‘The Social Hotel’: SOVA Prepares to Open its Doors in Downtown Dallas

Two local brothers are preparing to open the city's first "social" boutique hotel this summer. The new approach puts guests in micro-rooms in exchange for access to luxurious elements sourced from around the world at a lower rate. Geared toward frequent travelers, the hostel-meets-luxury model provides group spaces, curated travel itineraries, and daily activity recommendations.

Coming soon to downtown Dallas is SOVA, a premier boutique hotel that has announced plans to revamp the hospitality industry with its new hotspot that’s “fresh to the shores of America.”

Developed by 27-year-old twin brothers, Blake and Brandon Shirk, SOVA was born out of the pair’s passion for traveling, but also their need to save money. It wasn’t long until the brothers noticed a gap in the U.S. market for cost-effective boutique hotels.

Refusing to sacrifice their love of exploring, they decided to start their own project: high-end, minimalist hotel rooms amongst carefully designed, inviting group spaces.

Every aspect inside SOVA tells a story, which is exactly how the Shirks envisioned each guest’s experience to be.

“What stories do you have from your life? We would wager that many of the stories you share from past years are from your travel experiences,” the Shirks said in a statement. “We want to help weave those stories and ensure that you have memorable ones with new friends.”

Because travel is frequently synonymous with adventure, SOVA uniquely works to provide guests with an unforgettable experience and stories to share. The boutique hotel exudes adventure and incorporates elements from around the world, tying them together to offer guests a sense of community and comfort.

The layout of the hotel is very hostel-meets-luxury. At SOVA, guests stay in micro-rooms—but in exchange for smaller spaces, they receive lavish elements sourced from around the world at a lower rate. Each room combines features from 50 diverse countries, offering a luxurious haven to lay down at night before taking on another day of adventure.

On its website, SOVA touts its “luxury grade mattresses, 7-foot-high SOVA Monsoon showers, free blazing fast WiFi networks,” and “cutting-edge Japanese robotic toilets.” The Shirks say they even purchased custom furniture to fill the rooms and public areas, because “let’s face it: you’re worth it.”

Guests are encouraged to enjoy all amenities, including the SOVA bar and daily activity recommendations offered by the local ‘travel guides’ on staff. Travelers create personalized itineraries, as well as invite guest to join the SOVA community for a weekend pub crawl, morning jog, or cafe tour to explore the city.

In addition, SOVA provides a bespoke city guide for each guest written by locals, which describes their favorite nook bars and TexMex restaurants.

And in order to provide guest with great hospitality, the Shirks needed to find an even greater city. 

“We love walkability. So, setting walkability as a goal, we spent over six months touring every available location in Dallas to try and find the best location so you can sleep where you want to spend your time,” the Shirks write on their website. “We are walking distance to Deep Ellum, Downtown, and Farmers Market. This gives you walking access to dozens of bars and restaurants, to urban features like AT&T Discovery Plaza, Majestic Theater, and Klyde Warren Park, and to the local greenery and freshness in Farmers Market.”

Ready for an adventure? SOVA will open to the public in late May and will be located at 2105 Commerce Street.

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