There is a new revolution happening in universities and colleges around the country. It doesn't involve new methods of teaching or degrees but hotels. Educational institutions are now having a makeover and they are bent on creating first-class campus hotels, which will become the next big attractions to lure freshmen into their campuses.
In the past, when parents tour campuses to check out what college is best for their kids, they already expect campus accommodations to be outdated and tattered around the edges. Those days, however, were long gone as universities team up with world-class designers to change how campus lodgings look like.
John O'Neill, a professor at Penn State University and the Director for Hospitality and Real Estate Strategy of the university said that the trend has been changing as more and more people are willing to pay more for quality and style when looking for accommodations during a campus tour.
These people do not only include parents and freshmen students but also alumni, visiting professors, artists, and even fans of that university's sports team who want to watch their team play.
He also added that the move towards constructing first-class campus hotels has been influenced by the boutique hotel movement and the changing psychographics of the people.
According to a study conducted by the Pinnacle Advisory Group, there are 80 universities across the nation that own hotels in 2014. That number is still increasing as 14 more universities and colleges are planning to construct their own first-class campus hotels.
Aside from the aesthetics, these hotels are also promoting local businesses. For example, the Hotel at Oberlin uses soap dishes made by a local glassblower. Shampoos and lotions are locally manufactured as well using all-natural ingredients. Even the food at the hotel's restaurant uses ingredients that are produced by local farmers.
Sara Masterson, vice president of hotel management at the Olympia Companies, said that universities and colleges have figured out that these first-class campus hotels are good representations for the school serving as a front door or the back door for prospective students.
