Why do organizations skip Peoria and choose other cities to host their conventions?
The reasons were revealed by Sami Qureshi on WTVP’s public affairs program “At Issue” Thursday night. He should know. He’s the Holiday Inn City Centre’s General Manager, President of the Heart of Illinois Hospitality Association, and Secretary/Treasurer of the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. He’s talked to convention organizers and read the PACVB’s lost business surveys.
Based on those primary sources, Qureshi says the number one reason Peoria is bypassed is because of the Peoria Civic Center’s rate structure. The number two reason is limited air service. The main reason is not, he says, due to a lack of quality hotel rooms.
Gary Matthews, the hotel developer who hopes to turn the Pere Marquette into a Marriott and connect it to the Civic Center with the help of $37 million in municipal (i.e., taxpayer-backed) bonds, disagreed with Qureshi. Matthews said that Marriott officials told him the Peoria Civic Center’s rates are perfectly fine. Qureshi countered that he wasn’t stating his opinion, but is just repeating what actual organizers who actually said “no” to Peoria had told him.
Qureshi and Matthews were on “At Issue” along with Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis and Holiday Inn City Centre owner Bruce Kinseth to talk about the “Wonderful Development” and its ramifications. There was also a prerecorded clip of Mark Twain Hotel owner and former Peoria mayor Lowell “Bud” Grieves explaining his alternative proposal. The episode will be replayed Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on WTVP, channel 47.
I figured it was because we don’t have a downtown museum.
Hey Gary, how about this…you build the hotel with your own money and if it works out we’ll give you $37 million in tickets to civic center events…
So the heresay from Sami Qureshi (who can be hurt financially if the “Wonderful Development” moves forward) is more valuable than the heresay from Gary Matthews (who gains financially if the “Wonderful Development” moves forward?) How about talking to the actual people who bypassed Peoria for conventions and ask them directly? Just a thought.
Whose hearsay is more valuable is up to the reader to decide. š
It would be interesting to actually read the PACVBās lost business surveys. It wouldn’t be hearsay then it would be survey results. The really interesting questions is if any members of the city council have read or even had access to those surveys.
The Civic Center says they have have been told by 17 (if my memory serves me correct) conventioners that they would come to Peoria only they had a hotel like the Wonderful Development. Has the Civic Center ever came out and said what these 17 conventions are?
who cares. the fact is this project is a financial disaster.
It would be interesting to see how our civic center’s pricing compares with other civic centers prices. In hotel business, if a room goes unsold, it is considered a lost of commodity, one that can never be recovered. We push for “heads in beds”, and which sometimes means discounting during periods of low demand or when someone picks up days of low demand in their overall stay. Sammi does have vested interest, but take a look at how the Bloomington Normal Marriott is running, and see if the hotel developers claims are true. I do not work downtown, but I can tell you he will not run an average nightly rate of $160 in Peoria.
Where did the $160 ave daily rate come from? I don’t think that is the projected ADR but is a number that someone here mentioned and has now become a “fact”.
Iāve been to conventions in New York, Chicago, Baltimore, San Diego, New Orleans, St. Louis and Los Angeles. Iāve never been in a situation where the hotel was connected to the convention center. Peoria has hotels within easy walking distance of the Civic Center, something that many larger cities do not have.
The connection to the Civic Center is a small part of the project, but is a very important selling point to conventions. The more important item is a sufficient quantity of quality nearby hotel rooms–The PCC clearly lacks those.
There are many attached hotels and they definitely have an advantage. Des Moines and Indy are ones that come to mind. They are direct competitors to the PCC.
The words “financial disaster” seem a little melo-dramatic.
The Pere, Holiday Inn and Mark Twain are in EASY walking distance from the PCC. Hotels are easily accessible. Iām not sure why this isnāt touted as a positive selling point.
The fact that hotels are close to the PCC IS touted as a selling point. However, attached hotels are even looked at more favorably and the number of close quality hotel rooms are a huge factor.
I would think, as stated, limited air service would be a huge detriment. Why should some have to take connecting flights, when most of the other major convention destinations have non stop flights from major cities?
I spent years in the travel industry and business people in particular usually demand non stop flights.
150,
You and the mayor tout this as a “quality hotel.” What is a quality hotel?
Quality hotel = 3 or 4 star. New-Courtyard. Renovated-Pere.
There is not a downtown hotel right now that is an asset to the PCC as far as quality of hotel.
Hey, I think it is entirely proper to debate whether their ought to be public money in this Marriott project. But there is no doubt that the PCC (and Cat to a lesser extent) would benefit greatly from more quality rooms.
Peoria Rocks!
And here I thought Peoria was the number one reason conventions skip Peoria.
In all seriousness, does the area (and by area, I mean Peoria / East Peoria) need any more hotel capacity. Absolutely not. The powers that be keep pushing around bad ideas because it makes the power that be money. There is zero need for new OR renovated hotels in the area.
well, we disagree Cameron. I agree about the Peoria area, I disagree about downtown. Have a great weekend.
Why focus on connecting just one hotel when there is opportunity to connect and upgrade 2 hotels downtown Peoria, bring both to a higher level for conventions. It will only benefit the entire area for revenue, the restaurants, shopping. However, I understand the Mayor has made up his mind.
The civic center rates are too high for a market of this size, the CVB should publish and present this to the City.
Georg, many ways to skin a cat. City chose this way–a renovated hotel and a new hotel, both closer to the PCC. Plus, they will clean up what has become an unsightly block.
PLEASE stop referring to the proposed new hotel as a “Marriott.” The proposal has been downgraded to a COURTYARD by Marriott. Which is an unmistakable lower grade hotel. Cities are known by their flagship hotels. A Courtyard is second-rate.
It is also not a “full service” hotel that the mayor and others keep referring to. No doormen. No room service. Tiny workout areas with a couple treadmills. That’s all fine, just don’t keep fooling people by talking about a “full service Marriott.”
Money floundering……I have been reading posts for a very long time. I just do not see the need or monetary value of a skyway. I have been to Indy skyways and without a doubt it is a very good design, in which brings revenue from tax dollars into the city from the shopping and restaurants attached within easy access to the miles of skyway tunnels. Here we are looking at adding one small tunnel from a new hotel to the PCC. No shops, no revenue, just the cost of operation and maintenance. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but hasn’t he Pere been giving money in the past for upgrades without ever having to pay it back, now we are in that boat again. I suppose we should just call it the Peoria Hotel. We talk about Hotels being worthless or not up to par, but isn’t it a service industry. It starts with the quality of employees, then moves to Management and upkeep of properties. Do we need more hotel availability? I am not sure but we probably need to fix what we have, which should come upon the owners of the establishments and not on us. So I suppose either build it and they will come, or who cares just build it and cancel some other city services.
The new hotel (as opposed to the Pere) will be a Marriott Courtyard and will be very nice. Have you seen the new Courtyards? They are quite different from the old ones. They will have food and drinks in the lobby and do not resemble what many here have experienced a limited service hotel to be.
As for the connecting walkway, this is a very small portion of the project and will yield dividends for the hotel and the PCC.
The Pere will be a Marriott—a full service hotel and will be substantially improved over its current state. The Pere will also have many more rooms than the Courtyard.
“The words āfinancial disasterā seem a little melo-dramatic.”
Tell me where you see other hotel projects that are strucutred the same as this mess with as much risk (37 million) to the taxpayers…. no I think financial disater is relevant.
well, we disagree. I don’t think the financing of this new hotel is a “financial disaster”. I think it is melo-dramatic characterzation. You don’t. Have a great week.
The Matthews development includes a full service Marriott which will be the renovated Pere Marquette. The adjacent new building on the Big Al’s portion of the block will be operated as a Courtyard by Marriott. And yes, Courtyard properties are now much upgraded but not quite to the extent of being dubbed full service.
When mentioning hotels nearby to the civic center, nobody ever seems to think of the Staybridge Suites property, which is directly across Kumpf Blvd.from the PCC. It is an extended stay property to some extent, but does a lot of its business from PCC activities.
I wrote to Bob Marx, the President/CEO of the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and asked him if Qureshi’s statement was correct. Marx didn’t directly answer the question, but he did say this:
By the way, Qureshi said the same thing about the PACVB working with the Civic Center when he was on “At Issue.” And Mayor Ardis also made the point that air service was not a big deal because the market for our Civic Center is more regional.
But then, that just raises another question — if people are bringing their cars anyway because we’re a regional market, how much demand is there for a hotel in such close proximity to the convention center? If you’re driving in, you could just as easily stay across the river, or better yet by the mall where the hotels are cheaper and there’s more stuff to do in the evening.
150 Observer, I’ve not read anywhere that the Pere will actually be a Mariott, last I understood will stay the Pere with many many upgrades as the actual building itself, upgrading some internal issues. Yet again, assisted by it’s favorite city financially. The only Marriot happening is the Courtyard, limited service but nice. So what about the other downtown hotels in Peoria? What will happen to them, there is not enough business in Peoria to support additional hotel rooms. Just a thought.
The Pere was always to be a Marriott under this plan. It will be a Marriott with the intent to be a 4 star hotel. Marriott has signed a 30 year management deal.
You can take that info to the bank.
Only time will tell how much business a renovated Pere, a new Courtyard, a rejuvenated Cat, a recovering economy and an expanded PCC will produce.
If the Hotel project fails and there is a thirty year management contract to honor,who pays the balance of that contract? To my knowledge the HICC is a full service Hotel that has just completed another phase of remodeling including new mechanical systems,all done with Kinseths own money.Observer do you happen to know what star rating a full service Holiday Inn has to carry to fly the flag? This is just an opinion but, Mathews needs to take his info to the bank instead of the taxpayer,just like the other privately owned Hotels. Have a good day.
If the Marriott fails, there is no contract to honor. Marriott will not be managing a hotel, thus will not be owed any money.
All the hotels in downtown are trolling for public money.
I suspect the HICC fits into the 2 star category, but I don’t know for sure.
Understanding the Mobil Star Ratings process and the criteria for each Star-Rating level will give you the background you need to get the most out of the ratings and reviews on MobilTravelGuide.com.
Mobil Five-Star Hotels: An exceptionally distinctive luxury environment offering expanded amenities and consistently superlative service make these hotels and inns the best in the U.S. and Canada. Attention to detail and the anticipation of guests’ every need are evident throughout this exclusive group of hotels. The Mobil Five-Star lodging category includes such hotels as The Peninsula Beverly Hills, the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.
Mobil Four-Star Hotels: Outstanding establishment in a distinctive setting with expanded amenities and exceptional service to create a luxury experience. Services may include, but are not limited to, automatic turndown service, valet parking and 24-hour room service. The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Mandarin Oriental Miami and Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas are prominent names in the Mobil Four-Star category, known for personalized service and hospitality, in addition to luxurious accommodations.
Mobil Three-Star Hotels: Well-appointed establishment with a full service restaurant and expanded amenities and services such as, but not limited to, room service, fitness center and optional turndown service. Many Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and Westin hotels are established names in the Mobil Three-Star category. Other notable Three-Stars include The Heathman Hotel and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.
Mobil Two-Star Hotels: Comfortable establishment that is clean and reliable with expanded services including a full-service restaurant. Doubletree Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton are well-established names in the Mobil Two-Star category.
Mobil One-Star Hotels: Clean, comfortable and reliable establishments with limited services and amenities. Some hotels may not have a full-service restaurant or dining room. Many Hampton Inns and Fairfield Inns consistently earn a Mobil One-Star rating.
150 Observer,I hope you did not go to the trouble of going through the rating systems just for me. I do have some knowledge of the Hotel Industry.I have completed a few Hotel renovations and have done work for the Kinseth Family.As for the HICC trolling for public money,I believe the intent was to even the playing field a bit.The exuberance of the City to give the Pere a step up on the competition ladder played a part in the trolling I suspect. I will tell you this, IF the Kinseths would have received public money, the rest of their renovations would be complete and there should be no reason a 4 star rating would not apply.Any renovations a hotel goes through affects them. I am sure the length of time the Pere reno takes will seriously damage their business then and for a time after it is complete. I hope they do not depend on the house money to keep afloat during that time. You can take that info to the bank. Could not resist,no offense..Have a good day, good bye
No trouble at all for me. The rating system was simply a cut and paste for anybody who was curious.
Courtyard by Marriott is a two-star hotel? That’s what they want to spend $37 million (partially) to build next to the Pere? A two-star hotel?
Interestingly, according to the Forbes Travel Guide, the Pere Marquette is already a two-star hotel. The Mark Twain is a two-star hotel. Couldn’t find a listing on the Forbes site for the other two hotels, but on roadsideamerica.com it listed the Holiday Inn City Centre as a two-star hotel and the Staybridge Suites as a three-star hotel.
So, what are we gaining, again? Besides more debt that will likely have to be paid off from the general fund?
How is a Courtyard Marriott a good fit for the Pere? I thought it was going to be tradtional Marriott Hotel. Is that what Peoria wants as its centerpiece representing it?? Well, I guess that would be about right.
In recent years, Marriott Corp has been mixing limited service properties and full service properties in single locations.
The Courtyard is the highest limited service Marriott property. It will give the Marriott Pere a good compliment from a price point of view. Courtyard is generally a businessman’s hotel. The renovated Marriott Pere is aiming to be a 4 star.
You can’t be higher than a 2 star if you don’t have a full service restarant. The quality of the new Courtyards is definitely 3 or 4 star, they just don’t have the in-house services that those ranking require. The attached Pere will have them and those services will be available to the Courtyard guests.