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News for the Hospitality Executive |
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John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts
Opens the 226-suite
Embassy Suites East Peoria � Hotel
& Conference Center
.
Joe LoMonaco the Opening General
Manager
| PEORIA, Ill. & SPRINGFIELD, Mo
- January 8, 2009 - Mr. John Q. Hammons announces the opening of his eight-story,
226-suite Embassy Suites® East Peoria � Hotel & Conference Center
(www.embassysuiteseastpeoria.com). The all-suite, contemporary hotel is
owned by Mr. Hammons, and the hotel and conference center are managed by
Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, the nation�s
leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service
hotels, resorts and suites (www.jqhhotels.com).
�This is the first hotel of its kind built in
the Peoria area in more than five decades,� said Mr. Hammons, founder,
chairman and chief executive officer of John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts.
�Our booking $3 million in meetings and hotel room reservations revenue
prior to opening reinforces East Peoria requires high-quality, full-service
accommodations.�
Embassy Suites East Peoria 100 Conference Center Drive East Peoria, Illinois 61611 Conveniently located off I-74 and Riverfront Drive, the hotel is surrounded by the spectacular shopping, dining and nightlife of the Peoria RiverFront and is just minutes from area attractions, including O�Brien Field, Central Illinois� largest outdoor sports and entertainment facility and home to the Peoria Chiefs. The property is approximately eight minutes from the Greater Peoria Regional Airport and is in close proximity to the many corporations and educational institutions in the Peoria area, including the headquarters of Caterpillar Inc., Bradley University, University of Illinois College of Medicine, and Illinois Central College. �The East Peoria area is well-known for its influential businesses, thriving sports community and skilled work force, of which we have employed more than 200,� said Joe LoMonaco, general manager of the hotel. The Embassy Suites East Peoria and RiverFront Conference Center are connected by a glass, climate-controlled walkway, together providing more than 35,000 net square feet of flexible meeting space. The hotel is decorated in a Nuevo-classic style, featuring dark olive green décor with vibrant gold and orange accents. Guests can enjoy a variety of contemporary American cuisine at the hotel�s Riverside Café or cocktails in the relaxing atrium lounge, while Caffeina�s, the marketplace café, brews Starbucks coffee and has wireless Internet access. �We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Hammons� Embassy Suites East Peoria � Hotel & Conference Center to our city,� said Mayor Dave Mingus. �Its luxury accommodations and high quality of service will establish a new standard for our local hotel industry.� Hotel staff celebrated the opening with a team rally, culminating their many months of hard work, and the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting at the property. About the Hotel�s GM and DOS An eight-year veteran of the John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts portfolio, General Manager Joe LoMonaco joins the new property from the Embassy Suites on the River in Des Moines. LoMonaco has managed nine major hotel properties throughout his successful, 25-year career in the hospitality industry. Diana Anderson, the new director of sales with 16 years� hospitality experience in the central Illinois region, has received numerous awards and honors, such as Inter-Business Issues� Forty Leaders Under Forty Award and the Illinois Society of Association Executives� President Award. About the Embassy Suites East Peoria � Hotel & Conference Center The eight-story Embassy Suites East Peoria � Hotel & Conference Center is beautifully decorated to make guests feel at home. Each of the 226 spacious, two-room guest suites features a private bedroom with the Embassy Essentials Bedding Collection, as well as a living room, and is equipped with two televisions, refrigerator, wet bar, microwave oven, coffee maker, two telephones with voicemail, high-speed Internet access, work desk and in-room safe boxes. Guests start each day with a complimentary, cooked-to-order breakfast, and they enjoy a nightly Manager�s Reception® with complimentary beverages. Other features include Caffeina�s Internet Café, a relaxing atrium lounge, full-service restaurant and spacious meeting and conference facilities with hotel staff dedicated to each group�s specialized needs. Site amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool and sundeck. To book a reservation or for more information, please call (309) 694-0200 or visit www.embassysuiteseastpeoria.com. About John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts is the nation�s leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites, including: Embassy Suites Hotels, Renaissance, Marriott, Radisson, Residence Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Holiday Inn and Courtyard by Marriott brands. With 76 hotels strategically located near demand generators, such as state capitals, universities, airports, corporate headquarters or office parks in secondary and tertiary markets, John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts� properties are dominant in their markets. Over the course of his impressive career in the hotel business, Mr. Hammons has developed 191 hotels. For more information about John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, please visit the company�s Web site at www.jqhhotels.com. |
| Contact:
John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts
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| Also See: | Normal, Illinois a Perfect Fit for a John Q Hammons $50 million Hotel / February 2007 |
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