From my visit to New York this past week+end, if you want to understand “identity” for hotels, look no further than Virgin Hotels New York.
This hotel is literally firing on all cylinders.
Located on Broadway in the Flatiron District and walkable from Penn Station, the first floor arrival is excellent: lively and sharply dressed front desk teams ready to help.
Then up on the third floor is some of the best public space area planning I’ve seen in an urban hotel:
– The living room-style Everdene splits off into a bar + private event space
– Vast outdoor patio overlooking the Empire State Building
– Indoor cafe (where the versicolor bookcase shot was taken)
– The Conservatory: an enclosed greenhouse for events
– Classy + vibrant Virgin-red staircase leading up to the fourth floor where one finds the pool (and Pool Club)
Up on the 38th floor, they have another speakeasy (the Riff Raff Club) overlooking all of Midtown, alongside one of the absolute best event spaces (The Loft) with triple-height ceilings as well as a stylish Green Room for VIPs (where the pic of yours truly was taken, although I’m hardly a VIP… 🥲)
Not pictured because I chose not to take pictures of people in repose was the spa: exhale Spa which had its own sauna + snow room.
Then in the rooms, I love Virgin’s concept of a “Sleep Chamber” because it’s so distinctly furnished.
Unlike many other guestroom designs where you couldn’t tell brand X from chain Y, you know when you’re in a Virgin room.
And that’s what we mean when we talk about “identity”.
It’s about feeling; it’s about fun and delighting the senses.
Designing the brand style really goes a long way to create a multi-property product that people can trust and want to visit other locations.
If you live in the city or are visiting, be sure to check out the Virgin Hotel NY.
Special thanks for showing me around to: Andrea Puizina CITP, HMCC Christopher Vega Valene Anglin
