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
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.