Al Monzo's Palace Inn, a Monroeville landmark for 31 years, succumbed last week to changing family interests and competitive pressures.

The hotel closed at 5 p.m. last Wednesday.

"It was a horrible feeling, General Manager Mark Regan said. "When you lock that door, you know an era is over. ... The staff meeting was a river of tears. Quite a few of our employees have been with us 15 to 20 years."

The Palace was a physical landmark and a social hub.

The 10-story, 289-room hotel was situated at the intersection of Routes 22 and 48 and near the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate 376. PennDOT rated the intersection as the second most heavily traveled in the state, according to Greater Monroeville Chamber of Commerce President Wes Blaha.

"When folks give directions, that's the landmark they use," Blaha said.

Many people, though, remember the inn more for the events.

The Palace had ample meeting rooms, banquet facilities and one of the region's largest ballrooms. Hundreds of couples were married and feted there. Concerts, boxing and other big events were held there. There was a lively nightclub scene. It's ballroom dancing was once featured on ABC's "Good Morning America."

The driving force behind it all was Al Monzo, a pugnacious, self-made millionaire who started out as an excavation contractor. He was strong-willed and innovative, and when Monzo got an idea, Blaha said, he could usually pull it off.

Monzo bought the 13-acre site around 1960, when Monroeville was a fledgling suburb. He called it "The Hole," and set about filling in the site with the spoils from excavation jobs. He created a prime piece of real estate, and in 1973, he opened his hotel. He built the Parkvale Savings Building next door.

The hotel started out as a Howard Johnson Motor Lodge. But, as the story goes, Monzo disliked paying the 2.5 percent franchise fee.

He almost converted to a Days Inn after he dumped Ho Jo's. The deal fell through, and he decided to run it without brand-name backing. In 1989, Monzo took the hotel independent and renamed it the Palace Inn.

He may have been thinking that he could create a casino there if Pennsylvania legalized the slots, Blaha said. But gambling still has not been approved and competition was getting more fierce.

Monzo died in December 2000, at age 73. The hotel and other properties passed to his wife, Daisy Rose Monzo, and three daughters.

Customers expect the latest amenities and freshest look, and the decades-old Palace was starting to run down. Hotel chains have the advantage of sophisticated reservations systems, national advertising and name recognition. The Days Inn he courted opened a hotel nearby, and Hampton Inn opened up across the street.

"I think the Howard Johnson's decision was the turning point," Blaha said. "The hotel had passed its hey day."

Still, it's a prime location. There have been inquiries but so far the parties have not found a workable price. Given the nature of the business, a hotel company would probably want to raze the building and start over, Blaha said. The site also is not quite large enough for a major retailer, like Wal-Mart.

Blaha suspects that the Palace was losing money. General manager Regan acknowledged that competitive pressures were a factor, but he said the enterprise could have gone on for another 31 years. Occupancy was averaging about 55 percent.

The biggest factor, said Regan, who is engaged to Monzo's daughter, Michelle, was the family's well being. Running a hotel is an around-the-clock venture. Monzo lived at the hotel, so he could never really get away from work.

The family deliberated for more than a year and decided, "They don't want to keep doing this," Regan said.

They are considering other business opportunities and continue to manage other local real estate. They still live at the inn and have a support staff.

During the past few weeks they have been finding accommodations for customers who were booked through October and lining up jobs for 50 employees.

"There's a great amount of sadness," Regan said. "But in the bottom of our hearts, it was the best decision."