2008 Woodie Awards
164 Boston U. freshmen living in area hotels
Jason Abbruzzese--The Daily Free Press (Boston U.)
Issue date: 9/8/03 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
(U-WIRE) BOSTON - An overflow of incoming freshmen at Boston University has again forced housing officials to employ local hotels to house students.
The Hotel Commonwealth and the Holiday Inn Boston will accommodate 164 students -- a significant reduction from the 470 students housed in the Hyatt Regency and Cambridge Radisson during the fall semester last year.
BU Office of Housing Director Marc Robillard says BU chose new hotels this year because the hotels used last year were too far from campus.
"Both of those properties were good to the students and administration and we may do business with them again, but going over that river put the students at a disadvantage," Robillard says.
Due to slight shifts in male and female admittance at BU, the Holiday Inn has only male students while the Hotel Commonwealth has only female students.
"It's hard to anticipate slight shifts in who is accepted into the university," Robillard says. "We try to anticipate as best we can for housing, but if we're off by only 1 percent that can be as many as 100 people."
Robillard says BU's policy guaranteeing housing as long as undergraduates qualify to stay on campus has caused the need for hotel housing.
"Our commitment is that any undergraduate student who remains in good financial academic and judicial standing will have housing," he says. "Therefore, we have difficulties making spots for everyone."
Robillard also says he believes students will find the hotel rooms more than accommodating because they all have Ethernet, semiweekly maid service and air conditioning. Also, the men living at the Holiday Inn get free transportation passes.
Sophomore Karesia Batan says she remembered the Radisson's relaxed security more than the fully furnished rooms last fall.
"Anyone could visit without having to show ID or signing in," Batan says. "The most security our hotel had was a night watch guy who stayed at the front desk. Having the freedom to come and go as we pleased was nice."
The Hotel Commonwealth and the Holiday Inn Boston will accommodate 164 students -- a significant reduction from the 470 students housed in the Hyatt Regency and Cambridge Radisson during the fall semester last year.
BU Office of Housing Director Marc Robillard says BU chose new hotels this year because the hotels used last year were too far from campus.
"Both of those properties were good to the students and administration and we may do business with them again, but going over that river put the students at a disadvantage," Robillard says.
Due to slight shifts in male and female admittance at BU, the Holiday Inn has only male students while the Hotel Commonwealth has only female students.
"It's hard to anticipate slight shifts in who is accepted into the university," Robillard says. "We try to anticipate as best we can for housing, but if we're off by only 1 percent that can be as many as 100 people."
Robillard says BU's policy guaranteeing housing as long as undergraduates qualify to stay on campus has caused the need for hotel housing.
"Our commitment is that any undergraduate student who remains in good financial academic and judicial standing will have housing," he says. "Therefore, we have difficulties making spots for everyone."
Robillard also says he believes students will find the hotel rooms more than accommodating because they all have Ethernet, semiweekly maid service and air conditioning. Also, the men living at the Holiday Inn get free transportation passes.
Sophomore Karesia Batan says she remembered the Radisson's relaxed security more than the fully furnished rooms last fall.
"Anyone could visit without having to show ID or signing in," Batan says. "The most security our hotel had was a night watch guy who stayed at the front desk. Having the freedom to come and go as we pleased was nice."