Perrysburg hotel climbs romance list

Belamere Suites Hotel has rooms with fireplaces, saunas, Jacuzzi tubs, and private indoor heated pools.
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A Perrysburg hotel that caters to adults has been named one of the top hotels for romance in the United States by the online travel Web site TripAdvisor.com.

Belamere Suites Hotel, which features spacious rooms that have amenities such as fireplaces, saunas, Jacuzzi tubs, and private indoor heated pools, was ranked No. 10 on a list of 25 such hotels according to online input collected by the Web site.

TripAdvisor said that Belamere Suites got 360 reviews and an overall rating of 4.5 out of possible 5 from guests who had stayed there. It was the only hotel in the Midwest to rank in the top 10 and ranked behind hotels in such locales as Sedona, Ariz., Palm Springs, Calif., St. Helena, Calif., and Key West, Fla.

“Generally when people go on the Web to discuss anything it’s usually negative. They seldom go on the Web to discuss something positively,” said John Kranjec, who owns Belamere with his wife, Theresa. “To be No. 10, it’s a huge feather in our cap and we wear it proudly and we will continue to do so. Getting something from TripAdvisor is a huge deal because we had nothing to do with [the selection],” he added.

Belamere, just south of I-475 on the west side of I-75, opened in 2004 and has been listed on TripAdvisor for several years, Mr. Kranjec said. Last year TripAdvisor rated Belamere the No. 20 hotel for romance. “If we’re now No. 10, we’ve made quite a jump,” he said.

The hotel, he said, is a niche business designed to cater to adults. It says specifically on its Web site that it is a “child-free zone” for people 21 and older.

It has 25 suites and is adding 10 more. Each suite features a king-size bed and its own private one-car garage. Suites also have no windows.

Belamere Suites in Perrysburg is a niche business designed to cater to adults. It is for people 21 and older.
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Prices range from $149 to $399 depending on the day, the type of suite, and its amenities. It has Jacuzzi suites, presidential swimming pool suites, and the top-level royal swimming pool suites. The hotel offers additional services, including candles, sweets, flowers, alcohol, and anniversary, birthday, and wedding packages all for an extra cost.

Mr. Kranjec said when he first proposed building the hotel 12 years ago, some people misunderstood its concept: a place for romantic getaways for couples.

“When we first built the place people didn’t know what the concept was. A stay-cation was not something people understood,” he said. “We fulfill that niche but people didn’t understand it and when we first started we took a lot of flak.

“People still have these notions about what we are but if they stay here and listen to the people in the lobby, it’s a game changer. We’re not only affordable, but we really make memories for the people who stay here,” Mr. Kranjec said.

“Yes, it’s not for children but everybody who stays here has children. Kids are great and we love them but people need to get away. Not everyone wants to go to a Splash Universe and sit by the pool and get splashed by kids,” he said.

“Here you can relax and stay by the pool in your own room,” he added.

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People often ask why Belamere’s units have their own garages but don’t have windows. Mr. Kranjec said there was practicality involved in those choices.

“The garages were put there because we anticipated having a lot of newly married people coming from a wedding reception and staying here. When you come from a reception you sometimes have all kinds of things in your car, such as wedding gifts, and no one wants to do that and park two blocks away from your room,” he said. “Also, here in Ohio in the wintertime sometimes its snowing and five-below. With a garage your car is right there.”

Mr. Kranjec said in 2004 he anticipated people would smoke in the hotel’s rooms. He didn’t want to have drapes that would need to be cleaned or replaced frequently because of smokers.

“Now, nobody smokes in hotel rooms practically, but at the time we didn’t want to clean drapes all the time. We decided we didn’t need drapes if we didn’t have windows. Plus, it’s not like you’re in a place where you’re overlooking the ocean,” he said.

“But this place is a getaway. We get visitors from all over Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana,” Mr. Kranjec said.

In fact, the business has been so successful that he is looking to add a second location somewhere in Ohio. Where that second location will be is uncertain, he added.

Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.