The Suite Life on Campus

Unique university hotels perfect for college visits and campus getaways.

By Lori Stacy

College towns are famously lively, charming places to visit. Historic architecture, vibrant student life, and walkable districts filled with restaurants, bookstores, and cafés give these destinations a character all their own.

For families planning college visits, campus tours, or university events, staying at a hotel located directly on campus offers a unique experience. These properties place you steps from the heart of campus life—whether you’re touring a university, attending a game day, or simply exploring a great college town.

From historic dormitories turned boutique inns to stylish modern hotels operated by universities themselves, these eight hotels located on college campuses offer an immersive way to experience university life.

Editor’s Pick: The Inn at Carnall Hall

Photo courtesy of Inn at Carnal Hall

Walking into the Southern & SEC Campus Hotels

“>JB Duke Hotel

Duke University — Durham, North Carolina

Photo courtesy the Washington Duke Hotel

Photo courtesy of JB Duke Hotel

The “> JB Duke Hotel offers a contemporary alternative. With spa-like bathrooms, large windows, and a bright open lobby, the property reflects the sleek architecture of Duke’s Fuqua School of Business next door.

From either hotel, visitors are minutes from Ninth Street, Durham’s lively neighborhood filled with restaurants, coffee shops, and bookstores popular with Duke students.

University of South Carolina — Columbia, South Carolina

Photo courtesy of the Graduate Columbia

The Graduate Hotels brand has become famous for transforming older properties in college towns into colorful, design-forward hotels celebrating local universities.

The University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Photo courtesy of the Carolina Inn

Few campus hotels carry as much history as the University of Central Florida — Orlando, Florida
Photo courtesy of the Celeste Hotel

The Texas A&M University — College Station, Texas
Photo courtesy of the Texas A&M Hotel

Located steps from Kyle Field, the weekend in Texas.

The University of Mississippi — Oxford, Mississippi

Photo courtesy of the Graduate Oxford

Set just off Oxford’s historic Square and minutes from the University of Mississippi campus, University of Texas — Austin, Texas
Photo courtesy of AT&T Hotel

Few campus hotels have a location as dramatic as the Auburn University — Auburn, Alabama
Photo courtesy of The Laurel Hotel & Spa

One of the most impressive new campus hotels in the country is Northeast & Ivy League Campus Hotels
Yale University — New Haven, Connecticut

Image courtesy of the Study at Yale

Few universities capture the imagination like Yale University, and the New England.

University of Massachusetts — Amherst, Massachusetts

Photo courtesy of Hotel U Mass

Set inside the Campus Center at UMass Amherst, Hotel UMass offers one of the most convenient stays possible for visiting families.

Guests wake up to views of the Pioneer Valley and can walk directly into the heart of campus. The hotel is especially popular during college tour season and graduation weekend, when parents and prospective students fill the campus.

The property blends the calm of rural New England with the lively atmosphere of a large public university.

Midwest/Central US Campus Hotels

The Ohio State University — Columbus, Ohio

Photo courtesy of the Blackwell Inn

Located directly on the campus of The Ohio State University, the Purdue University — West Lafayette, Indiana
Photo courtesy of Union Club Hotel

Visitors to Purdue University don’t have to stay near campus—they can stay right in the middle of it. The The Atherton Hotel
Oklahoma State University — Stillwater, Oklahoma

Photo courtesy of the Atherton Hotel

The Atherton Hotel sits right on the Oklahoma State campus and is part of the university’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Students studying hotel management often participate in the hotel’s daily operations, gaining practical experience in everything from guest services to restaurant management.

With classic Georgian architecture and a cozy atmosphere, the Atherton has long been a favorite stay for visiting parents and alumni.

West Coast Campus Hotels

University of California, Davis — California

Photo courtesy of the Aggie Inn

The University of California, Berkeley — California
Photo courtesy of the Graduate Berkeley

Part of the popular Graduate Hotels collection,
Why Some Universities Operate Their Own Hotels

You might wonder why universities run hotels at all. The answer usually comes down to three key reasons: hospitality education, campus events, and visiting families.

Many universities with hospitality, tourism, or hotel management programs operate their own hotels so students can gain hands-on experience in a real working environment. At properties like The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University or the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, students studying hospitality often work alongside industry professionals, learning everything from guest services and event planning to restaurant operations and hotel management.

Campus hotels also support the many events universities host throughout the year, including conferences, alumni reunions, athletic events, and academic symposiums. Having an on-campus hotel allows visiting speakers, researchers, and alumni to stay within walking distance of campus facilities.

Finally, these hotels are incredibly convenient for families visiting prospective students. During college tour season, parents and students can stay right in the center of campus life—making it easier to attend admissions sessions, explore the university grounds, and get a feel for what daily student life might be like.