New Virgin Hotel Opens in NoMad Area of NYC as Tourism Returns

By: Don Driggers

Hotels in New York City are making a huge post-Covid comeback, and none are making a bigger splash than Richard Burton’s new Virgin Hotel. While the property quietly opened in February, a glam opening celebration is scheduled for April 4 — and the lodging is quickly becoming a hot spot for drinks, eats, events and stays, according to The New York Post.

The brand new hotel, located in the trendy NoMad neighborhood at the corner of Broadway and West 30th, has 39 stories that encompass nearly 19,000 square feet of event spaces as well as 460 “chambers” — all with Virgin red doors. There are a few 770-square-foot suites as well as two “Sir Richard’s Flats” — 2,800 square-foot two-bedroom duplexes across the 35th and 36th floors. The two can also be combined into an even larger spread.

The New York Post gives an exclusive account of the glass-enclosed 38th-floor Sky Lounge event space and outdoor observation deck on the top of the tower have already been snapped up by designers for Fashion Week runway shows — and are sure to be a coveted spot for weddings and corporate get-togethers. Elsewhere, the fourth floor holds the hotel’s private outdoor oasis with a heated pool — that opens this summer — on a deck that’s just for guests.

Anyone looking for fabulous food will not be disappointed. The New York Post reports that renowned Chef Freddy Vargas — famous for Scarpetta, and more recently the new Arva and Nama at Aman New York in the Crown Building — is now rustling up the menus for Virgin’s upcoming fine-dining restaurant concept inspired by modern Italian cuisine with global influences that opens later this spring on the fourth floor.

Virgin is known for being unique. The other public areas of the sparkling property bring luxury and glamour with one, the Shag Room, being immersed in deep Virgin red with velvet banquettes. Touch, but don’t pull on the Soda Can wall sculpture that’s made of thousands of metal pop-tops all linked together in long chains.

The library restaurant area on the opposite end of the floor has archways of books arranged by color — while brass accent arches break up a large window and add to the Art Deco-lite theme.

The Virgin Hotel may be brand new, but they are not wasting any time in getting the party started. Already Brooklyn’s House of Yes is hosting two Queen Supreme drag queen brunch extravaganzas on Sunday afternoons with drag, cabaret and circus acts for $75. This is 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.”