UPDATE: June 8/20
As Phase 1 of the Government of Alberta’s COVID response led to a loosening of restrictions, Hotel Arts Group made the decision to open up several of our business units.
We reopened Hotel Arts Kensington and Oxbow Restaurant & Lobby Lounge on June 4. Oxbow will be open for dinner Tuesday thru Saturday at 5pm and also for weekend brunch from 8am – 2pm. Visit www.hotelartskensington.com & www.oxbowyyc.ca for more details and to see our new offerings.
Yellow Door Bistro also reopened on June 4. It will be open daily for breakfast and dinner service. Yellow Door Bistro will also bring back our popular Weekend Brunch but without the buffet. In its place, Chef Quinn Staple and his team will prepare a four-course brunch served tableside. Our a la carte menu will also be offered. To learn more about our hours of operation and new menus, please visit: www.yellowdoorbistro.ca.
Poolside by Hotel Arts will reopen shortly for licensed poolside dining daily from 11am until dusk (weather permitting) featuring a new menu and some terrific sips to enjoy this summer. Poolside by Hotel Arts will be open for lunch and dinner service (weather permitting). On rainy days, we’ll be featuring our lunch offerings in Yellow Door Bistro.
Provided there are no further outbreaks of COVID with the phased relaunch of the Alberta economy, Hotel Arts is scheduled to reopen on June 18th. Updates will be posted online at www.hotelarts.ca or our Arts Update Page.
Until government restrictions are lifted for public gatherings larger than 15, our banquet and events operations will be restricted to “drop and go” catering. Our Events Team, however, is working on options for virtual meetings and creative solutions for weddings, receptions, and events that address physical distancing protocols. Please direct any inquiries to events@hotelarts.ca or call us at 403.206.9564.
We have taken extensive measures to ensure our guest and worker safety and will be adhering to health and physical distancing protocols as directed by the Government of Alberta.
Amidst Alberta’s success in “flattening the curve”, the COVID crisis provided us a “silver lining” with the opportunity to further innovate to survive in this market. We launched www.hotelartstogo.ca offering curbside pickup of gourmet meals prepared by Chef Quinn Staple. We will continue to use this online ordering system for our patrons that are not ready to venture out. Later in June, we will expand the offerings beyond our “Greatest Hits” to include our “Chef’s Choice” menus from Yellow Door Bistro and Oxbow. For Thursdays in June, Hotel Arts will also be collaborating with Vine & Dine on a gourmet dinner experience with wine pairings to be enjoyed at home. Orders can be made before Tuesday here: http://www.vineanddine.ca/hotel-arts-online.html with curbside pickup at Hotel Arts on Thursdays.
The taps for economic recovery will not be turned on overnight but they are at least starting to flow again for the hospitality sector and our economy overall. We look forward to hosting our patrons again in a safe and welcoming manner.
Thank you for supporting local businesses like Hotel Arts Group.
UPDATE: Apr 1/20
Hotel Arts remains open during the COVID-19 crisis offering accommodations in a limited service capacity due to social distancing protocols. Reservations can be booked online with our best available rate of the day via our website at www.hotelarts.ca. Hotel Arts is offering a Grab & Go take-out menu that can be ordered through the Front Desk for breakfast, lunch and dinner while at Hotel Arts.
Learn more about some of the measures we have taken to ensure the safety of our guests and artisans during this Health State of Emergency. Werna Boek, our Director of Operations, was interviewed in a clip that aired on Global News Calgary last night profiling hotels that remain open during this period.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6759300/covid-19-coronavirus-alberta-hotels-closures/
Executive Chef Quinn Staple has also launched a 4-course Prix Fixe Dinner Menu featuring some of our “Greatest Hits” from our group of restaurants over the years. This menu can be booked online at https://bit.ly/HotelArtsToGo. This is available Wednesday thru Sunday and is available currently for curbside pick-up for non-hotel guests and at the Front Desk for our guests staying in house. We look forward to launch delivery service by the weekend with Skip the Dishes.
UPDATE: Mar 21/20
Following dinner service on Saturday, March 21st, Yellow Door Bistro will close temporarily suspending food and beverage operations for Hotel Arts including our take-out offerings.
Hotel Arts will also be adjusting our service offerings at this time due to restricted staffing levels and safety measures including access to meeting space and our poolside facilities as well as suspension of valet parking service and daily housekeeping for multi-night stays.
These are exceptional and unthinkable circumstances which have caused our group to adjust our operations dramatically to assist “flattening the curve” to curb the spread of COVID-19, to promote social distancing, to keep our guests safe and to keep our business viable during this crisis.
Better days lie ahead…you need to squint hard to look past the horizon of the flattening curve. We’ll be ready to ramp up our operations to serve our community as we’ve always done when the State of Emergency is lifted.
UPDATE: Mar 17/20
Earlier this afternoon, the Government of Alberta, Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) and Alberta Health Services (AHS) have posted new updates regarding social distancing and health protocols to curb the spread of COVID-19.
There are now 93 cases confirmed in Alberta (of which 70 are in Calgary) and, under the Public Health Act, the Government of Alberta has officially declared a State of Emergency with more aggressive measures to help “flatten the curve” of imminent cases of COVID-19.
New public health measures are now recommended to limit the time Albertans spend in large crowds and crowded spaces for social distancing purposes. Effective today:
- all events over 50 people to be cancelled
- no attendance at rec centres, casinos, bingo halls, bars, theatres and other facilities
- sit-down restaurants can remain open at lower capacity
As it pertains to sit-down restaurants like Yellow Door Bistro at Hotel Arts, these venues are limited to 50 per cent capacity to a maximum of 50 people. Take-out and delivery service is permitted. Licensed facilities like Yellow Door Bistro are also permitted to deliver liquor.
Learn more about these new measures on the government site: https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
In response to these emergency measures, Hotel Arts Group has taken the decision to temporarily close Hotel Arts Kensington and Oxbow Restaurant & Lobby Bar and relocate any and all bookings to Hotel Arts. Our Kensington property will remain closed for further notice until travel restrictions have been lifted.
Further, Hotel Arts will remain open for accommodations but will close Raw Bar effectively immediately and consolidate all our restaurant operations into Yellow Door Bistro which will operate at under 50 seats. Poolside by Hotel Arts will also be open for licensed service at half our winter capacity (40 of our 82 seats). Both venues will arrange seating to maximize social distancing between tables.
Effective immediately, Yellow Door Bistro will suspend buffet service and offer only a la carte menu options. Hours of operation will be 7am – 10pm daily.
Please note that our business operations may adjust as this situation unfolds as we all take measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 so that our health care system can adequately and effectively deal with the imminent rise in cases. Stay healthy, follow social distancing and health protocols, and be positive…better days lie ahead if we all do our part to “flatten the curve.”
UPDATE: Mar 14/20
Since our last update (dated March 11), the risk to Albertans continues to remain low in terms of contracting COVID-19. Confirmed cases has grown to 39 but the overall risk to Albertans contracting COVID-19 remains low as the cases are travel related. With enhanced screening and stronger measures taken by Albertans, we can all work to keep risk levels low.
To help achieve that objective, Alberta Health Services (AHS) has made new recommendations on social distancing, restricting larger public events from occurring and continued to promote health and safety practices designed to minimize the spread of COVID-19 throughout our province.
AHS strongly recommends that anyone with symptoms, including a cough, runny nose, fever or sore throat, take measures to self-isolate for 14 days. All travellers returning from outside Canada should self-isolate for 14 days and monitor for symptoms. Instructions on self-isolation can be found here: https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/health-self-isolation-information-sheet.pdf.
Please call Alberta Health Link at 8-1-1 if you are displaying the symptoms mentioned above. You should use their self-assessment online tool beforehand.
Click: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Journey/COVID-19/Pages/COVID-Self-Assessment.aspx and follow their directives.
To protect yourself while out in public, wash your hands frequently with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds and take measures for social distancing by keeping a distance of about 2 meters from others.
Hotel Arts Group – Amplified Health & Safety Measures
Hotel Arts already employs different cleaning measures to protect against viruses, bacteria, infections, etc. In the wake of COVID-19, we have further enhanced those practices with increased frequency of spaces and surfaces to eradicate any virus-spreading bacteria. Guestrooms are thoroughly cleaned during and between stays; public spaces are cleaned thoroughly and regularly with heightened emphasis high-touch zones like door handles, elevator buttons, desk counters, and public washrooms to name a few; and back-of-house areas like kitchens, laundry, dishwasher areas among others have increased their cleaning protocols. Our properties already adhered to strict protocols but we’ve amplified them further as precautionary measures to ensure the continued safety of our artisans and guests.
We continue to encourage guests to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly and to follow recommended health practices as it relates to public safety during COVID-19. We also have additional hand sanitizers in public spaces and plastic-lined trash receptacles for handling discarded tissues and items to prevent further transfer of bacteria.
This past week, AHS placed restrictions on events over 250 attendees from occurring but has not placed restrictions on meetings below that number. Taking into consideration of the importance of the social distancing recommendations by AHS, Hotel Arts Group will be working with confirmed event bookings on expanded seating options to provide more spacing between attendees. Our culinary and events teams are also exploring more options for individualized containers for buffet options so as to prevent any possible spread of bacteria across persons. These are just a few of the examples of additional measures that we have taken to ensure safety of our guests and artisans.
In some cases where speakers are unable to travel due to government restrictions, we are working with our in-house audio visual provider, PSAV, to explore webinar options so that locals can attend and still participate in planned events.
Reservations & Cancellations
Our standard 24 hour cancellation policy remains in effect – reservations must be cancelled by 3pm, 24 hours prior to arrival to avoid a charge of one night’s room and tax. Therefore, cancellations within this period remain chargeable.
Prepaid Saver reservations are normally non-cancellable/non-refundable within 30 days of arrival. Until further notice, this condition is modified to our standard 24 hour policy and refunds are permissible should guests wish to cancel/modify their stay. Prepaid Saver reservations beyond 30 days are already cancellable at no charge.
For all cancellations/modifications: If working with a third party reservation, including travel agents, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) or wholesalers, the cancellation must be made from the agent/third party, not Hotel Arts..
Reservation Guarantee Policy:
A valid American Express, Visa or MasterCard credit card is required to guarantee all bookings; debit cards are not accepted. Credit cards provided to guarantee reservations are liable for any applicable cancellation or no-show charges. Cards may be pre-authorised prior to arrival to verify validity. Reservations with invalid cards are subject to availability at the time of check in.
Monitoring the evolving situation
Hotel Arts Group will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds as additional restrictions may be put into place to help “flatten the curve” of the spread of COVID-19 in Calgary to ensure that our health care system is able to effectively cope with the scope of cases that may arise. Hotel Arts Group will provide further updates as circumstances arise.
In the interim, we understand this situation is fluctuating daily and if you have any questions or concerns, please consult with local health authorities like Alberta Health Services (www.ahs.ca/covid).
UPDATE: Mar 11/20
As of the time of writing, there are fourteen (14) reported cases of COVID-19 in Alberta and ninety-three (93) in Canada.
Hotel Arts Group continues to monitor updates from Alberta Health Services regarding efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 and health protocols. Risk levels are still categorized as low for Albertans contracting the virus. Notwithstanding the low risk levels, Alberta Health Services is taking all the necessary steps to prepare the health system in case the risk levels change in the future.
In her statement issued yesterday, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided an update about the new cases which were travel related, the current testing procedures as well as health protocols including the following highlights:
- If you are returning from outside of Canada, you should closely monitor your health for 14 days.
- If you start experiencing a fever or cough, even if it is mild, please self-isolate yourself immediately and call Health Link 811.
- Do not go to an emergency department, urgent care centre, or family doctor’s office for this assessment and testing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that COVID-19 is to be characterized as a global pandemic as it is no longer possible to contain it within a specific region or regions due to over 118,000 cases existing in 114 countries. The WHO is seeking to galvanize all nations into action to take measures to curb the spread of the virus. Our national and provincial authorities have taken some good measures to mitigate the spread of the virus and efforts will shift beyond traveler screening, self-quarantine and strict health protocols to include focusing on coping with COVID-19 in the health system and measures that can be taken to keep communities healthy.
Notwithstanding the gravity of the statement by the WHO, Canada, and Calgary in particular, remain as low risk environments at this time. Our health authorities are acting quickly and adeptly to curb the spread of COVID-19.
We will update our blog as we learn more.
Hotel Arts Group has prepared the following information to share with our guests to keep the risk of the spread of COVID-19 low.
We understand this situation is fluctuating daily and if you have any questions or concerns, please consult with local health authorities like Alberta Health Services (AHS) (www.ahs.ca/covid).
AHS recommends that everyone employ good hygiene practices including:
- Frequent handwashing with soap and warm water for roughly 30 seconds (long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice or the chorus for “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees which also has a cadence ideal for CPR);
- If soap and water are not readily available, please use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Use a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw it in a garbage bin lined with a plastic bag. Wash your hands immediately after that. If you don’t have a tissue, please cover your mouth with elbows and arms instead of hands when coughing and sneezing;
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
While concerns regarding COVID-19 persist, you may also wish to refrain from body contact like handshakes as well as touching certain surfaces without gloves that could otherwise result in transfer of bacteria.
While we pride ourselves on a thorough cleaning regimen, Hotel Arts Group will also be increasing our daily/nightly cleaning protocols to ensure that our boutique properties remain as healthy an environment as possible.
Have you or your family been in Iran, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Northern Italy or South Korea in the last 14 days?
If so, it is recommended that you self-isolate (stay at home, not go to work and/or social gatherings) even if you are well, until 14 days have passed from your last visit to the above-mentioned regions.
Please watch closely for any symptoms like fever, cough, or difficulty breathing in any family member who has been in those regions and call Health Link at 8-1-1 (if you’re in Calgary) if any of these symptoms begin. If you’re reading this outside of Calgary, please contact your local health authority.
What to do if symptoms present themselves?
If your conference delegates/travellers have a fever or are presenting flu-like symptoms prior to travelling to Calgary, please ask them to remain at home and alert their local health authorities. We would also request that they contact our Front Desk/Reservations team to cancel their upcoming reservation.
If your conference delegate/traveller is in Calgary and has a fever or is presenting flu-like symptoms, please ask them to remain in their guestroom, alert our Front Desk team and we’ll assist them in connecting with local health authorities for next steps.
If they may have been in contact with someone from a country affected by COVID-19 and they are currently in Calgary, please ask them to contact Health Link at 8-1-1 for direction. Please let our Front Desk Team know as well so that we can assist health authorities for tracking purposes and facilitating next steps in treatment protocols.
Hotel Arts Group will be monitoring the situation and following the recommendations of Alberta Health Services.
Amidst all the information and opinion circulating in the digital world, we are guided by the reasoned approach articulated by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) who is quoted as saying: “Our greatest enemy right now is not the virus itself. It’s fear, rumours and stigma. And our greatest assets are facts, reason and solidarity.”
Hotel Arts Group will rely on facts, not rumours and fear, in making business decisions moving forward as they pertain to our business practices and the safety of our guests and artisans.
