Virgin Hotels has announced it will open its first London hotel on 1 August, taking over the former Mondrian Shoreditch.

The 120-room property will undergo a gradual transformation to a fully-fledged Virgin hotel, according to the company. This includes being fitted out with Virgin Hotels’ patented beds and mattresses, red Smeg fridges, and a top category suite called Richard’s Flat. All guests will have access to the Lucy App, enabling complete room control through their phone.

BiBo, an existing Spanish restaurant on the property, will remain open in association with world-famous chef, Dani Garcia. Similarly, the existing lobby bar and cafe – Christina’s – will remain open, before being re-concepted into a unique (and very Virgin) eatery in 2025.

The hotel will also offer a rooftop bar, pool, restaurant, private members club, and treatment rooms managed by Ibiza’s Blue Marlin.

Commenting on the announcement, Richard Branson said: “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.”

Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch will form part of a long-term agreement between Virgin Hotels and Reuben Brothers – global leaders in real estate investment and development.

The property will become Virgin Hotel Collection’s 17th location, and comes hot on the heels of the new Finch Hattons property in Kenya joining the Virgin Hotels Collection, following the launches of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh and Virgin Hotels New York in 2023.

The London hotel will also provide a home for Virgin Hotels’ The Know loyalty program and Virgin Red members in London. Virgin Red members will be able to earn seven points per pound spent on nightly room rates, to spend on extraordinary experiences across the Virgin Group and beyond.