2 hotel developments now planned or proposed for Chicago's Northalsted district
Not one, but two hotels are now planned or proposed for Chicago's Northalsted LGBTQ+ nightlife district.
In a news release published Wednesday on GlobeNewswire, Tryst Hospitality announced plans for a new hotel at 3350-3352 N. Halsted St. The site is currently occupied by the former D.S. Tequila, which closed in November 2023 after 14 years in business.
Tryst Hospitality, which has owned the property since 2024, plans to open a five-story, 21-room boutique hotel with a new restaurant and nightclub and an enclosed rooftop with a pool and bar.
Tryst said the boutique gay luxury hotel is "designed to feel intimate, design-forward, and deeply connected to the community." Tryst already operates a hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and recently also opened a beachfront hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Tryst Hotels are also planned for Fire Island in New York State; Provincetown, Massachusetts; Wilton Manors, Florida; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The news release did not specify a projected opening date for the Chicago Tryst Hotel. The release said Tryst Hospitality has submitted plans to the City of Chicago and has launched community meetings — including a publicly hosted Zoom meeting with Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) and interested neighbors.
"Northalsted is one of the most dynamic queer villages in the world, and it deserves a luxury gay hotel that matches its energy," Tristan Schukraft, founder and chief executive officer of Tryst Hospitality, said in a news release. "We want to give people a reason to stay in the neighborhood, not just pass through it, creating a space that belongs to locals, welcomes travelers, and becomes a new hub for gay culture and nightlife."
Renderings from Tryst Hospitality show the new hotel building nestled between the Roscoe's Tavern building to the north and the newer building that houses Rollapalooza and Elevate Coffee to the south. Both buildings also house residences on their upper floors.
The former D.S. Tequila building also houses apartments on the upper two floors, and features an intricate graystone façade. Based on renderings provided by Tryst Hospitality, the hotel development would involve the demolition of the existing building — as well as a single-story addition with a sloped roof to its north, which was also used by D.S. Tequila.
D.S. Tequila, a popular Tex-Mex restaurant and bar, opened in 2010. It was a project from the owners of Minibar, formerly located across the street, and featured its own brand of tequila.
The Tryst Hotel is one of two hotel developments planned for the Northalsted District, previously popularly known as Boystown. The other project is much farther ahead.
In March of last year, the Chicago City Council approved a project now named the Backbeat Hotel, a 50-room independent boutique hotel to be constructed at 3255 N. Halsted St. and to open in 2028. The name of the hotel honors Chicago's house music legacy.
The Backbeat Hotel will feature a rooftop pool and deck with skyline views, a full-service restaurant, and a luxury lounge, "all designed to flow seamlessly from day into night," according to the development website.
The hotel will be constructed at the southeast corner of Halsted Street and Aldine Avenue on the site building that used to house Yoshi's Café, which has sat vacant since the restaurant closed in December 2021 after nearly 40 years in business.
Demolition of the old Yoshi's building is set to begin this summer, with 18 months of construction to follow, the Windy City Times reported this month.
The developer for the Backbeat Hotel is Allan O'Brien, owner of Men's Room Chicago, a popular fashion store a few hundred feet away on Halsted Street.
