MU Hotel to Become Student Housing

[clonetone]

Pretty big announcement today. The Hotel Memorial Union is shutting down on July 1. The university is converting some of the rooms to temporary student housing starting this fall.

I know they have people living in residence hall dens so I imagine the MU hotel room space will be the first overflow before they go into den space. But ISU is absolutely jammed for dorm rooms at the start of the fall semester before some people end up in Greek housing and elsewhere. I think it would be pretty cool to live in the Memorial Union as a student for a little while.

Here is the press release: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2016/04/27/mu-residence-hall

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I wonder if they are making the floors co-ed or if that's even an issue given the private bathrooms.

 

[dawgpound]

Cool for the students, bummer for the rest of us. I have stayed there a few times for various functions and its such a nostalgia feeling staying in the MU, and it's not to expensive.

 

[alarson]

Would definitely be convenient housing. Especially for business majors.

Makes me wonder if a hotel will ever open up closer to campus. One was talked about in campustown at one point, you'd think any hotel that could open up in that area would do great as theyd have a monopoly on walkable to campus hotel accommodations and would get a ton of bookings from visiting prospective students and parents all year round.

 

[CapnCy]

Would definitely be convenient housing. Especially for business majors.

Makes me wonder if a hotel will ever open up closer to campus. One was talked about in campustown at one point, you'd think any hotel that could open up in that area would do great as theyd have a monopoly on walkable to campus hotel accommodations and would get a ton of bookings from visiting prospective students and parents all year round.

I'm really surprised that hasn't happened. I'm sure the 1 year lease an apartment gets is good income, but you'd think they could have steady business all year (football, summer conferences, orientation, regular weekends) and would flex their prices accordingly.

 

[CYdTracked]

I think if the MU was an option when I went to ISU I would have probably considered it, especially since I was a business major and at the time Carver hall was the home to the College of Business. The private bathroom alone would be a big appeal, seemed like by the time Sunday rolled around the community bathrooms on the floors I lived on could get pretty gross since they janitorial staff didn't work weekends.

 

[LindenCy]

Booooo to ISU for taking away my hotel.*

*PG version

 

[Go2Guy]

Cool for the students, bummer for the rest of us. I have stayed there a few times for various functions and its such a nostalgia feeling staying in the MU, and it's not to expensive.

Totally agree. Many times, on my pilgrimages back to Ames, I stayed at the MU. Nothing like a window view of the Campanile and the most beautiful campus in America.

 

[Bret44]

I am taking a couple of classes in June up there. I will need to see if I can get in there one more time.

 

[cyclone87]

Not surprising, I think the hotel was going away anyway. A major remodel is in the early planning stages for the MU and may be completed in the next 5 years, current construction estimate is ~$35 mil and around 100,000 sq ft will be renovated including those hotel levels (4-6).

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/student_life/article_ec584874-ddd4-11e5-b9fd-8b0db5198e67.html

Phase one of the renovation would be the complete repurposing of Hotel Memorial Union. The hotel would no longer be in operation, and its rooms on the fourth through sixth floor would transform to office space for university administration, meeting rooms and the relocation of student legal services to the sixth floor. This would give students who seek legal advice privacy and security.

 

[Bigman38]

My only memory of staying in the MU was being able to hear my neighbors as clearly as if they were laying right next to me.

 

[LindenCy]

Was one of the best kept secrets in town. Great rate and made you feel like you were back on campus in college. I will really miss it.

 

[BringBackJohnny]

Wonder if this will hurt the MU event business for the great hall etc. I had to believe that as a big draw to have an event on campus with easy access guest rooms.

Sounds like this is a temp solution which I think it should be.

It would be cool if ISU some day had something similar to what Kirkwood has in CR where the school and subsequent majors manage a hotel and event space. With all the HRI/interior design/Event Management/Business majors I bet you could pull this thing off.

 

[SoapyCy]

Wonder if this will hurt the MU event business for the great hall etc. I had to believe that as a big draw to have an event on campus with easy access guest rooms.

Sounds like this is a temp solution which I think it should be.

It would be cool if ISU some day had something similar to what Kirkwood has in CR where the school and subsequent majors manage a hotel and event space. With all the HRI/interior design/Event Management/Business majors I bet you could pull this thing off.

this would be awesome! real world experience.

 

[ISUCubswin]

You'd think with the money they have coming in they could afford more student housing, especially with the poor conditions of some of the dorms. They also have a few apartments in West Ames near the Fountainview area that they're using for student housing.

 

[cyclone87]

^^They are building a new ~800 bed dorm

 

[NickTheGreat]

Actually would be pretty cool. :yes:

 

[cyclone87]

Plus they added on to Freddy and private developers are adding a lot of new units as well. My guess is they won't have anyone in dens this fall, instead they will be in the MU hotel (which would seem to be much better). The location is literally the best you could get.

 

[Bret44]

I just booked a room for 3 nights at the end of June. So I have that going for me.

 

[Incyte]

That's a bummer. I conceived my second kid there.