An Old Hotel Gets A New Laundry

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Created on Wednesday, 03 September 2008 03:03

Written by Liza Lentini

 YORK, PA – Situated in York, Pennsylvania, the prominent landmark, The Yorktowne Hotel, reflects the nostalgic roaring twenties.  This historic landmark built in 1925 has evolved through the years but its old time charm remains.  

What has changed through the years is the number of guests that visit this 121-room hotel that   now hosts modern conveniences including restaurants, a gym, and 11,000 square feet of banquet / meeting rooms.

What has also changed is the way laundry is processed at the hotel. The Yorktowne Hotel has installed its own in-house facility, the initiative of The Yorktowne’s General Manager Mark Clossey and Tim Garner, VP of Operations with Guests, Inc. 

 “We estimated that installing an in-house laundry facility would reduce linen rentals by $100,000 per year and provide the hotel with more quality control,” says Clossey.  “We did a lot of work in-house to the space and utilized three bids to put in good equipment.”

Clossey and Garner decided to work with PAC Industries to build their new laundry which would be situated in the hotel’s basement - a space which, throughout the years, had been used as a kitchen, bakery, and occasionally office space.  “PAC has done a nice job assisting with layout,” says General Manger Clossey.  “We then took the concept and laid it out as a hotel team to get the final product.”  

Installation of the machines did not come without challenges. “The logistics of the historic property caused us to break down machinery like the presser and bring it down an elevator shaft and piece it back together,” says Clossey, who worked with their maintenance department in designing the internal structure.  “Piping and energy lines were connected and run.  The space had to be heated and cooled,” he says.

The new facility uses three UNIMAC washers, three UNIMAC dryers and a UNIMAC press. “We also installed AEO Smith hot water boilers and considered energy consumption on all the equipment,” Clossey says.  The laundry processes 200,000 pounds of goods yearly.  

The Yorktowne has discontinued all linen rentals and all room linens are owned by the hotel. Food and beverage linens that accommodate the hotel’s three restaurants were once rented and they too, are now owned and laundered in house.  The hotel generates $2.5 million from food and beverage alone. Not only are the restaurants award-winning, the hotel has an interesting ownership history with The Pfaltzgraff Company.

From 1976 to 2007, the hotel was owned by The Pfaltzgraff Company. Famous for its dinnerware, it’s not surprising that Pfaltzgraff china was used throughout the hotel.  “Much of the china was used in suites and guest room settings and functions.  The owners would use it for various events, and special functions,” says Clossey.  Today the hotel is owned by The Northstar Hotel’s Group, Inc but the legendary china is still used in some areas of the hotel today.

This prominent downtown landmark is now a member of the US National Parks National Historic Trust and Register of Historic Places.  “In 1925, the opening of the Yorktowne Hotel was a big deal, indeed, and to those that enjoyed the hotel, it still is,” says Cossey.  “The Hotel grew out of vision, a dream for a community showplace that would symbolize both York’s pride in its achievements, and high hopes for the future.”