Travelling for uni? Here’s how to make friends

A student arriving in a new town is lonely for the first week. Their parents, visiting for move-in, are worried. The hotel down the road can help both, if it is built for it.

Own a hotel near a campus? The Vantage Hoteliers Alliance helps independents fill those weekends through direct bookings instead of paying OTA commission.

For the student: making friends on the road

If you are travelling for university, the people you meet in the first fortnight tend to become your circle. A few habits help, wherever you land.

Arrive early. Orientation week is when everyone is looking for someone to talk to.
Say yes to the awkward event. The society fair and the first-year mixer are uncomfortable for everybody.
Use shared spaces. Lobbies, common rooms and cafés beat your own room for meeting people.
Be the one who asks. “Which course are you on?” works every time.

Hotels in university towns see this up close, which is exactly why the best ones design for it.

For the hotelier: the social lobby commons

A lobby with a bar and a few big armchairs serves guests. A lobby with long tables, a coffee counter and a notice board serves a town. Parents wait there, students drop by, and visiting academics take meetings.

Long communal tables with power at each seat.
A coffee counter that opens early and closes late.
A board for local events, society meetings and lost property.
Quiet corners, so it works for both a catch-up and a call.

Campus weekends fill early and book through the OTAs by default. Find out what shifting a quarter of that volume to direct is worth.

Parents’-weekend hospitality blocks

Move-in, family weekend and graduation put every room in town under pressure at once. Release blocks early and price them for what they are.

Move-in week: 2–3 nightsMinimum stay
Family weekend: Block holdRelease 60 days out
Graduation: PrepayNon-refundable early rate

Offer connecting rooms and a breakfast that works for families.
Let parents book direct with a deposit you control.
Hold a few rooms for last-minute arrivals instead of selling out to the OTAs on day one.

Visiting-fellow accommodation

Departments host visiting scholars for weeks or terms. Offer an academic rate with a work desk, a kitchenette if you have one, and a monthly invoice the department can pay. These guests return every year and recommend you to colleagues.

Departments often book through a travel desk, so being visible in the GDS matters. You can read how in our guide to GDS and corporate consortia distribution.

Next step. Visit the Vantage Hoteliers Alliance homepage, run your numbers in the calculator, and email [email protected] when you are ready to talk.