The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Hotel prepares ribbon cutting
The Ariel Broadway Hotel is nearly ready to host guests who come in one day and leave the next, with eating, drinking and sleeping in between.
Local government officials and business leaders will gather March 2 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open — almost — the hotel, the largest phase of Ariel on Broadway, 301 Broadway.
The hotel has staff in training and rooms complete. The final piece of the puzzle will be the computerized reservation system to ensure guests have a smooth experience ordering a room.
“I’m delighted to be a part of downtown Lorain’s renaissance,” said developer Radhika Raddy, partner in Ariel Ventures LLC of Cleveland.
The hotel already has had daily visitors in February.
It is home to the Lorain Growth Corp., Lolipop’s Gift Shop, Game On Lorain sports bar and Cakes by the Lake bakery, with more to come.
It also is the site of many memories for area residents.
Some have visited and shared those, Reddy said, which is a motivator in creating the rejuvenated hotel.
“Everyone says, wow, we love it,” she said. “That’s the most rewarding part, seeing the final product. The people of Lorain are so happy and grateful.”
“People are very, very appreciative,” said Bob Van Bergen, general manager for the Ariel Broadway Hotel.
Van Bergen, a Cleveland native who now lives in North Ridgeville, opened the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Elyria — and eight other hotels across the country.
He has managed 30 in his career.
“My team is excited about delivering an extraordinary service experience for the people,” Van Bergen said.
The staff have been in training since Feb. 20 with assistance from Cobblestone Hotels.
Since starting in 2008, the Neenah, Wis.-based hotel company has grown to 162 properties in 27 states.
“We’ve been putting things in the rooms, setting the rooms up, cleaning them from their construction days, making beds, unpacking boxes of boxes of everything,” Van Bergen said.
The list includes televisions, refrigerators, coffee makers, ironing boards and much more.
Working hard
“So they’re getting training, so all the staff have been trained right from unpacking to putting them into the rooms,” Reddy said.
“When you put in that kind of time and effort into making something open, you usually buy into it a little bit more,” Van Bergen said. “It’s more your hotel when you’ve invested your hard work and labor into it.”
In the lodging business, there is no greater feeling than opening the doors of a new hotel, Van Bergen said.
The workers will have that experience for the rest of their lives, he said.
More computer and skills training is scheduled this week.
Reddy’s development company is women-owned, so women make up much of the hotel staff.
New jobs
“New jobs in Lorain are always a good thing,” said Tony Gallo, president of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber hosted its February Business After Hours event at the hotel and with the Lorain Rotary Club, sponsored Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley’s State of the City Address.
Both drew records attendance, Gallo said.
The announcement of the hotel was a commitment that inspired other businesses to open on and
around Broadway, Gallo added.
He predicted other local businesses will benefit from more people in downtown Lorain, especially during the summer season when the Rockin’ on the River concert series draws thousands of people on Friday nights.
The building is more than just a hotel, Van Bergen said.
Guests can have dinner, cocktails or a beer in a sports bar, then wake up
to Seattle’s Best Coffee and buy danish, gifts and chocolates, and learn about Lorain, Van Bergen said.
The potential for dinner-and-activity packages “is unlimited here,” he said.
“There’s a lot to do in this hotel,” Van Bergen said.
“And in the surrounding area,” Reddy said.
“And I haven’t even said a word about the event center, which is spectacular, and the rooftop,” Van Bergen said. “It just goes on and on.”