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UK: Virgin Hotels has completed the refurbishment of its London-Shoreditch property, unveiling new suites and a hi-fi listening bar.
Located on Curtain Road, the 120-bedroom hotel revealed the final phase of its transformation today, with Richard Branson attending the opening.
The project includes 14 new suites and a venue called Hidden Grooves, a vintage-inspired music bar.
The hotel, Virgin Hotels’ seventeenth property worldwide, marks the brand’s first hotel in London. Virgin Hotels is part of the Virgin Hotels Collection, which operates in cities such as New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Edinburgh.
Hidden Grooves has been designed to resemble a 1970s living room, featuring vintage furniture and music memorabilia. Inspired by Japanese listening bars and the early Virgin Records era, the venue includes a studio-album-themed cocktail menu and a vinyl-focused music programme. Music is played on sound systems built by London-based Project Audio.
The new suites, created in partnership with Lynne Hunt London and Virgin Hotels’ in-house design team, draw inspiration from the 1970s. Interiors feature a colour palette of rust, olive green, pale blue and cream, with boucle, velvet and leather textures.
Custom furniture, Virgin Hotels’ patented beds, and bespoke timber wardrobes are among the suite’s key features.
Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, said: “It’s a tribute to Virgin’s music roots. We built our name on records – now inside our beautiful new hotel, we’ve built a space where people can enjoy them again. Who also doesn’t remember visiting a Virgin Megastore and listening to the music before choosing which album to buy? This is exactly what I wanted to recreate with Hidden Grooves.”
Branson added: “I’m absolutely delighted to celebrate the grand opening of Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch. London is where we started Virgin more than 50 years ago, and it feels really special to mark the opening of our first hotel here. Virgin Hotels was built on the idea of doing things differently, and Shoreditch is a perfect reflection of that spirit.”
James Bermingham, chief executive officer of Virgin Hotels Collection, said: “Since the hotel opened its doors last August, it has been undergoing a phased transformation, and we couldn’t be more excited to finally unveil Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch and officially celebrate our 17th property in the Virgin Hotels Collection.”
Hotel amenities include a rooftop pool, gym, treatment rooms, a rooftop club, the Marlin’s on the Roof restaurant, and the Lucy app for personalised service. A new signature restaurant is scheduled to open later this spring.
Highlights:
- Virgin Hotels completes refurbishment of its Shoreditch property with new suites and a hi-fi listening bar.
- Hidden Grooves, a vinyl-focused bar inspired by Virgin Records, opens as part of the final phase.
- Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch marks the brand’s first hotel in London and seventeenth globally.
