CityGate Hospitality today announced it will reopen Hotel Arista June 1. Naperville’s only AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel is located on the CityGate campus at Rte. 59 & Ferry Rd. CityGate also will add al fresco dining at CityGate Grille Che Figata and Lavazza. These locations, along with Tap In Pub, will continue offering carryout service.
“We’ve been diligently preparing these past weeks to reopen,” said SVP and Chief Operating Officer Mae Calamos. “Our CityGate Hospitality leadership team has been studying and implementing CDC guidelines and industry recommendations, including procuring PPE for our associates well before it was mandated; our property and construction management team at Calamos Real Estate has been building and installing barriers, and making other modifications to protect our guests and associates.
“We are eager to once again see our campus abuzz and our community safely enjoying all we have to offer.”
CityGate Grille’s outdoor dining, beginning May 29, will use its expansive patio to seat as many as 60 socially distanced guests. It will offer both reserved seating through OpenTable and first-come standby seating. Che Figata will accept OpenTable reservations and walk-up guests for its patio seating beginning June 2; Lavazza, which offers carryout service, will re-set its patio for outdoor seating on an as-available basis.
While Hotel Arista fell under the essential business exception to the state mandate closing many local businesses, CityGate Hospitality made the choice to suspend hotel operations until safety modifications were in place. In addition to preparing to open the hotel in a safe manner, the operations team shifted the service model of its dine-in restaurants to offer carryout with curbside pickup and delivery, which was more than simply making existing menus available “to go”.
“Offering carryout service means more than putting food in boxes,” said Adam Tanner, executive chef for CityGate Grille and Tap In Pub. “Quality is first and foremost for CityGate Hospitality, and we took our time to make sure each of our meals will maintain their quality all the way to their destination so our guests could enjoy wonderful food in the comfort of their own homes.
“With outdoor dining, we’ll bring back some traditional favorites as well as new summertime items we hope everyone will enjoy.”
During the initial weeks of the state’s pandemic orders, CityGate Grille, Che Figata and Tap In Pub built online ordering and contact-free payment capabilities on their websites, and launched lunch and event catering services. A similar online order capability from Lavazza is underway.
“Our associates really stepped up,” said VP of Operations Dennis Igoe. “They got creative in their menu offerings but went further: Our kitchen and bar teams worked closely with our marketing-communications team to develop live, virtual classes and how-to videos to stay in touch with our guests, and offer guidance so they could prepare some of their favorite meals and drinks at home.
“These events will continue, and we will offer in-person programs as soon as we are able."
In addition, CityGate Hospitality associates and managers organized food donations and recruited volunteers for a local food pantry, and launched a community giving initiative benefitting five local nonprofit organizations with funds seeded by the John P. Calamos Foundation.
Some of the modifications guests will see when they arrive at Hotel Arista and at the restaurants will be PPE-wearing associates, social distancing markers, hand sanitizer throughout campus, and touchless doors to areas such as public restrooms. Meeting planners and event hosts can expect modified table and seating configurations, along with upgraded AV services to manage gatherings that blend in-person and virtual attendance.
Hotel guests also will be subject to a touchless temperature check and required to submit a health affidavit prior to checking in. Rooms on each floor will be placed in “out of order” status to minimize hallway traffic, and all rooms will undergo sanitation procedures. Some services, such as valet parking, will be suspended. However free self-parking in the hotel’s covered garage will remain available.
Arista Spa & Salon and Olympus Executive Fitness are expected to open later in the month. Meantime, the Spa is working toward offering some of its most exclusive brands for online purchase and curbside pickup, an e-commerce offering that will continue even when service appointments resume.
A full list of guidelines and modifications will be posted at www.citygatecentre.com and at www.hotelarista.com.