The first hotel by Richard Branson's Virgin Group is officially open for business in Chicago.
It's the first in what the company plans to be a chain of hotels, with a second expected to open in Nashville in the summer of 2016 and a third in New York City by the fall of 2017.
"It's been a long held dream to start beautiful, comfortable, fun hotels for guests and give them what they want and need while being gentle on their wallets," Branson said in a press release announcing the opening of the Chicago hotel.
Courtesy of Virgin Hotels
Virgin Hotels Chicago includes 250 guest rooms in the Loop's historic Old Dearborn Bank Building. 40 of those rooms are one-bedroom suites, and two are penthouse suites.
Virgin seems to be targeting business travelers with the design of its bedroom. Ergonomic headboards and a customizable footboard make it easy to work from bed.
Each room in the hotel is made up of two areas, which Virgin calls "chambers." A door between the sleeping and dressing areas can be closed for privacy. Even the basic rooms are spacious.
Courtesy of Virgin Hotels
Courtesy of Virgin Hotels
And there's also a separate makeup table.
Courtesy of Virgin Hotels
The Commons is a two-story lounge area where guests can eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There's also a nightly happy hour hosted here.
Courtesy of Virgin Hotels
The Virgin Hotel will ultimately have five total dining options. Miss Ricky's, a 23-hour diner and rooftop lounge, will open in February or March. There will also be a European-style coffee shop called Two Zero Three.
Rooms start from about $209 per night.