Revealed: Sir Richard Branson to open first Virgin Hotel in London, with the 120-room Shoreditch property taking bookings from July

Sir Richard Branson is opening his first Virgin Hotels site in London this summer, complete with a showcase Spanish restaurant, a rooftop bar, a private members club and more.

The new hotel will be the eighth Virgin Hotels location and the 17th property for the wider Virgin Hotels Collection.

It follows the announcement of a new property in Kenya and the launches of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh and Virgin Hotels New York in 2023.

Bookings for the 120-bedroom hotel, located at 45 Curtain Road in the heart of Shoreditch, will open in early July for reservations starting on August 1.

The upcoming hotel is a conversion of the existing Mondrian London Shoreditch. 

Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch will form part of a long-term agreement between Virgin Hotels and real estate investment and development firm Reuben Brothers, which owns the property.

It will offer its ‘showcase’ Spanish restaurant BiBo in association with chef Dani Garcia, a rooftop bar pool, restaurant, private members club, gym, and treatment rooms managed by Blue Marlin Ibiza. All of which guests will have access to.

Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, commented: ‘We’re all absolutely delighted that Virgin Hotels Collection will be opening a Virgin hotel in London. 

‘Since the inception of Virgin Hotels, we’ve had our sights set on London, a place that so many of our customers either call home or name as one of their favourite destinations – and, of course, where Virgin’s story started.

‘At Virgin, we’ve been disrupting the travel industry for more than 40 years, from land to air to sea – even space. Our success comes from identifying where we can make a difference.

The 120-bedroom hotel (rendering above) will be taking bookings from early July for reservations starting on August 1

‘Virgin Atlantic customers have always said to me that we give them a wonderful experience in the sky, but they don’t have the same Virgin experience when they land. Well, we’ve sorted that in Las Vegas, New York, Edinburgh and now London.’

James Bermingham, CEO of Virgin Hotels Collection, said: ‘This year marks 10 years of Virgin Hotels and what a way to start the early celebrations as we announce our newest hotel in one of the world’s most famous cities.

‘We are all truly delighted Shoreditch, London will be home to the next location for Virgin Hotels and what an extraordinary one it will be. 

‘We pride ourselves in having hotels in the very best locations across our key cities, and Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch will be in the epicentre of one of London’s most cultured and creative areas.’

The London expansion also gives members of the Virgin Hotels’ The Know loyalty programme and Virgin Red, the rewards club for Virgin, a London home to earn and redeem Virgin Points. Further details are expected to be announced later this year.

For more information about Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch, visit virginhotels.com/london-shoreditch or find out more on the portfolio at www.virginhotels.com.