PLAINS TWP. — The Woodlands Inn, a popular destination for weddings, banquets, happy hours and overnight stays, is closed indefinitely after electrical issues discovered Monday night forced power to be turned off. Township building code officials subsequently deemed the facility “unsafe for use or occupancy.”
Jason Humenanski, owner of BHW Construction Consultation Services in Plains Twp., said power was restored Tuesday afternoon, but The Woodlands would remain closed for the “forseable future.”
Humenaski called it “an unfortunate situation” and said a contractor will have to make “a bunch of repairs.” Once the repairs are completed another inspection will be done and occupancy permit would be issued if the facility passes.
“Without electricity, you can’t occupy the building,” Humenanski said. “There was no heat. The life safety components of the building were not functional without electricity. It was no longer able to be able to protect the occupants of the building.”
As recently as Monday, The Woodlands promoted a Thanksgiving eve concert with the band M80 and advertised a Thanksgiving dinner schedueled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday.
Some local businesses, including Pisano Family Wines in Hunlock Creek, took to Facebook Tuesday afternoon to offer their support and services.
“We are so sorry to hear about what is happening to the Woodlands! As business owners, we never want something like that to ever happen to us, and we hope they can get back on their feet soon,” the post read. “If you or someone you know was having an event with them in the near future and it has been canceled due to pressing situation they are experiencing, please reach out us and we will try our best to accommodate you, so you don’t lose your date.”
Mark and Gary Kornfeld opened The Woodlands on state Route 315 in 1969 as The Treadway. In 1979, the Kornfelds created the popular 25th Hour nightclub. The hotel features 151 rooms, banquet space and two restaurants. Cabins were added for extended stay and, in the 1980s, a multi-story tower was built.
Former President George W. Bush, the rock band Aerosmith, comedian Jerry Seinfeld and former New York Yankee great Mickey Mantle all stayed at The Woodlands through the years.
The facility was sold to investment group Shree Neelkanth Realty LLC in 2022. The sale included the hotel, bank building and 19 acres of surrounding area.
A sign on the front door of the Woodlands Inn in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)