Visiting Colleges? The Era of Staying in a Sad Hotel Is Over

When I was in college, and for years afterward, the nicest place to stay in New Haven, Conn., was an Omni. It was nice enough, in the way that any big, fourish-star hotel in any medium-size city anywhere in the country can be nice. It was unquestionably nicer than the creepy, weird bed and breakfast where my parents stayed during family weekend in the fall of my freshman year, or the highway exit spots where we overnighted when I visited colleges during high school. But the Omni didn’t have cool cachet or much local flair, and it certainly didn't have any strong connection to Yale.

Times have changed. This autumn, as high school juniors and seniors arrive for campus tours and parents come to visit, they’ll find that new hotel offerings in college towns have never been more appealing and attuned to their locations, offering creative connections to campuses and surrounding communities. Whether owned by the colleges and universities or by boutique brands designed for this purpose, these hotels take better care of their guests and exhibit more school pride. They do it all in a way that’s proving to be big business, too.