Every Muncie hotel within three miles of the campus is booked in preparation for Ball State’s Family Weekend, with many hotels raising their prices due to high demand.
Hotels have been sold out for months, said employees from five different hotels.
The Ball State University Hotel has been booked since April when the football schedule was released. The hotel has a waiting list of 25 people in case of cancellations.
The Baymont Inn and Suites, Days Inn, Super 8 and the Ball State University Hotel still receive numerous calls daily from Ball State parents attempting to make Family Weekend reservations, employees said.
“We’ll have people trying [to book] till Saturday,” said Lee Ann Thompson, front desk associate at Baymont Inn and Suites. “So far [on Wednesday], I’ve had five people call. So I’d say a minimum of 10-15 people per day are calling.”
Because of the influx of guests, prices are typically higher for most Muncie hotels during Family Weekend. Days Inn, for instance, bases their rates on how busy the hotel is, said front desk worker Josh Croff. The busier the hotel, he said, the more expensive rooms are.
The Super 8 also increases its room prices by about $40 during Family Weekend, said assistant manager Clarissa Schweigel. The Baymont Inn and Suites raises its price by $24, Thompson said.
The Lees Inn and Suites and the Ball State University Hotel do not raise their prices during Family Weekend, however, the university hotel does not accept any coupons or discounts during the event. The Lees Inn and Suites, on the other hand, maintains its 15 percent discount for Ball State parents and students.
Although some hotels raise their prices, the overall service of the hotel isn’t greatly impacted. Schweigel said Super 8 has to put out more breakfast and keep the food out longer.
Natah Hughes, desk coordinator at the Ball State University Hotel, said the weekend just takes simple preparation.
“There’s a lot that we do to prepare to make sure everyone is checked in in a timely manner and our guests are satisfied with everything that goes on,” Hughes said. “We have extra students that come in for those weekends.”
Regardless of price charged, hotel workers like Schweigel see Family Weekend helps the hotel.
“Family Weekend benefits us because we do get to make money,” Schweigel said. “But at the same time, it benefits everyone else because [parents] get to see their kids when they don’t get to see them much.”
