous architects Rapp and Rapp. The Old Dearborn Bank opened in 1928. But soon after, during the Great Depression, the bank faced financial problems.
This tall building is 27 stories high. It was named a Chicago Landmark on June 4, 2003. It's about 300-foot (91.4 m) tall and made of light brown brick with a strong steel frame. It has 25 floors above ground and two floors below.
Becoming Virgin Hotels Chicago
On October 24, 2011, Virgin Hotels, which is part of Virgin Group, bought the building. Their plan was to turn it into their first hotel. They wanted to open it in 2013 with about 250 rooms. Virgin Hotels paid around $14 million for the building.
The company hired The John Buck Company to help with the renovation. Booth Hansen was the main architect for the changes. The inside of the hotel was designed by Rockwell Group Europe and Virgin Hotels' own design team. Virgin Hotels bought the building during a time when properties were less expensive.
The hotel officially opened for guests on January 15, 2015. The renovation took a bit longer than expected. This was because the building is a city landmark. This meant they had to work closely with the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. They made sure to keep some of the original cool features. These include a 1920s oak cigar bar, brass elevator doors, and a tiled ceiling.
The hotel now has 250 rooms. This includes 40 single-room suites and 2 fancy penthouse suites. Also, 40 of the rooms are pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends!
The renovation also included replacing bricks, windows, and parts of the steel frame. A main part of the new hotel is the Commons Club on the second floor. This area is open to the public. It has a modern bar, a full kitchen, a lounge, and interesting books. This space used to be a large banking hall.
The hotel has a very modern way to check in. There's no front desk! Instead, you use your smartphone to scan a QR code. Then, you get your room key from a vending machine. Guests also use a mobile app called Lucy. The company says Lucy is like a "personal comfort assistant."
According to Mary Forgione from the Los Angeles Times, the app lets you order more pillows. You can also order room service and even control the TV and music in your room. The hotel's website also says the app can change your room temperature. It can also help you chat with hotel staff and find out about local places.
Richard Branson talked about how the hotel works. He said, "There won’t be hidden charges, and you won’t get charged $10 for a chocolate bar you know you can buy at a store for $2." He wants the hotel to be fair and easy for guests. Branson also mentioned that the hotel is designed to be great for women who travel for business.
What People Think
Jennifer Parker from Bloomberg Business said the hotel was very high-tech when it opened. She liked the social atmosphere and that mini-bar items were sold at normal prices. She also loved the free Wi-Fi.
Blair Kamin, a famous architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune, liked how the hotel kept some of its original charm. He praised the animal decorations and how the old building was successfully updated. He said it was a great example of reusing a historic building.
Images for kids
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