Virgin Hotels Chicago

Historic building and hotel

Virgin Hotels Chicago

Virgin Hotels Chicago entrance

Former names| Old Dearborn Bank Building
Alternative names| 203 North Wabash Avenue
54 East Lake Street
General information
Status| Completed
Location| 203 North Wabash, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates| 41°53′10″N 87°37′34″W﻿ / ﻿41.8861°N 87.6260°W﻿ / 41.8861; -87.6260
Completed| 1928
Owner| Virgin Hotels
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Rapp and Rapp
Renovating team
Architect(s)| Booth Hansen

Chicago Landmark

Designated| June 4, 2003

The Virgin Hotels Chicago (formerly Old Dearborn Bank Building or 203 North Wabash Avenue) is a historic building in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, that has been converted from use as an office building to use as a hotel run via a mobile app-based business model. The 250-room hotel is the first of Richard Branson's Virgin Hotels brand boutique hotels geared toward the female business traveller.

## Old Dearborn Bank Building[edit]

Old Dearborn Bank Building in 2007 and the adjacent The Loop portion of the Chicago 'L'

Situated at the intersection of East Lake Street and North Wabash Avenue,[1] the Old Dearborn Bank Building was constructed between 1926 and 1928 with ornate medieval and mythological terra-cotta decoration that was typical of movie palaces that were its contemporaries. The neoclassical architecture designed building is one of only two Rapp and Rapp buildings designed as an office building.[2][3] Soon after the Old Dearborn Bank opened in 1928, it was acquired and its parent company was liquidated in the United States' Great Depression.[4] The building, which is 27 stories high,[5] was designated a Chicago Landmark on June 4, 2003.[2] The 300-foot (91.4 m) light brown brick building with a steel structure includes 25 floors above ground and two below.[3]

The owners of the building defaulted on a $9 million loan from John Hancock Life Insurance resulting in the acquisition of the loan (and thus the property) for an undisclosed amount by Urban Street Properties LLC in April 2010. The building had been acquired by the previous owners for $9.5 million in 2001.[6]

## Virgin Hotels Chicago[edit]

On October 24, 2011, Virgin Hotels, part of Virgin Group, purchased the building with the aim of opening it as their first hotel in 2013 with approximately 250 rooms.[7] The transaction was an all-cash deal that was valued at about $14 million.[1][8] The company hired The John Buck Company to renovate the building.[5][1] The lead architect for the renovation was Booth Hansen.[4] The co-designers for the interior renovation were Rockwell Group Europe and Virgin Hotels' in-house design team.[9] The purchase was part of Virgin Hotels' 2010 business plan to acquire distressed properties in North America cheaply during the property downturn.[10]

Commons Club main bar

Lobby main desk with check-in screens

The building opened for business as a hotel on January 15, 2015.[11] The renovation took longer than planned due to the building's city landmark status, which required continuing coordination with the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Original features that were retained include a 1920s oak cigar bar, brass elevator lobby doors and a tiled ceiling.[8] The final layout of 250 rooms includes 40 single-room suites and 2 penthouse suites.[8] All rooms are pet friendly.[12]

Under the auspices of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, the renovation included brick, window and steel-frame replacement.[4] The focal point of the renovated building is the publicly accessible Commons Club on the second floor, with a contemporary-style bar, a full kitchen, a lounge area, curated books and local memorabilia. At the time of opening, four additional dining options were expected within three months.[8] The area was carved out of a former second-floor banking hall.[4]

A pet friendly room with its sculptural marking

The visitors use a mobile app, named Lucy, that the company describes as a "personal comfort assistant".[13] According to Mary Forgione of The Los Angeles Times, the app can order more pillows, handle room service orders, and serve as a remote control for both the television and the hotel's music library.[12] The website also suggests that the app can control room temperature, interface with the chat board, provide local knowledge, and coordinate your messages with hotel staff.[13]

When asked about the operation, Virgin's Richard Branson 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."[14] Branson has stated that the brand is geared toward the female business traveler.[15]

### Reviews[edit]

Bloomberg Business's Jennifer Parker noted that the hotel was on the cutting edge of technology upon its opening, but questioned whether the hotel had any gender leanings. She found fault with the gym, toiletries, and delayed spa opening, but enjoyed the social ambiance, the normal retail prices of minibar items (rather than more standard hotel overpricing) and the top notch free Wi-Fi. She found many of the appealing elements of the designed to be dubiously marketed, but appealing nonetheless.[9]

Chicago Tribune's Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic, Blair Kamin, praised the incorporation of various wildlife into the decor and numerous elements of the rehab resulting from the alliance of real estate developers and historic preservationists, but made it clear that Virgin Hotels Chicago is not the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago or Ritz-Carlton (Four Seasons). He describes this as a successful recycling of a second-tier historic building.[4]

## Old Dearborn Bank Building 2007 Gallery[edit]

*   *   *   *

## See also[edit]

* Hotels portal

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Virgin Hotels Announces Purchase of Chicago Property" (Press release). Reuters. October 24, 2011. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
2. ^ a b "Old Dearborn Bank Building". City of Chicago Dept. of Pl. and Devpmt., Landmarks Div. 2003. Archived from the original on May 9, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
3. ^ a b "203 North Wabash". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
4. ^ a b c d e Kamin, Blair (January 25, 2015). "Virgin Hotel Chicago a stylish restoration of former bank building". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
5. ^ a b Cancino, Alejandra and Blair Kamin (October 24, 2011). "Virgin hotels, developer Buck to turn old Rapp & Rapp office tower into hotel". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
6. ^ Gallun, Alby (April 7, 2010). "Small firm snaps up East Loop office building". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
7. ^ "Virgin Hotels buys Old Dearborn Bank Building in East Loop". Chicago Tribune. October 24, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
8. ^ a b c d Briscoe, Tony (January 16, 2015). "Virgin Hotels opens its first hotel in Chicago's Loop". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
9. ^ a b Parker, Jennifer (February 17, 2015). "Exactly How 'Female Friendly' Is Chicago's Virgin Hotel, Richard Branson's New Project Aimed at Women?". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
10. ^ Karmin, Craig (April 20, 2014). "Richard Branson's Virgin Hotels Are Slow to Launch: Entrepreneur Plans a Third U.S. Hotel, but First Is Unfinished". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
11. ^ Galland, Zoe (January 15, 2015). "Here's what Virgin's 'female-friendly' Chicago hotel looks like". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
12. ^ a b Forgione, Mary (January 20, 2015). "Virgin Hotels opens in Chicago, with a helpful app named Lucy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
13. ^ a b "Meet Lucy: Your Personal Comfort Assistant". Virgin Hotels. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
14. ^ Earle-Levine, Julie (January 13, 2015). "Richard Branson Enters the City Hotel Scene". The New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
15. ^ Karmin, Craig (January 13, 2015). "Richard Branson Pitches Virgin Hotels as Female-Friendly: First Property to Open in Chicago; Safety Features, Well-Lit Vanities Court Women". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 20, 2015.

## External links[edit]

* Media related to Virgin Hotels Chicago at Wikimedia Commons
* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Virgin Group

Assets|

| Lifestyle|

* Active
* Balloon Flights
* Experience Days
* Voucher
* Wines

|

Travel /
transport|

* Atlantic
* Holidays
* Galactic
* Hotels
* Chicago
* Las Vegas
* Hyperloop
* Limited Edition
* Natirar
* Necker
* Roof Gardens
* Ulusaba
* Virgin Australia Holdings
* Australia
* Regional
* Oceanic
* Voyages

Music|

* Megastores
* Virgin Music Label & Artist Services
* Caroline Records
* Records
* V2 Records

Money|

* UK
* Australia

* Media

* Connect
* Virgin Media O2
* Virgin Media UK
* O2 UK
* Virgin Media Ireland
* Television
* Virgin Mobile
* Chile
* Poland
* Plus

Radio|

* UK
* Canada
* Halifax
* Montreal
* Toronto
* Kitchener
* London
* Windsor
* Winnipeg
* Edmonton
* Calgary
* Kelowna
* Vancouver
* Victoria
* Italy
* Dubai
* Turkey
* Lebanon
* Romania

Former|

* America
* Books
* Brides
* Cars
* Care
* Charter
* Cinemas
* Comics
* Connect Airways
* Flybe
* Tigerair Australia
* Digital
* Digital Help
* Drinks
* Cola
* Vodka
* Electronics
* Virgin EMI
* Energy
* Express
* Festival (Australia)
* Festival (England)
* Festival (North America)
* Films
* Games
* Gaming
* Green Fund
* Health Bank
* Heaven
* Interactive
* Limobike
* Limousines
* Little Red
* Megastores (UK)
* Media Television (UK)
* Mobile (Australia)
* Mobile (France)
* Mobile (India)
* Mobile (South Africa)
* Mobile (UK)
* Mobile (USA)
* Money (South Africa)
* Money (US)
* Nigeria
* Orbit
* Plane Handling
* Play
* Produced
* Radio Free
* Northern Rock
* Oüi FM
* Racing (Electric)
* Racing (F1)
* Radio (Jakarta)
* Radio (Jordan)
* Radio (Ottawa)
* Radio (UK)
* Classic
* Groove
* Xtreme
* Virgin Radio France
* Samoa
* Sun
* Trainline
* Trains
* CrossCountry
* East Coast
* ExpressCoach
* USA
* West Coast
* Travel City Direct
* Vacations
* V Australia
* Vie
* Virgin.net

People|

* Richard Branson
* Stephen Clarke-Willson
* Nik Powell
* Steve Ridgway

Other|

* "Dirty tricks" campaign
* Losing My Virginity
* Timeline of Richard Branson's business ventures
* Unite (charity)
* Virgin Earth Challenge

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Hotels in Chicago

* The Blackstone Hotel
* Chicago Beach Hotel
* Congress Plaza Hotel
* Drake Hotel
* Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
* Hilton Chicago
* Hyatt Regency Chicago
* Inn of Chicago
* InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile
* Kinzie Hotel
* Marriott Marquis Chicago
* Loews Chicago Hotel
* LondonHouse Chicago Hotel
* The Palmer House Hilton
* Park Hyatt Chicago
* The Peninsula Chicago
* Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel
* The Ritz-Carlton Chicago
* Silversmith Hotel
* Sisson Hotel
* Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile
* St. Jane Chicago Hotel
* Staypineapple, An Iconic Hotel, The Loop
* Trump International Hotel and Tower
* Virgin Hotels Chicago
* Waldorf Astoria Chicago
* Warwick Allerton - Chicago
* Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago

Hotels portal • Chicago portal

* v
* t
* e

Chicago skyscrapers

Tallest buildings|

* 875 North Michigan Avenue (formerly John Hancock Center)
* Aon Center
* Franklin Center
* St. Regis Chicago
* Trump International Hotel and Tower
* Two Prudential Plaza
* Willis Tower

Selected buildings
with 20 or more
floors|

* 35 East Wacker
* 55 East Erie
* 71 South Wacker
* 77 West Wacker
* 110 North Wacker
* 111 South Wacker
* 151 North Franklin
* 155 North Wacker
* 181 West Madison
* 311 South Wacker
* 330 North Wabash
* 333 North Michigan
* 333 South Wabash (formerly CNA Center)
* 333 Wacker Drive
* 340 on the Park
* 400 East Randolph
* 401 East Ontario
* 425 South Financial Place
* 541 North Fairbanks Court (formerly Time-Life Building)
* 540 West Madison
* 860-880 Lake Shore Drive
* 900 North Michigan
* 900 West Randolph
* 1700 East 56th Street
* Accenture Tower
* Aqua
* Bilandic Building
* The Blackstone Hotel
* BCBS Tower
* Boeing Building
* Builders Building
* Carbide & Carbon Building
* Chase Tower
* Chicago Board of Trade Building
* Chicago Place
* Chicago Temple Building
* City Hall Square Building
* Civic Opera House
* Coast at Lakeshore East
* Consumers Building
* Crain Communications Building
* Dirksen Federal Building
* Essex on the Park
* Field Building
* Fisher Building
* Grant Thornton Tower
* Harbor Point
* Hilton Chicago
* Home Insurance Building
* James R. Thompson Center
* Joffrey Tower
* Kluczynski Federal Building
* Lake Point Tower
* LaSalle–Wacker Building
* Legacy Tower
* Leo Burnett Building
* London Guarantee Building
* Lurie Children's Hospital
* Marina City
* Masonic Temple
* Mather Tower
* Metropolitan Tower
* Montauk Building
* NBC Tower
* NEMA
* Northwestern Memorial Hospital
* Olympia Centre
* One Bennett Park
* One Magnificent Mile
* One Museum Park
* One North LaSalle
* One North Wacker
* One Prudential Plaza
* Optima Signature
* Palmer House Hotel
* Palmolive Building
* Park Tower
* The Parkshore
* Peoples Gas Building
* Pittsfield Building
* Plaza 440
* Powhatan Apartments
* Presidential Towers
* Regents Park
* Richard J. Daley Center
* River East Center
* Roanoke Building
* The Shoreham
* Skybridge
* Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
* The Buckingham
* The Fordham
* The Heritage
* The Grant
* The Pinnacle
* Three First National Plaza
* Tribune Tower
* Virgin Hotels Chicago
* Waldorf Astoria Chicago
* Warwick Allerton
* Water Tower Place
* Wolf Point East Tower
* Wrigley Building

Chicago Landmark
skyscrapers with
12 or more floors|

* 300 West Adams Building
* The Arc at Old Colony
* Auditorium Building
* Brooks Building
* Bryn Mawr Apartment Hotel
* Chicago Building
* Gage Group Buildings
* Heyworth Building
* Hilliard Towers Apartments
* Inland Steel Building
* Manhattan Building
* Marquette Building
* Marshall Field and Company Building
* Monadnock Building
* Mundelein College Skyscraper Building
* New York Life Insurance Building
* Reliance Building
* Rookery Building
* Sullivan Center

See also|

* Architecture
* Art Deco
* Chicago City Hall
* Chicago School
* Washington Block

Buildings in italics have been demolished.

* v
* t
* e

Chicago Landmark skyscrapers

National Historic Landmark,
National Register of Historic Places,
Chicago Landmark|

* The Arc at Old Colony
* Auditorium Building
* Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building
* Chicago Board of Trade Building
* Fisher Building
* Manhattan Building
* Marquette Building
* Marshall Field and Company Building
* Monadnock Building
* Reliance Building
* Rookery Building

National Register of Historic Places,
Chicago Landmark|

* 860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments
* Gage Group Buildings
* Mundelein College Skyscraper Building
* One North LaSalle
* Palmolive Building
* The Blackstone Hotel
* Roanoke Building and Tower

Chicago Landmark|

* 330 North Wabash
* 333 North Michigan
* 35 East Wacker
* Allerton Hotel
* Brooks Building
* Bryn Mawr Apartment Hotel
* Carbide & Carbon Building
* Chicago Building
* Civic Opera House
* Heyworth Building
* Inland Steel Building
* London Guarantee Building
* Mather Tower
* New York Life Insurance Building
* The Palmer House Hilton
* Powhatan Apartments
* Pittsfield Building
* Richard J. Daley Center
* Tribune Tower
* Virgin Hotels Chicago

See also|

* Washington Block

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template