Drury Plaza Hotel: New 7-Story Hotel Near Hollywood Casino Joliet 'A Major Milestone For This Development'

JOLIET, IL — Cullinan Properties and its Rock Run Collection development continue be the catalyst for economic development in the Joliet region. August marked the grand opening of the new Hollywood Casino Joliet at Interstates 55 and 80. Wednesday marked the opening of Rock Run Collection's first out lot restaurant, the Chipotle Mexican Grill. And now there's signs along Gateway Boulevard proclaiming that Joliet will be getting a Drury Plaza Hotel.

The new hotel will be seven stories tall and feature about 180 rooms.

"Breaking ground on the Drury Plaza Hotel at Rock Run Collection is a major milestone for this development and for the region as a whole," Tyler Buck, vice president for strategic initiatives with Cullinan Properties, told Joliet Patch on Wednesday afternoon. "With the tremendous performance and foot traffic already being generated by Hollywood Casino, the addition of Drury immediately elevates Rock Run as a true super-regional destination.

"This hotel strengthens everything we are building here and accelerates the momentum we are seeing across the entire site," Buck continued.

The groundbreaking for the Drury Plaza Hotel is expected to take place within the next month. Joliet Patch learned the construction project will take about 12 months, so it's possible the Drury hotel would be ready for guests at the end of 2026, but more than likely it will open in early 2027.

"Relax and recharge in an upscale environment with enhanced meeting space and on-site dining. All Drury Plaza Hotels offer deluxe guest rooms and two-room suites," the company website reads.

Joliet's new Drury Plaza Hotel will be built on the large grassy parcel directly in front of the new Hollywood Casino Joliet. According to the company website, a handful of Drury Plaza Hotels were being built this year in several major cities across the country including Lincoln, Nebraska and Tampa, Florida.

According to the company's Illinois listings, Drury Hotels has three different types of hotel brands across the country: there's the Drury Inn & Suites, the Drury Plaza Hotel — which Joliet is getting — and then there's the Pear Tree Inn By Drury. As 2025 draws to a close, the company's only existing Illinois-based Drury Plaza Hotel is in Mt. Vernon.

There are existing Drury Inn & Suites in Champaign, Marion, Springfield, plus three in the St. Louis area: O'Fallon, Fairview Heights and Collinsville.

"In 1973, my father and his brothers built the first Drury Inn on a simple promise—to provide clean rooms, friendly service, and a good night’s sleep at a good and honest price. More than 50 years later, that promise still stands," explains Chuck Drury, chief executive officer at Drury Hotels, on his company's website. "From the beginning, quality and value have been our guiding principles ... This legacy gives us a lot to live up to. But I’m confident that our extended Drury family is more than up to the challenge. Thank you for your trust in Drury Hotels. We will never stop working to earn your loyalty."