The historic Manor Hotel in Channahon, Ill., located on a later alignment of Route 66, is undergoing extensive renovations in the coming months, according to the Channahon-Minooka Patch.
According to the article, the stoutly constructed hotel was built in 1954 by masonry contractor Walt Anderson, who ran it until the late 1970s. Prakash Silveri is now the third owner of the motel, and he told his plans for it:
His current focus is updating all 77 guest rooms, the motel lobby and lounge area. Fresh paint, furniture, carpet and bedding are complete in 52 rooms.
“I want to bring it up to style and get a modern look,” Silveri said. […]
Manor Motel has a concrete pool with radiant heat and underwater lighting but is closed until further notice.
Although Silveri is focused on pouring money into completing the remodeling of the guest rooms, he would like to reopen the pool in the future. […]
Silveri plans to preserve the history of the motel through brochures. After he has several framed, he wants to display them in each motel room.
The article contains reminisces from several people who remember the hotel during its heyday.
The hotel sits next to Interstate 55 and Illinois Highway 6. David G. Clark, aka Windy City Road Warrior, confirmed that I-55 in that area was built on the original Route 66 from 1939 to the 1950s. For years after that, it was co-signed as U.S. 66.
However, that alignment is more obscure than the Illinois Highway 53 alignment commonly used by Route 66 travelers.
Interestingly, Illinois Highway 6 also served as the old Pontiac Trail, but it never was Route 66 in that area.