Virgin Hotels’ first property earns LEED Gold certification

Virgin Hotels has announced the brand’s first property, Virgin Hotels Chicago, has achieved LEED Gold certification, a benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Washington, and Virgin Hotels celebrated the achievement with a hosted panel discussion surrounding reducing carbon, reaching net zero and greening supply chains in the hospitality industry.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the world’s most widely used green building rating system, says USGBC, which manages the certification program. LEED projects can be found in more than 150 countries and territories throughout the world, with more than 1.85 million square feet of space being certified every day.

“Our goal as a company is to have all our properties achieve LEED Silver, so we are ecstatic to have exceeded that benchmark in Chicago,” says Raul Leal, CEO of Virgin Hotels. “As we continue to open additional properties, we have aspirational goals of moving towards a net zero carbon footprint across the board.”

Virgin Hotels Chicago is located at 203 N. Wabash in the former Old Dearborn Bank building, a property built in 1928, and designated in 2003 as a Chicago landmark. Through an extensive restoration and renovation process, Virgin Hotels says it reconditioned much of the building’s interior to its original form, including the lobby desk and ornate plaster ceilings. Modern updates were installed to meet LEED certification standards, using green strategies respectful of the building’s historic content, according to the company.

The 27-story hotel has 250 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a rooftop bar and lounge, a wellness facility, meeting rooms and prefunction spaces, and the Virgin Hotels Commons Club.

“While keeping the historic elements of the existing building we creatively were able to do a good amount of work, such as adding a roof deck terrace expanding the existing penthouse with a new green roof above,” says Jefferson Thomas, director of architecture for Virgin Hotels. “We are also using technology, such as smart thermostats and occupancy sensors, as a way to save energy when guests are not occupying the hotel guestrooms.”

Additional highlights outlined by the company include high-performance windows and sensor lighting that reduce energy use, water-efficient toilets and aerated lavatory faucets that assist with water conservation, and high insulation walls and roofing that reduce heating and cooling costs.

In addition to the company’s efforts toward green building, Virgin Hotels says its guests can do their part to help make the world a little greener: Beginning Monday, Jan. 18, guests will be able to donate $.75 per night to offset their carbon footprint while staying at Virgin Hotels Chicago.

“Chicago is one of the great global cities, setting a high bar for sustainability across its iconic skyline,” says Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC’s CEO and founding chair. “From The Loop to Lakeshore Drive, from McCormick Place to the Merchandise Mart, so many of the city’s great buildings proudly display their LEED plaques as a symbol of their environmental commitment. We’re excited to celebrate Virgin Hotels Chicago as the latest addition to this prestigious list of Chicago LEED buildings. Virgin Group’s environmental leadership is legendary, and this remaking of a Chicago landmark into a 21st century model of energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, and human health enhancement is a significant achievement and sets a high bar for the global hospitality sector.”

Virgin Hotels Chicago is open, with Nashville, Dallas and New York properties slated to open next, the company says. Virgin Hotels says it continues to explore properties in cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, the District of Columbia, and London, locations where it is pursuing hotel and office conversions and ground-up development.