As Director of Sales at the Peoria Residence Inn Marriott, Bonnie Petrenko typically is selling overnight stays. But on the night of Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, complimentary overnight stays are available to people visiting loved ones in nursing homes and hospitals. For the past five years, Bonnie has gone to nursing homes and emergency rooms explaining to staff about this offer. She spends two days visiting the various facilities.
For nearly 30 years TMI Hospitality, a hotel franchising company with nearly 200 locations in 26 states, has been offering free hotel rooms on those two nights to guests “who have a friend or family member who is separated from them because of health issues.” Room in the Inn provided nearly 3,000 people a free night’s stay during last year’s holiday season. All TMI Hospitality hotels are participating in the program again
this year and rooms are available as each hotel’s occupancy allows. In Peoria that includes the Residence Inn Marriott at 2000 W. War Memorial Drive, and the Courtyard by Marriott at 1928 W. War Memorial Drive.
The requests for the rooms must go through management. (To take part in this special program, call the hotel directly and request to speak with the general manager.) There are safeguards in place to help insure the requests are legitimate, says Bonnie. “Our rooms at the Residence Inn are all suites as we’re built for extended stays.” She explains that extended stays may be for those with temporary job transfers or folks waiting to move into a different house or families staying there after a house fire. And sometimes individuals, who may live in another city or state, are going through medical treatments at one of the hospitals and stay at the Residence Inn during their treatment.
“Part of our training is to make this seem like home,”she says. “We’re more casual here.” Amenities such as high-speed Internet access, full kitchens, complimentary Hometouch
Buffet, indoor pool and spa, and 24-hour coffee and tea service in the lobby area, and complimentary evening social, Monday through Thursday, are all part of the “ home” atmosphere.
The Room in the Inn program is part of a company wanting to help people. “It is our way of giving back to the community,” Bonnie says.
For additional information, please call 309-681-9000.
As a postscript to this article, Bonnie was involved in assisting 23 families from Washington with temporary accommodations after the tornado on Sunday, November 17th. She says, “It was a heart-rendering thing, seeing them in shock…tears and grief. The community has been amazing.” She also assisted them with insurance coverage. She explains that last month, “addressed the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association about our program to work with disaster relief teams and provide rooms for the displaced during a disaster. (Little did we know how timely that would be.) When natural disasters result in families being displaced from their homes, TMI Hospitality offers a warm and safe place for them to stay. Through the program, “Tonight Is On Us, families receive a free night’s stay in one of their hotels. TMI Hospitality considers it their mission “to provide guests with exceptional service.” The hotel team will also work with displaced individuals’ insurance companies to secure discounted rates if an extended stay is required while their home is being repaired or rebuilt. Currently 25 rooms are booked to help those displaced because of the tornado.