College Towns in High Demand for Hotel Rooms

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

Hilton Garden Inn - Opening in December 2013
Durham/University Medical Center (about 2 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.286.0074
2102 West Main Street
http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/north-carolina/hilton-garden-inn-durham-university-medical-center-RDUMCGI/index.html

Millennium Hotel
(about 1.5 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.383.8575
2800 Middleton Drive
www.millenniumhotels.com

Extended Stay America
(about 3 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.489.8444
3105 Tower Boulevard
www.extendedstayhotels.com

Courtyard Durham
(about 3.5 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.309.1500
1818 Front Street
marriott.com/hotels/travel/rdufs-courtyard-durham-near-duke-university-downtown/

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

Durham Marriott City Center
(about 5 miles from Fuqua)
+1.800.909.8375
201 Foster Street
http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/rducv-durham-marriott-at-the-civic-center/

SpringHill Suites
(about 5.5 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.403.1111
5310 McFarland Drive
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rdurl-springhill-suites-durham-chapel-hill/

Residence Inn by Marriott
(about 6 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.933.4848
101 Erwin Road
www.residenceinnchapelhill.com 

Hilton Garden Inn 
(about 9 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.544.6000
7007 Fayetteville Road
www.durhamsouthpoint.stayhgi.com

Chapel Hill Hotels

Sheraton Chapel Hill
(about 6.5 miles from Fuqua)
+1.919.968.4900
1 Europa Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1124

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...