Bringing Virgin back to its roots, the luxury lifestyle hospitality brand – Virgin Hotels – announces Shoreditch as its London debut Here’s what we know…
Virgin Hotels, the luxury lifestyle hospitality brand by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, has announced its first London hotel to open on 1st August 2024 in the heart of Shoreditch. London will be the eighth Virgin Hotels location as it brings the brand home to its birthplace and where it all started for Sir Richard and the Virgin Group.
It will become the 17th property for the wider Virgin Hotels Collection, having just announced a new property in Kenya and following the successful launches of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh and Virgin Hotels New York in 2023.
The hotel will form part of a long-term agreement between Virgin Hotels and Reuben Brothers – global leaders in real estate investment and development. It will bring Virgin’s iconic trademark and personalised hotel experience to one of London’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, known for its tech, fashion, culture and creative arts scene.
Image credit: Virgin Hotels
“We’re all absolutely delighted that Virgin Hotels Collection will be opening a Virgin hotel in London,” commented Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group. “Since the inception of Virgin Hotels, we’ve had our sights set on London; a place that so many of our customers either call home, or name as one of their favourite destinations – and of course where Virgin’s story started. At Virgin, we’ve been disrupting the travel industry for more than 40 years, from land to air to sea – even to space,” continued Branson. “Our success comes from identifying where we can make a difference. Virgin Atlantic customers have always said to me that we give them a wonderful experience in the sky, but they don’t have the same Virgin experience when they land. Well, we’ve sorted that in Las Vegas, New York, Edinburgh and now London too.”
The 120-bedroom hotel, located at 45 Curtain Road in the heart of Shoreditch, is one of the most striking buildings in London’s East End landscape, making it the perfect fit with Virgin Hotels’ ethos and philosophy. Its seven other luxury lifestyle hotels are also located in iconic urban locations across key cities in the US and UK.
The hotel will open on 1 August 2024, which will mark the start of a gradual transformation to transition the hotel to a fully-fledged Virgin hotel with all the magic the brand is renowned for. Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch will continue to offer one of the most diverse selections of elevated experiences across the luxury lifestyle hospitality space from its showcase Spanish restaurant BiBo in association with world-famous chef, Dani Garcia; to a glittering rooftop bar, pool, restaurant, private members club, gym, and treatment rooms, managed by the one and only, Ibiza’s Blue Marlin. All of which Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch resident guests will have access to.
“This year will mark 10 years of Virgin Hotels and what a way to start the early celebrations as we announce our newest hotel in one of the world’s most famous cities,” said James Bermingham, CEO of Virgin Hotels Collection. “We are all truly delighted that Shoreditch, London will be home to the next location for Virgin Hotels and what an extraordinary one it will be. We pride ourselves in having hotels in the very best locations across our key cities and Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch will be in the epicentre of one of London’s most cultured, and creative areas. We are thankful to Reuben Brothers for entrusting us to bring the Virgin Hotels brand to life in this incredible building and to bring a splash of red to Shoreditch by showcasing our innovative, heartfelt and personal hotel experience, led by our wonderful people, to our future London guests.”
“Over the past decade, I have been closely following the smart, strategic expansion of Virgin Hotels – with its significant openings in key US and UK cities – from Chicago and Las Vegas to Edinburgh and New York,” added Jamie Reuben, Principal, Reuben Brothers. “I am therefore incredibly excited to be partnering with Virgin Hotels in London of all places – the city that both Sir Richard Branson and I are proud to be from. Richard and his team’s entrepreneurial spirit and constant quest for excellence make them the ideal partner for our property in Shoreditch, and I look forward to seeing Virgin’s vision come to life”.
Main image credit: Virgin Hotels
