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US: Plans for the independent boutique hotel Backbeat, designed by Studio Rodrigo Buelvas and Jonathan Splitt Architects, have been unveiled ahead the property’s scheduled opening 2028.
The six-storey hotel will be built on the site of Yoshi’s Café which closed in 2021. Demolition of the existing structure is expected later this year.
The 41,000-square-foot property, located in the Northalsted neighbourhood of Chicago, will feature a street-level restaurant, a below-ground lounge, and a rooftop pool and bar with a retractable roof. Its 50 guest rooms will include 12 suites.
Design will be directed Miami-based Studio Rodrigo Buelvas in collaboration with Chicago-based Jonathan Splitt Architects.
“At Backbeat Hotel, hospitality becomes a celebration of identity, nostalgia, and unapologetic style. Welcome to a singular property imagined as a sanctuary of glamour and expression, where design is a bold declaration,” said Buelvas, creative director of design. “Interiors are wrapped in rich, sun-drenched palettes and electrifying nighttime tones, echoing the rhythms of Chicago’s legendary nightlife and the warmth of a community that thrives on self-expression.”
Highlights:
- Backbeat Hotel has revealed plans for a 50-room hotel in Chicago’s Northalsted district.
- Amenities include a rooftop pool and bar with skyline views, retractable roof, plus a restaurant, lounge, and social spaces.
- Led by Jonathan Splitt Architects with design direction from Studio Rodrigo Buelvas.
- Anticipated opening in 2028, with demolition scheduled for later this year.
