About Us

Almost two decades have passed since Waterfront Hotel & Marina was known as Paradise Cove, an inn, restaurant and night club that was a hotspot in McHenry County and on the Chain of Lakes. Those years were not kind as the hotel fell into disrepair – a shadow of its potential. Now, that potential is being realized.

Mario Arcari is the man with the vision to look at a derelict inn and see the possibilities. Under his guidance, Paradise Cove is having a rebirth as the Waterfront Hotel & Marina. His plan has three phases, the second of which is nearing completion.

Phase One: Where the hotel once had stark concrete brick walls indoors, it now has finished walls, ceiling and flooring. Mario is equipping each room with the latest amenities and expanding the lobby. The beds have fresh linens, the televisions are straight out of the box – everything about the Waterfront Hotel & Marina is as it should be – as Mario envisioned it. Of course, it’s also part of Phase One to ensure that the service at the Waterfront Hotel & Marina is equal to the luxurious remodeling of the inn.

Phase Two: The next step takes place on the ground floor below the rooms on the first floor. Formerly a storage area for maintenance equipment, it didn’t fit Mario’s vision. He saw this space, which looks out upon the Fox River, as the ideal area for a meeting room and a bar and grill. The latter has recently opened as the Wave Bar & Grille which now features casual dining and live entertainment, and outdoor seating in the warmer months.

Phase Three: Fifty feet south along the shoreline you’ll find the remnants of a once-proud restaurant and night club. A premier location for night-time fun, food and dancing, it too fell into quiet disrepair. And, just as the hotel is making a comeback, the restaurant and night club if scheduled for a complete makeover. The promise, Mario’s promise, is that it will rival and surpass its prior glory.

Once all three phases are complete, the Waterfront Hotel & Marina is sure to represent one of the most desired destinations in Northern Illinois. Stay tuned for updates as progress continues at the Waterfront Hotel & Marina.