53rd Street’s new Sophy Hotel officially opened to the public on Monday, October 1 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring speakers Wallace Good, Executive Director of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce; Leslie Hairston, 5th Ward Alderman; David Whitaker, President & CEO of Choose Chicago; and Anthony Beach, General Manager of the Sophy Hotel.
Developed by The Olympia Companies and SMART Hotels, the 98-room boutique hotel is located at 1411 E. 53rd Street, at the corner of 53rd Street and Dorchester Avenue in Hyde Park.
As the first boutique hotel in the historic South Side neighborhood, the architect and interior designers “took inspiration from this unique heritage when creating SOPHY Hyde Park. The name SOPHY is rooted in the Greek word ‘sophia,’ meaning wisdom and dedication to excellence through the pursuit of knowledge. It pays tribute to Hyde Park’s unique legacy and is reflected in both SOPHY’s architecture and design. The hotel is located close to the University of Chicago campus, the Museum of Science and Industry, the site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House and the future Barack Obama Presidential Center.”
Guest room categories include the Deluxe King Room, Deluxe Double Queen Room, Novel Suite, Dorchester Suite, and Opus Suite. The welcoming, unique rooms feature artwork by local artists, books, and record players with a selection of Chicago musicians on vinyl.
The Sophy Hotel lobby is anchored by 15-foot, double-sided fireplace, separating the reception area from the Mesler Kitchen | Bar | Lounge, which offers a daily brunch, dinner, and bar menu in addition to room service. Detroit-native Executive Chef Bradford Shovlin is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and previously worked in Chicago at the Michelin-starred North Pond as well as Crofton on Wells. The dining room artwork includes pieces by students at nearby Hyde Park Academy High School as well as shelves with books curated by 57th Street Books. The Mesler outdoor lounge area seats 24 people, and a separate indoor private dining room seats up to 14 with a private outdoor patio and fire pit.
General Manager Anthony Beach previously managed Hyde Park’s Hyatt Place – he has been a resident of Hyde Park for the past 12 years and is an alumnus of Hyde Park Academy High School. In a statement to the online publication Hotel Management, Beach noted, “Hyde Park is a Chicago treasure, in the midst of an exciting renaissance, and a place that’s near and dear to me professionally and personally. Sophy is already an integral part of this vibrant neighborhood. I’m looking forward to working with the Hyde Park community to create this groundbreaking hotel and adding to the fabric of Chicago’s legendary neighborhood.”
