Meeting... Teddy Mayer

PROFILE Teddy Mayer Creative Director and Vice President of Design, Virgin Hotels

Since joining Virgin Hotels’ Miami office in 2015, Teddy Mayer has overseen the vision and execution of the group’s portfolio, working closely with creative consultants to bring its properties to life.

Recent Openings: Virgin Hotels New Orleans, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

Upcoming Openings: Virgin Hotels Glasgow (2023); Virgin Hotels New York (2023); Virgin Hotels Miami (2023)

As Virgin Hotels arrives in the UK, the group’s Creative Director and Vice President of Design Teddy Mayer reveals how the brand is retaining a playful identity while tapping into the locale.

Words: Ben Thomas

Over the past 50 years, Virgin Group has built a reputation for disrupting the travel market, stamping its signature red on trains, planes and more recently cruise ships and spacecraft. And though Sir Richard Branson didn’t open his first hotel until 2015, the group has since made its mark, bringing a distinctly playful style to the hospitality industry.

But alongside the whimsical sculptures, eclectic artworks and ever-present splashes of scarlet, the brand is in fact taking a hyperlocal approach, ensuring its projects fit within the cities they call home. In Chicago for instance, where Virgin purchased a 27-storey former bank in the Loop neighbourhood, many of the structure’s original design features influenced the look and feel of the hotel; in the lobby, polished brass elevator doors, a limestone staircase complete with an oak banister, and a 1920s cigar bar – now used as a reception desk – all hark back to the building’s former life. This contextually aware ethos has been applied to the design scheme of every property since, from the Mojave Desert-inspired décor of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas – which pays homage to the surrounding landscape of cacti, Joshua trees and red rock mountains – to the southern residential feel of Virgin Hotels New Orleans, where tropical architectural motifs mirror the plant life that thrives in the region. Even the corridor carpets take cues from Henri Matisse’s book Jazz, in keeping with New Orleans’ French Quarter.

“Virgin Hotels New Orleans has become our gold standard,” says Creative Director and Vice President of Design Teddy Mayer, who partnered with local firm Logan Killen Interiors to create a sense of authenticity through contextual references. “The spirit of collaboration has always been woven through Virgin’s design process, but in recent years we have shifted our strategy to focus on local creatives with their finger on the pulse of a community.”

Considering the New Orleans property is a newbuild, this insider knowledge of the city’s culture was fundamental in developing interiors that channelled the same easy-going, laidback attitude of local jazz clubs. “Logan Killen understood our brand but more importantly how to weave that into the story of the hotel without beating guests over the head with it,” explains Mayer of the practice, which brought a fresh perspective to the project having never designed a hotel before. “Richard Branson has famously supported entrepreneurs, but we forget that architects and designers are entrepreneurs too. We want to support up-and-coming creatives and those that haven’t worked on hotels; we know what works and what doesn’t work in our properties, so we can bridge the gap.”

The resulting scheme is a marriage of

homegrown art, historic detailing and Art Deco-inspired elements, with abstract works by New Orleans natives Ansley Givhan and Jane Talton hanging above rattan tables and rug-covered ottomans, and panelled doors reflecting the French style commonly seen across the city. The design team also referenced the beads worn by Mardi Gras Indians during their parades, collaborating with another native artist to create a wall mosaic of indigenous patterns. “We always like to include a little tongue-in-cheek – that’s the Virgin way – but also want to be the best neighbour on the block, tapping into the surrounding artistic talent,” Mayer affirms. “Our approach is neighbourhood-focused because no city is the same in every district.”

Local influences are aplenty at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh too, which opened earlier this year and marks the group’s first property outside the US. Occupying the historic India Buildings in the Scottish capital’s Old Town, the 222-key development blends Victorianera details with a surprisingly pared-back palette and soft textures, channelling the Virgin spirit through an Edinburgh-inspired lens. “The design scheme is very much heritage driven, as there’s such a rich history and context to draw from,” says Mayer, adding that local partners Ica, Four-by-Two and Joelle Reid Interiors were brought in to help preserve the original structure’s notable elements while adding touches of luxury. “We could have hired any set of designers from around the world but they would have given us an outsider’s interpretation of Edinburgh. By collaborating with native firms, we’re able to understand what resonates with both travellers and residents, especially given the latter form a major part of our F&B strategy.”

Adapting its signature spaces to Edinburgh, Virgin positioned flagship restaurant Commons Club in the once sealed-up cellars below street level, honouring the history of the structure by building around exposed stone arches and converting some into wine cabinets. The group also wrapped the ground-floor bar in preserved timber panelling and retained an original fireplace, which roars away to create an atmospheric retreat from the busy capital. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of signature elements to be found throughout, from the double doors on entry – painted in the group’s trademark colour – to an internal walkway clad entirely in red marble. Then there’s The Scarlet Lounge, known as The Shag Room in the States, where fringed curtains and sumptuous curving sofas – all red, of course – provides the ideal spot for throwing a party, which Virgin knows how to do all too well.

At Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, the ground-floor bar is wrapped in preserved timber panelling framing an original marble fireplace

Across the interiors, eclectic artworks curated by Visto take cues from the character of Scotland, with cultural icons like Mary Queen of Scots depicted alongside seductive rouge lips, successfully intertwining tradition and playfulness in equal measure.

The history of the destination played a key role in developing the scheme for Edinburgh and does so across the board for Virgin, with Mayer highlighting the importance of cultural references in differentiating its signature spaces. “Our Commons Clubs are consistent across the portfolio and draw people into the hotel’s activity, but each has its own identity. Guests always understand what the experience is, though they see it through the eyes of the location.”

The same will be true of Glasgow and New York, both due to launch in the coming months. Despite its proximity to Edinburgh, Virgin Hotels Glasgow will take on an entirely different aesthetic, with interiors by Four-By-Two referencing the city’s metal and shipbuilding industries as well as its design and art heritage.

Across the Atlantic in New York’s NoMad neighbourhood, the visual narrative will be closer to that of a contemporary loft, with local firm Mark Zeff Design injecting the light, airy ambiance of residential apartments into the décor of signature Virgin venues like Commons Club, Funny Library Coffee Shop and The Pool Club – a staple introduced at some of the group’s North American properties. “In New York, our Commons Club features a large terrace and lots of natural materials,” says Mayer. “But then we have a bright-red staircase to connect the two levels. Sometimes, a little red goes a long way!” While Virgin’s design approach has evolved to become more in tune with the surroundings, the brand doesn’t plan on toning down its spirited style anytime soon, so expect to see splashes of red for years to come. “We always try to build a timeless experience, which may come as a surprise for those new to the Virgin Hotels brand,” Mayer concludes. “From a guest perspective, our aim is to create sensitive and soulful spaces that add to the culture of a city.”