Holiday Montvale Estates

Nancy

I had an in-person tour of Holiday Montvale Estates. They have apartments outside and around the main building. The tour experience was very good. I enjoyed meeting people. Even though they were all old people, they had a sparkle in their eyes and had things to talk about. So I concluded from what I saw of the people around me that most people do very well there and that I probably would too. The rooms were small, but they had nice bathrooms and appearance. It was clean, so I was impressed. I met two of the staff, and both were young men. They were very friendly and had an air of being pleased with what they did. One of the young men was the pastry chef. The other young man was the one who showed me through the building, and he was very pleasant. They were quite competent, had nice personalities, and were fun. The people were friendly, and you could see in their eyes that they were peaceful. Nobody was bitching and complaining. I have in my little booklet some of the activities they had. But at the time I was there, I didn't see a group activity. The building is beautiful. The whole area was very attractive, both inside and out.

Judi

I went to Holiday Montvale Estates. They were very nice, but most of the units were too small for what I wanted. The facility was lovely, and the people were very nice. I saw the dining area and it had been recently remodeled, so it was nice, but I did not eat with them. I did not see very many of the people, but those that I did see seemed to be happy and satisfied. The staff was impressive. They were very, very nice. The people that I saw were kind of gathering, playing cards or something. The rooms were just too small, and they did have some sides like little bungalows, and those would have been big enough but, I don't think that I want to stay in Illinois.

Bruce

I went to Holiday by Atria Montvale Estates. I found them very expensive for my income. Their cost was very, very high when I think that they're close to everything as far as stores, conveniences, and shops. I looked at the studio cottages. And they started at about $2100 which I could afford. But there's just not a lot of room. I have to go to a one-bedroom, but I think they went close to $2700, and it would be very expensive for me to live there. I wouldn't have much left over. The location was good, the place was clean, and the services looked like they would be very excellent. They gave me a menu and it looked like very nutritious food. She said healthy food and it's cooked by chefs and with three meals a day. If you couldn't make it, they would bring it to your unit. The people seem to be somewhat happy. I can't speak for them, of course, but it seemed like a good place. It's a little dated. They had some kind of card game going on in one room, they had a movie room and they had a little exercise room. They have events and social gatherings. The social director, guided me through the whole tour, and she was very nice, and very informative. The manager was there as well, and she was very nice and informative, very courteous, and very professional, answered my questions and wanted to know if there was anything else I wanted to ask, and made me feel comfortable. They were kind of pushy in a way I didn't like.

Carrie

My mom really liked Holiday Montvale Estates, but she's just not ready to make that final step. We saw one apartment in the main building, and then the staff also showed us across the main building, more like an apartment-style single unit. It wasn't like the shared hall. It was a front door-back door, and that was what my mom liked. The staff was very helpful and nice. They showed us a calendar that showed you what kind of exercises or games or whatever they're doing for that particular day.

Charotte

Holiday Montvale Estates was bright and clean, and the staff was very helpful. I wanted a cottage, but they didn't have everything I wanted in the cottage. It was beautiful, very clean, and up-to-date. I know they have seasonal programs and they're very nice. The food there was delicious. I've eaten there before and they had good food. The tour was very helpful. The reason I didn't go there is that the parking is too far from the door I'd go on, and I have a car. I liked the location.

Barbara

I like that Holiday Montvale Estates is convenient for me to get to, and it's closer to Mom's doctors, but I don't care for the rooms. The way the rooms were chopped up, it's hard to put furniture in there, but they were clean. They had a nice-sized bathroom and a kitchenette. The refrigerator didn't impress me at all, but they serve you three meals a day, and there's always coffee and something to eat downstairs all day. They got laundry facilities. It's an OK place. The worst thing there is the actual rooms. The bedroom had a window, but with the angles you can't put furniture in there very well. The walls weren't straight. It's strange the way they're built. The staff during the tour was very nice. Upkeep and maintenance were good. I know that they furnish toilet paper, and I know they will do your bed linens. They provide a bus that will take you to appointments.

Brenda

Montvale Estates was very nice. They were very knowledgeable, the staff who gave the tour was very helpful, Melissa was her name. We have a really good feeling about this place. They're just a higher price than we can go, so that's one of the biggest drawbacks. The apartments had a stove, refrigerator, and kitchen cabinets. The 2-bedroom has a washer and dryer while the 1-bedroom does not. The place was clean, maintained, and very comparable to the other place we also toured. We tried the food. They serve their main meal at lunchtime, which I find a problem if you have doctor's appointments, around that time, it makes it hard to make it for lunch. Then they have a lighter meal in the evening, which is OK. You'd have to adjust your eating habits, most people don't have their main meal in the middle of the day.

Felicia

I had an in-person tour of Montvale Estates. For one thing, it was the cheapest one I could find. The facility looked nice and clean. The apartments were well-maintained. I also liked that they have nurses there. They have a nursing agency that comes in all the time, so we get a really good price. It looks like they're pretty good. The staff was great. She gave me lots of information and seemed to know what she was talking about. I liked her. She gave me a complimentary cherry pie, which I hate cherry pie, and it was good. All the apartments have either a balcony or patio area.

Howard

I toured Montvale Estates. It was comfortable and the lady I was talking to spend a good deal of time with me. Showed me two units that I would be interested in. They were a little dated, but otherwise comfortable and clean. I liked the cottage, as they call it because it had a full refrigerator and stove, and a washer and dryer in it. The staff was very good, well-prepared, and friendly. She took the time to get to know me before showing me around. The place was a little dated in some respects, but I liked the location of where it is in Springfield.

Kristi

Montvale Estates needed a lot of updating. It's very old, but it's in a great location. It's actually very close to me; I could just walk right up there from my house, and I really liked the girl who gave us the tour. She's been following up with me ever since. The outside looked really nice, but the inside was very old. It wouldn't be a place that I would feel comfortable putting my mom in right now. They said that they're updating some things, but the kitchens and the cabinets were really old, and all they did was install new carpet. It could still be nice, though.

Betty

We visited Montvale Estates and it's very nice. Shawna, the young lady who took us on a tour, was very nice and very helpful. The facility was very nice and very homey. We enjoyed the tour. The apartments were very nice and very clean. It was laid out very nicely.

Karl

I moved into Montvale Estates. It's wonderful, they have all kinds of amenities, cable TV, beautiful settings, they come unfurnished, so I had to go get my own furniture. They serve three meals a day, breakfast just came, there's somebody that walks around and makes sure you're comfortable, and it looks like a brand-new place, so everything is nice. The staff is wonderful, they have somebody at the phones, you have to sign in each time, everything is all secured, so nobody else can get in. As far as the staff, the chef came around and he asked me how I like my food, what I wanted, and I said, "Just base it on how much you would eat, that's how much I want, and he's a big guy." Last night they usually get a hamburger patty and lettuce, tomato, all the trimmings; he gave me two hamburger patties and all the trimmings. So they cater to your needs. They come to clean the room. I got the efficiency one, there's only me, so I don't need the extra bedroom. They made sure everything was comfy and good, and there's somebody that comes around all the time. I would highly recommend this place. They have bingo, they have a van to take you around if you wanna go someplace, to the doctors, or if you want to go shopping. In this case here, there's a big shopping center right across the street.

Jim

Montvale Estates is independent. They have everything that others would have. They contract caregivers, and they also have PT on-site, which was a big deal. They provide activities for the residents, too. They had meals just like all the others and they sent us home with a homemade pie and some muffins from the kitchen. The only drawback with Montvale is you have a buy-in, which they call a community fee of $3500, and in the first month, whatever apartment you're in, you have to pay an extra 1-1/2 of the rent. We thought the $3500 was kinda high and then the first month rent was 1-1/2 times the normal rent. The community fee of $3500 was for snow removal, landscaping and things like that, and it's a non-refundable fee.

Rita

I've settled on Montvale because of all of them I checked out it fit the needs that we have and that we could afford. My relative has to be under $2,000 a month and not a lot of them are like that. A lot of them, if they are less than that, you have to pay for everything extra, and there's too many extras with it, whereas Montvale doesn't. It comes with the food, meals, the snacks, transportation, which is a biggie. Right now, I don't know if she is really implied to want to go there, so we're going to wait another month or two and see how things are going and go over and check it out with her. She's doing really good on her own right now but I'm looking for the future. I visited Montvale in person and I liked it. It's clean and I met the chef, the chef was very good, and he believes in healthy food, no tater tots. I can't understand how people think they're feeding people healthy when they feed them tater tots, it just doesn't make sense to me. We met the chef and talked to him for quite a while, and we looked at two different sizes of rooms that are available right now. I don't know if they're going to be available later. The facility is next to Schnucks, it's a walk away, not even hardly a block away and I thought, "Well, that will train her to be able to walk to the grocery store." They also have a little kitchenette, nothing big. I'm really happy with what I've seen at Montvale. I was really impressed with the staff, Shayna or Shauna, she was really nice and helpful. The one thing that people really don't want to tell you when you call is all the extras that you end up having to pay, but she did. She went over all of it more than once to make sure that we really understood what was going on. My inclination right now is I'm going to call her. I don't know how soon but I'm going to call her and ask her to put my relative's name on their list so if the two rooms we've seen have been taken then my relative could be the next one in line. The ones I have checked out, they seemed really nice and everything, but everything is a la carte, so I think, at least in Montvale, it's all built in. We know what the expenses are going to be. It's a good thing. There wouldn't be any guessing or anything, so that's good. The way they have it now with the COVID, you can't get the real full effect, but the facility is clean and nice and it's taken care of. They couldn't invite me to a meal because of COVID, but they have done that for one of my friends. He went there during lunch and he liked it, and he was considering moving to Montvale. He says that the food was great. What they did for us -- because they couldn't give us lunch and because of COVID you have to stay seated away from people and they have to be scheduled -- the chef made us a pie. A deep dish peach pie and it was hot, it was huge, and so good. We didn't know he was going to do it, which was a surprise. We came and the person giving the tour said she'd have us meet their chef. He came in and we talked a little bit. My son was going to be a chef, but he passed, and we never did get to see his dream come true, but I have a place in my hearts for chefs, so I was really excited and happy to meet this young man. He was really, really nice and really, really good. That pie was extremely wonderful, and it was a surprise, so that was really nice. They did accommodate us as far as their culinary. All the ones that I've looked into, they were just too much, plus they had extras to pay for, and we can't do that.

Theresa

My mother-in-law moved into Montvale Estates. So far, so good. Her room is clean and nice. She has a little kitchenette with a sink and room for putting the microwave and chair, and then the bedroom. The staff is friendly. They have exercise and transportation. Right now, because of COVID, they're limited, but she's able to leave when she wants. We can come pick her up any time and she can check back in, and that was key to our decision. It could be a little newer. It's very clean and it's fine for her, it's just not my style.

JDubbs

Montvale is a wonderful place for my mom. She loves it there and plans to spend the rest of her life at Montvale Estates. For me it gives me peace of mind that my mom lives in a safe place with great people who work there and live there.

DW

Montvale Estates was fine. The staff was fine, too. The rooms were smaller than expected, but the living atmosphere was good. It was a nice clean environment. There were activities going on. They have games, exercise, and church services.

Bill

Montvale Estates is immaculate and it's a great place. It's just as nice as the other places we visited, but they have food in this community, while in the other one you have to have your food brought in, but the price for both places are good. The staff member who assisted me during my tour at Montvale was a great guy. He's no longer there, but he was the one who sold me on the place. They have all kinds of activities and people were having fun, mingling and eating. There was more going on there, and they also have a five-star chef.

Daniel

Our overall experience with Montvale Estates is very positive. It's like an apartment complex, but the manager and the staff go out of their way to make my dad feel at home. There's nothing about the place that's really that outstanding, but it's nice. I would definitely recommend them. They have standard meals and they have normal activities that you find in most senior communities. I like that they have a bus that takes you places. It's kind of what makes the place great, because the people there are very accommodating. So if you want to try something different or try something new then you can. The staff is excellent. The only thing that you have to understand about the place is that it is independent living, so at around 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. there are staff members around, but after that they go home. His room is comfortable, but it's not overly large since it's just a 1-bedroom apartment. The food tasted good. There's an activity going on possibly every hour. They do bible studies, there's bean bag baseball, and all kinds of social exercises for the residents. Some people participate and some don't because others have other places to go because they can. They can just go take the bus in the morning and come back in the afternoon. It's just that the staff is not there 24/7. For the cost versus what you get, and the food and the travel, it's definitely a good value and location.

lcluney

This facility has really gone down hill since the director, Rebecca was hired. Terrible food. No building security anywhere. Staff and residents smoke at facility. Dirty furniture. Run down and dated apartments. One elevator serves all 3 floors. It is frequently broken. Residents have repoeted thefts to management with no improvements to facility. Stay away.

Elaine

My father-in-law moved into Montvale Estates, and it's really a wonderful place. The food is good, and I don't have anything bad to say about them. They have a bus to go to appointments, but he doesn't like that they run in the morning. They 're really friendly, and they have lots of great activities for seniors. They have daily and weekly exercises.

Mary

Montvale Estates said they are an independent living place, but they do everything for you. You have to go to meals on their schedule, they clean your place, and they do the laundry. There wasn’t even a microwave in the apartment. It was a lovely place, and their apartments were great, but they were small, even the two bedroom/2bath units were small. The person that gave me the tour was very nice. I would like an independent living to have a kitchen and a microwave oven. Also, their activities didn’t appeal to me.

Robert177050

Montvale Estates was really nice, and the residents seemed really nice, but I felt like somebody was selling me a car. I felt pressured because they wanted me to sign the contract before I left on my very first visit. I need a place that’s more caring than about selling. They had a wing for community gatherings with puzzles, magazines, a big TV, lots of comfortable chairs and couches, and two pianos. Another wing was where they had outside entertainments come in and was more upbeat with a popcorn machine, a pool table, and game tables. They had a barber shop, a beauty salon, an exercise room, sauna, and whirlpool.

Chandler731306

My mother is in Montvale Estates right now. Our overall experience is very good. We visited three different sizes of apartments and was impressed with all of them. They are very good and in different price ranges. They invited us for lunch there. I can go and have lunch with my mother without any problem. The staff members I met are very good and seem to be happy with their work and to be able to help the residents. I think the security is very good. They lock the outside door after a certain hour and only residents have the key to get in. They also have locks on the inside door. I am very impressed with the dining area. The residents all seem very happy. Another thing that impressed me is that different people came over to meet my mother and welcome her to the family there. They are all very accommodating and very friendly. She knows quite a few people already. They have exercise classes, games, bingo, and cards. They have a pool table, televisions, and live entertainment every week.

Dodie760437

Montvale Estates was comfortable, and it looked like they had a really nice menu for all the meals. It seemed like it had a lot of activities too. The staff was very nice. The head guy showed me around and told me about it and everything. They were very welcoming. It was very clean.

Virginia514083

The service wasn’t too good when we visited at Montvale Estates, but that could be a good day or bad day not a problem. The people were a bit old, but they had been there for a while, so they liked it, and that was a good thing. The public areas needed redoing, but the dining room was quite nice. They had young man who helps them serve as part of their service juncture, and the food seems fine. They were doing an activity adjacent to the lobby.

S.S.211873

Montvale Estates is pretty active, and they seem pretty accommodating to the residents, but it seemed pretty busy. Atmosphere seems pretty cheerful. It's clean and attractive, and their dining room was very pretty and attractive. It would be a pleasure to dine there. They had nice facilities like you could do your own laundry if you wanted, and a place to sit and wait, like a library. There's also a lot of people coming and going. The grounds seemed well-manicured, and the location is convenient.

Janet H.

We did stay at Montvale Estates -- great food, lots of activities, and nice buildings. At Christmas, they had beautiful decorations. The managers were so nice, and everybody was friendly. We really liked there. We were there for five months. They had a lot of parties, ice-cream sundaes on Sundays, exercise class, card games, and a lot of entertainment. We had a very nice apartment. It was two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen, but we used the one smaller bedroom just for our desk and things like that.

Santana536584

Montvale Estates had a nice environment, and the whole community was really nice. The rooms were a nice size, and I could picture my mom living there and being comfortable. They had outings, bingo, movie nights, and a calendar of activities. They had a dining area, and a little room for movies and activities. The food was really nice. We had a really good meal that seemed healthy. The staff was caring and came off as really nice, and you could tell they really cared about the facility. The managers lived on-site, and I liked that.

Claudette360736

Montvale Estates had everything that we needed. When we walked in, the staff greeted us and were so nice. The tour was wonderful, and we decided that day that this was it.

BethELEHV

I liked Montvale Estates because everyone was very friendly and helpful. They had movie nights, played cards, had church services, and served three meals a day, plus snacks, too. The place was very nice and very clean. The staff seemed very competent.

Caring108205650

Montvale Estates is a wonderful place. They are all very caring and nice people. My father-in-law likes it there. They are very caring. They have a lot of activities, and while I was there, they had bingo and movie nights. They take the people where they want to go a few days a week. The food is good. It is independent living, but they have assisted living options.

d kassahn

It has everything we were looking for and none of the things we were staying away from. Clean bright, good food, private apartment, Nice people and close to lots of restaurants and the mall. It is easy to get to which helps when his friends come over for lunch.

Ellen32

I know a lady that lives in Montvale Estates. They have independent living apartments and an assisted living building, and it is about three stories high. Their dining room was the best of any of them, maybe because they have more people, but the dining room was absolutely huge. They serve three meals a day, seven days a week. What really impressed me was the quality of the staff. They know every one of the residents, they put up with all kinds of silly behavior, and they are all very friendly and nice, concerned, and caring. Maybe I observed that because I was there visiting someone. I wasn't there for a tour because I am sure that if I had been on my own, I wouldn't have gotten to observe those kinds of interactions. But I was just impressed with the quality of the staff; they were all excellent. Down to the girls that work in the dining room to people that are cleaning up, and they were all very kind and caring. They took time out to go assist the residents in any way they could. Plus, the place is beautiful. It is updated, very modern, and has lots of places to congregate and have entertainment, games, and stuff like that.

Judith27

Everything was really good at Montvale, and I liked their dining room because they had a grand piano up on a flat form and someone played it during meals. They also had a fireplace there that stood out. They had quite a few activities to keep everybody busy. The staff was very helpful. Its location was really good because it was by a grocery store and a mall.

Caring72422450

Montvale Estates won the 2013 number one place in Springfield, Illinois. I've worked in this field for 16 years and it's one of the best I've seen. It's an independent living center but people come in if they have memory issues. It's extremely clean and extremely well run. They're actual apartments, not like a hospital bed. You can get outside help to come and give medications to the patient. I've talked to quite a bit of the residents and their only complaint is the food is like from a California menu but they have plenty of choices.

Anonymous71253650

I had an interesting visit at Montvale Estates. I saw some of their apartments and I thought they were good. They did offer plenty of activities for their residents. Food was good. Overall, I would give them a high rating.