Richard Branson's first hotel opened in Chicago in 2015, occupying the Old Dearborn Bank Building on Wabash Avenue with a lifestyle-hotel format that prioritizes communal spaces, tech integration, and a rooftop bar over traditional luxury. The rooms split into 'chambers' with a dressing area separated from the sleeping and living space by a sliding door — a practical innovation for business travelers who need to dress for meetings while a partner sleeps. Cerise, the rooftop bar and lounge, offers Loop skyline views and a scene that draws as many locals as guests. The Commons Club restaurant and bar on the ground floor functions as the hotel's living room.
Location
The Loop, Chicago
Map
Insider Intel
A chamber (room) on an upper floor facing north or east for views of the river, Marina City, and the Wrigley Building. Cerise rooftop for drinks — the Loop skyline from above is different from the West Loop perspective and worth comparing. The two-room chamber layout is worth the upgrade if you value the separation between dressing area and sleeping space. The Commons Club for a drink in the lobby-bar atmosphere.
Year-round. The Loop location is consistent regardless of season. Cerise rooftop is seasonal (roughly May through October). Weekend rates often drop below weekday business-travel pricing, which inverts the usual hotel economics.
The Wabash Avenue location is central Loop — the L stations at State/Lake and Washington are one block away, the Art Institute is a ten-minute walk south, and the Riverwalk is three blocks north. The lifestyle-hotel format means the vibe is younger and louder than a traditional business hotel. Cerise rooftop is open to the public and draws a weekend crowd. Room rates run $250-450. The tech integration (app-based room controls, streaming to the TV) is genuinely useful. The historic bank building's architectural details — the lobby ceiling, the facade — survive the conversion handsomely.