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Landmark Hotel Closing for Good

A landmark hotel is closing its doors Sunday night for good. The owner of the Hotel Jonas in Monroe County said due to the tough financial times, he has no choi...

A landmark hotel is closing its doors Sunday night for good.

The owner of the Hotel Jonas in Monroe County said due to the tough financial times, he has no choice but to shutter the more than 100-year-old building.

“The property goes back to the 1700s from what I understand,” said Mike Pandolfo.

Showing us the Hotel Jonas' Wall of History, owner Pandolfo points to pictures and letters dating back centuries.

The hotel was built in 1901 in the village of Jonas.

With two other partners, Pandolfo bought it in 1999 and restored the crumbling building near Lehighton into a 16 room hotel with a restaurant and bar.

“It was a total disaster when we bought it. I remember there were 90 slates missing from the roof and the water was pouring through every room,” said Pandolfo. “So it's been a long journey since then, a lot of work, a lot of blood, sweat and tears, a lot of good people have been through the doors here.”

Unfortunately that journey has come to an end.

Customers have dwindled due to the bad economy and Pandolfo said he cannot afford to keep the Hotel Jones open anymore.

On this last day of business, those loyal to the hotel and to Pandolfo came out to have a drink and say good bye.

“Oh it's a great place, great place to come,” said customer George Schlecht. “Always had fun here, always had a good time, great place to let your hair down, I did that 10 years ago, I haven't found it since.”

“I'm going to miss it, miss my best bartender also,” said customer Ken Schimenek.

For the employees, they said it will be strange not going to work on Monday.

“I've been here so long and I'm going to miss it a lot, I really am,” said housekeeper Joann Sterling. “They're like family to me here you know? It's going to be hard.”

Pandolfo said it's his employees he's worried for.

“It was the hardest part telling my employees we had to close the doors. I knew it was inevitable, it was coming but I just held back as long as I could,” said Pandolfo.

He added his future is also uncertain but he will try to make the best of a bad situation.

“It's time for me to move on. I've had no life for 12 years. I'm going to start enjoying my life,” Pandolfo added.

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