Not surprisingly, an article was published this week on
hotelnewsnow.com restating that college towns, particularly those deemed "research universities" draw in a consistent flow of hotel guests. You can read the full article here:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/15362/US-college-towns-earn-top-grades-for-demand
Since I attend a North Carolina university, the school that comes to mind when I hear the expression "research institution" is Duke University. I got curious, and pulled the list of "recommended hotels" and Durham hotels from the school's website. Here is the full list:
Recommended Hotels (near campus)
Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
(Walking distance from Fuqua)
+1.919.490.0999
3001 Cameron Boulevard (NC 751/Cameron)
www.washingtondukeinn.com
Durham Hotels
Durham Hilton
(about 4 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.383.8033
3800 Hillsborough Road
www.hilton.com
Holiday Inn Express
(about 4 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.313.3244
2516 Guess Road
www.hiexpress.com
Quality Inn & Suites
(about 4 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.382.3388
3710 Hillsborough Road
www.duke85.com
Hampton Inn
(about 4 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.471.6100
1816 Hillandale Road
www.hamptoninn.com
Chapel Hill Hotels
The Siena Hotel
(about 6.5 miles from Fuqua)
+1.800.223.7379
1505 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
www.sienahotel.com/
Interestingly enough, the only "recommended" hotel listed shares a common background. Where the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club is founded by Washington Duke, the university itself was renamed to Duke after Washington Duke's hefty endowment.
After reading the article about hotel traffic through college towns, I hadn't really been thinking about how universities themselves could capitalize on the need for hotel rooms. Many universities offering hospitality degrees boast on-site hotels that serve as learning labs for students and additionally, I am sure, serve as a source of extra income. Something my university should consider in the future...
