Sep. 21, 2004 - PEORIA, Ill. -- The Holiday Inn Peoria I-74 is now called the Brandywine Inn & Conference Center.

The hotel's affiliation with the Holiday Inn chain expired last week, said general manager Stan Marshall.

"The hotel is for sale," said Marshall, noting that several groups have shown interest in the 250-room hotel, which remains open.

"We're in desperate need of remodeling," he said. Marshall estimated that revamping the hotel would cost $2 million to $3 million.

"This was one of the premier area hotels when it opened in 1980, but that was 24 years ago," he said.

Holiday Inn is dropping affiliations with Holidome units, hotels constructed with rooms surrounding a pool and promenade area, said Marshall.

While lauding the Brandywine's location, just off Interstate 74 near Northwoods Mall, Marshall added that it was a competitive region. "We estimate there are 1,467 rooms in this (Interstate) area alone," he said.

The Brandywine Inn is the largest hotel in the mall area, said Marshall. "Most of our competition is made up of hotels with 100 rooms or less," he said.

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