Alleged hotel room shortage doesn’t stop Jumer’s from closing

December 9, 2009
By Billy Dennis

The city of Peoria is gearing up to approve a multi-million dollar package to renovate a hotel that cannot manage to profit despite being located next door to the Peoria Civic Center. Meanwhile, a famous Peoria hotel is closing its doors:

The Peoria Castle Lodge, 117 N. Western Ave., once known as Jumer’s Castle Lodge and then was part of the Radisson hotel chain from 2004 until earlier this year, will close on Dec. 21, said Mike Monchino, head of the Herrin-based management firm that has managed the hotel the past year.

“Business has been poor in the market. After we dropped the Radisson flag, business dropped off considerably,” said Monchino.

“The owners decided it was time to explore other alternatives for the building,” he said, referring to Torrey Park LLC, a group of investors that purchased the hotel in 2001 from founder Jim Jumer.

The reasons? It’s not located next to a highway. Or a shopping center. Or a civic center.

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12 Responses to “ Alleged hotel room shortage doesn’t stop Jumer’s from closing ”

  1. scr on December 9, 2009 at 9:08 pm

    What a shame. Jumer’s Castle Lodge invokes so many memories and illustrates the history and greatness of Peoria. First the loss of VOP, now Jumers. But at least we have Grand Prairie. Right???

  2. Gary Sandberg on December 9, 2009 at 9:22 pm

    Billy,

    If I remember correctly, West Peoria created a TIF District or at least entered into a Redevelopment Agreement with Radisson property owners 6-8 years ago for a taxpayer subsidized expansion of the Radisson for that portion of Juners in West Peoria.

    I am not sure if West Peoria issued bonds for the development expansion or if the basis of the subsidy was on a “pay as you go” concept “but for” West Peoria taxpayers, lets hope it was the latter or they will now have to use their revene resources for the repayment of any bonded indebtiveness similar to Peoria having to use our revenue sources for MidTown Plaza.

    It’s impossible to fool Mother Nature or micro-manage the economy.

  3. Brian G on December 9, 2009 at 11:21 pm

    For a look at the national market, here is a link to Calculated Risk’s latest REVPAR http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2009/11/hotel-revpar-off-118-percent.html It is from last month but it shows that Hotel occupancy has been falling off the past two years. BTW it’s bad in Pekin, there are plenty of empty hotel rooms even with the Holiday Inn express unoccupied after the recent fire.

  4. C. J. Summers on December 10, 2009 at 12:24 am

    No, no, no, Billy. The Marriott is going to have a 72% occupancy rate. The developer said so. We can believe developers’ numbers.

    • Billy Dennis on December 10, 2009 at 12:35 am

      Forgive me, for I have sinned. Developers are never wrong.

  5. Jim on December 10, 2009 at 11:36 am

    Maybe we can have40 days of prayer for magical economic recovery in Peoria?

    12% unemployment? City government handing out monies to developers for free? Taxes going up up up hiiiiiigher and hiiiiiigher!!!

    Its better here!!!

    Do you think the mayor of Flint had the same ad campaign?

  6. Bob on December 10, 2009 at 12:34 pm

    I’m not surprised. The last couple times I’ve been there over the last 10 years for banquets the place has looked run down. Although it also brings up a question. Does the tower actually have a room for people to stay in at the top? Seems like it would make a pretty cool suite.

  7. SD on December 11, 2009 at 10:19 am

    Just pondering but what if Bradley bought it for off campus schooling. It has the room for off campus housing and conference rooms for classrooms. There seems to be a lot of potential there for something involved with Bradley and it certainly is close enough. Just a thought.

  8. Stephen Scanlan-Yerly on December 12, 2009 at 6:23 pm

    Jumers was flat out not competitive. It was run down, not clean and overpriced. To stay open you have to offer a quality experience and Jumers did not do that. VOPs had a similiar problem, cool atmosphere bad dining experience.

  9. Cory on December 16, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    As a resident of West Peoria, the closing of the Castle Lodge concerns me because of the large, closed-in venue invisible from the street for drug transactions that will be made available after the current occupants vacate the property. I’ve had to sit with my lights on more than a few people on the street behind the hotel to get them to leave. I can’t imagine how much worse it will get when they’re totally protected by the walls of the hotel.

  10. Greg on March 12, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    My wife and I were married in 1975 and honeymooned at the Jumer's Castle Lodge. Consequently, for years after, we spent many an anniversary their until it just got pathetic. Overpriced, unclean, unkept, and the restuarant was horrible. The last time we stayed in the mid 90's, it was awful. We never went back. What a shame.

  11. Billy Dennis on March 12, 2010 at 10:11 pm

    Yes. It was a family-owned operation and some family members involved in it were not very good at it. I remember it in its glory, too.