Virgin Hotel Chicago

Nearly lost in the excitement about the birth Virgin Hotels is the fact that it’s a real hotel we’re talking about, in the actually existing city of Chicago, Illinois, in a restored 1928-vintage building inside the Loop, the city’s central business district. At the moment Virgin is threatening to kill off quite a few of the industry’s pet peeves all at once: they promise wi-fi that’s fast and truly free, a minibar with prices that match the corner shop, room service without the extortionate delivery fee, as well as plentiful closet space and lighting that’ll enable you to doll yourself up with confidence. (This last bit, they say, is aimed at women, but we say a well-lit vanity is a must for any gender.)

Virgin also promises solutions to problems you didn’t know you had. The bed, apparently, is convertible into something of a multi-use lounge space, with headboards and footboards that turn the whole thing into a kind of inward-facing sofa. A nice touch, especially considering the abject uselessness of most hotel-room seating. And the rooms, even at the entry level, can be divided in two by sliding doors — great for traveling companions whose sleep schedules aren’t quite aligned.

There’s also a huge emphasis on socializing, as anyone who’s familiar with any of the other Virgin travel brands would expect — two restaurants, a café, and a rooftop bar which will presumably wait for fairer weather to open. Will it work? This is a business that could use some fresh ideas, frankly, and if even half of what they’re trying to do actually comes off, the results will be impressive indeed.