GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE — The Lodge and Conference at Geneva-on-the-Lake is on track to make a net profit of $162,916 for 2009, about the same as 2008’s performance.
General Manager Jeannette Petrolia reported on the lodge’s performance to the county’s Convention Facilities Authority Friday morning. She said the facility, which is managed by Delaware North Corporation, will have a net profit that is 3.5 percent of revenue. That is less than what Delaware North will take for its management fee (4.9 percent of gross revenue, or $225,308) and the 4 percent set aside for capital renewals reserve (R&R;).
Because the R&R; is set to raise to 6 percent in 2010, the lodge’s operating profit is projected to drop to $87,770. The management fee percentage does not change.
The income figures do not include the county’s debt-service payments, which are more than $1 million annually.
Petrolia said the lodge enjoyed a very strong August-October period, with leisure travelers helping make up for the loss in group business that came with businesses cutting back on meetings. She said the lodge had an occupancy rate of 59.5 percent through Nov. 6; last year, the rate was 67.7 percent. The lodge outperformed other state park lodges in Ohio, registering a 60 percent average occupancy rate through the end of September. The next closest lodge was Punderson, at 48.6 percent.
Petrolia said the lodge is going into a very strong Thanksgiving Day period, with 425 reservations for dinner as of Friday morning. Last year, the lodge served about 350 Thanksgiving diners.
The room occupancy is also up significantly for the Thanksgiving weekend. The weekend after Thanksgiving is also looking very promising, as the lodge hosts the Elizabethan Feaste. The banquet, with a capacity of 200, has already sold out for the Dec. 5 date.
“It’s very encouraging,” said Petrolia.
She also provided a series of reports generated by Delaware North to gauge guest satisfaction with the property. Highlights of the reports include:
n On the GuestPath report (January to September 2009) Geneva performed stronger in the 2009 peak season than in 2007 and 2008. The trending measures the likeliness of guests to return and recommend, and the guests’ perception of value and price competitiveness.
n Trip Advisor ratings placed Geneva first among nine other Delaware North properties. Sixty-seven percent of respondents rated the lodge excellent or very good.
In other business, the CFA held an executive session to discuss a personnel issue relating to a senior management member of the lodge.
Treasurer Stuart Cordell reported that in the first five years of the CFA’s existence, it has contributed $600,000 to the county for lodge debt service. When the CFA had a debt obligation of its own, it also paid $363,000 in debt payments. The county has since assumed that $7.5 million debt, which was to furnish the building and build the pool.
Cordell said the CFA’s account stands at $109,862 after paying all bills for the outdoor dining area and trail project. The CFA is funded by the county bed tax, which, through September, was down about $14,000 compared to 2009.
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