Geneva Lodge room occupancy up from last year

By DORIS COOK - Staff Writer
Star Beacon

September 27, 2008 02:09 am

— JEFFERSON —After profit losses of for the first five months this year, Geneva Lodge & Conference Center general manager, Jeannette Petrolia provided promising news to Ashtabula County commissioners Thursday.
“August was a good month and so is September. This is the first month to gross over $700,000,” Petrolia said. “The good news is that we are having more banquets scheduled now. September is looking to bring in over our plan (forecast) of $618,122. Room reservations are ahead of last year at this time,” she said.
The lodge’s net profit was in sharp decline until June with Petrolia reporting a profit of $28,294 for that month. Since June the lodge has projected a profit each month.
Delaware North Companies, management contractor for the lodge since it opened in 2004, is set to provide its 2009 plan to commissioners by mid-November, Petrolia said. She gave the board a draft plan, which is expected to be tweaked before a work session in late October.
“We (management) are comfortable where we are at now. Our pool contractor is to come in this weekend to begin winterizing the outdoor pool. It is being closed down,” Petrolia said
“We started giving free cups of coffee in our lobby last weekend and it’s working. Some people won’t fix coffee in their rooms, which is provided, too. I find we are starting to be a destination with people staying two or three days. They want to visit other places in our county,” Petrolia said.
An added attraction for guests in spring 2009 is the recreation trail linking the lodge to Geneva State Park. Commissioner Dan Claypool said the 880-foot paved trail contract is to be bid out this fall.
An extra handicapped parking lot is to be constructed to the east of the lodge in 2009, he said. “We think community people will be using the trail as well as lodge guests. The new parking area will be on the 16 acres known as the old Chestnut Grove parcel,” Claypool said.