It hasn’t come quietly.
Eventually, Sir Richard Branson’s retail base swells New Virgin Hotel in NoMad — at the corner of Broadway and West 30th Street — features a giant “NYC OMG” in the brand’s signature red letters.
While the property quietly opened in February, a glam opening ceremony is scheduled for April 4 – and the accommodation is quickly becoming a hot spot for drinks, eats, events and stays.
With architecture by Brooklyn-based MarkJeff and design by Stantec, a light and playful touch is evident at every turn. For example, the “Where’s Richard” lobby mural “Where’s Waldo?” by Nigel Sussman. But there is a drama.
Its 39 stories include nearly 19,000 square feet of event space as well as 460 “rooms”—all with Virgin Red doors.
There are some 770-square-foot suites as well as two “Sir Richard’s flats”—2,800-square-foot two-bedroom duplexes—on the 35th and 36th floors. The two can be combined into an even larger spread.
the walls here are decorated with some Virgin CEO Branson’s own photos and artwork that commemorate everything from Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines to his own Virgin Galactic flight into space.
Although the 277-square-foot chambers may seem small to some, they have floor-to-ceiling windows and almost all have iconic views of the Empire State Building just four blocks away from downtown.
Starting nightly rates are $595, but a web search found rooms for $400 and up and even a few scattered dates for $336. (New York State residents can get a 25% rate reduction for stays while other specials are available on the hotel’s website.)
It’s not just for sleeping.
The glass-enclosed 38th-floor Sky Lounge event space and outdoor observation deck at the top of the tower has already been prepared by designers for Fashion Week runway shows – and is sure to be a coveted spot for weddings and corporate get-togethers is the location.
Elsewhere, the fourth floor houses the hotel’s private outdoor oasis with a heated pool—which opens this summer—on a deck that’s just for guests.
But the public can drink and eat at the striking-looking sapphire blue indoor bar.
Chef Freddy Vargas — known for Scarpetta, and most recently the new Arava and Nama at Aman New York in the Crown Building — is now rustling up the menu for Virgin’s upcoming fine-dining restaurant concept inspired by modern Italian cuisine which opens later. This spring on the fourth floor.
Huge red stairs connect to the third floor below, which is already open to the public and worth visiting – drink or no drink.
This Everdeen restaurant and bar is spread over 4,000 square feet and has large outdoor terraces that are active from the bustling street below.
A sumptuous area – the Shag Room – is decked out in velvet banquettes dipped in deep Virgin Red. Touch, but don’t pull, the Soda Can Wall Sculpture, which is made of thousands of metal pop-tops, all linked together in long chains.
The library restaurant area at the opposite end of the floor has arches of books arranged by color—while brass accent arches break up a large window and add to the Art Deco-lit theme.
To get the party going, the Brooklyn House of Yes is hosting a $75 Two Queen Supreme Drag Queen Brunch Extravaganza with drag, cabaret and circus acts on Sunday afternoons.
It’s suggested for mature audiences who may be caught on camera, but attendees are expected to get into the spirit of the experience with “glamour, glitter and fab style vibes”.