Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette - March 11, 2014

OLLI visited the recently renovated Marriott Pere Marquette on Tuesday, March 11. In 2011, the Peoria City Council approved an agreement with developer Gary Matthews to temporarily close the Pere Marquette Hotel for an extensive renovation and expansion into a full-service, upscale Marriott hotel.

Mackenzie Camp, an alum of Bradley University, was our tour guide. The hotel has over 18,000 square feet of meeting space, and Camp led us through the various rooms allowing us to compare the different set-ups and admire the beautiful artwork. OLLI members had a chance to visit one of the guest rooms, the bridal suite and even had an opportunity to check out the Presidential suite. This two-bedroom , two and one half bath guest room was enormous, with sweeping views of the downtown riverfront area. A plaque on the wall listed some of the famous guests who have had the pleasure of spending a night in the suite. Camp, entertained OLLI members with stories and rumors about the hotel, including the supposed female ghost whose presence is sometimes noted in the Presidential Suite. She also showed us the secret cabinet, which the guests in the Presidential Suite used for hiding liquor during the Prohibition.

After our tour, the group enjoyed a delicious lunch at the hotel restaurant Table 19. OLLI would like to thank Mackenzie Camp and the staff at the Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette for allowing us to be their special guests for the day.