NAPERVILLE, ILL.—Hotel Arista has opened in Naperville, located 45 minutes from downtown Chicago. It is the city’s first luxury boutique hotel and is slated to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The property features 144 modern designed residential-style accommodations, as well as a signature restaurant, SugarToad. The restaurant is led by executive chef Jimmy Sneed. In Greece, a land known for its epic hospitality, Arista means “the best.” Hotel Arista, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, delivers a luxury hotel experience with its customer centric and environmentally friendly practices.
Hotel Arista’s 144 guestrooms are expansive, thoughtfully designed and offer the best in modern amenities. Offering urban sophistication in a suburban setting, Hotel Arista artfully balances luxury with eco-friendliness. The property uses 30 percent less water and 21 percent less energy than hotels of comparable size by adhering to LEED standards and to operational practices designed to conserve. All cleaning products are chemical-free, and abundant natural lighting contributes to the hotel’s energy savings. In development, the property committed to recycling 70 percent of construction waste as well.
Nationally acclaimed chef Jimmy Sneed brings simple food served in a casually elegant environment to Hotel Arista with his 95-seat restaurant, SugarToad. His regional American fare satisfies appetites of all types—small or large, adventure-seeking or safe. Sneed’s style of cooking harnesses the distinct flavors of the highest-quality ingredients, so his food is served unadorned by extraneous sauces or garnishes.
“I don’t stack, dribble, squirt or foam,” he says. “My recipe for great food is great product properly seasoned and properly cooked. People don’t have to ask the waiter what it is.”
Personal Host Welcomes Guests
The customer-centric approach and concern for well-being is why all guests are welcomed by a Personal Host upon arrival. Hosts assist hotel guests with room information, personal preferences and any special requests, without handing off responsibilities to other departments. Like the Host program, every aspect of Hotel Arista puts guests first, aiming to keep them well-rested, well-fed, well-informed and well-connected.
Hotel Arista’s sleek and modern design makes the property visually interesting both inside and out. The clean-lined building was conceptualized by Chicago-based architect Dirk Lohan, the grandson of Ludwid Mies Van der Rohe. Inside, the contemporary lobby features wood-slatted walls with mirrors in between and an illuminated onyx front desk. Travertine floors, granite walls and a gold-plated square motif ceiling work together to form public spaces, and a comfortable “Living Room” area that features handsome leather furniture, a fireplace and wet bar along one wall.
The 12,000-square-foot Club Arista wellness center (opening spring 2009) will give guests the option to escape with a posh spa/salon experience or re-energize with a workout or personal training session. The hotel features more than 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting space on three different levels.
While contemporary in style, Hotel Arista also makes subtle reference to the Greek heritage of the hotel’s founder, John Calamos of Calamos Real Estate Development, from the gentle music of the country greeting guests in the lobby to the presence of works by Greek artists in guestrooms and public spaces. A delicate aroma of Mediterranean fig and lavender also may be detected in the hotel’s public spaces.
Go to the Hotel Arista.
