Inside Virgin Hotels’ Red Hot New York City Debut

On April 4, Virgin Hotels celebrated its long-awaited New York City debut with a full day of festivities. The celebration kicked off with Virgin founder Richard Branson—who had long dreamed of opening a hotel in the heart of Manhattan—welcoming an eager crowd on 30th Street to introduce Broadway star Colton Ryan’s performance of “New York, New York.” Spectators then counted down from 10 for Branson and Lam Group’s official ribbon cutting and confetti drop before flocking to the third-floor culinary space Everdene, where a Chinese Lion Dance, tarot card readers, live painters, stilt walkers, jugglers, and performers in larger-than-life martini glasses kept the party going. Guests enjoyed beverages by Tequila Don Julio and danced along to sets by DJ Love, Natasha Diggs, and Eli Escobar. Notables in attendance included LaQuan Smith, Kouros Maghsoudi, Serena Goh, Ana Villafañe, Deryck Todd, Amber Valentine, and more. Photos by Ben Rosser and Madison Voelkel/BFA.