Jennifer Hietpas

Increased on-campus residency has bumped a total of 181 students into two hotels for the semester, up from the 50 students who lived at Quality Inn last fall.

University officials attributed the overflow to an increase in upper class students and students from the Eau Claire area who opt to live in residence halls. Students are living at Quality Inn, 809 W. Clairemont Ave., and Plaza Hotel & Suites, 1202 W. Clairemont Ave., this

semester.

“Each year, I seem to have a higher number of upper-class students who seem to be coming back,” Housing Director Chuck Major said. “(And) each year, we get more Eau Claire people who want to live (on campus) instead of at home.”

According to housing records, 1,945 upper-class students re-applied for on-campus housing, an increase from last year’s 1,789. The greatest number of upper class re-applicants was in 2002 with 2,016.

This year’s freshmen class, which is estimated at 2,050 students, probably did not impact housing drastically, said Heather Pearson, associate director of admissions.

She echoed Major, citing returning students who prefer the residence halls as the major cause of the overflow.

“It’s not a big freshman class,” she said. “I think what’s maybe coming more into play is we have more students staying here after freshman year.”

Major said he frequently places students in hotels, the most being 300. The number of students living in hotels can fluctuate as on-campus arrangements change, he said.

Over the past decade, students have lived at Holiday Inn, 2703 Craig Road, the Plaza, Quality Inn and Ramada Inn, 205 S. Barstow St. This is the first time in the last three years that students have lived in the Plaza, he said.

Junior Olivia Kaltenberg said she was notified she would be living in the Plaza near the end of summer.

Receiving pictures of the hotel and information on available facilities made her eager to move in, she said.

“I was pretty excited,” she said. “I mean, it’s a nice hotel.”

She said living in a hotel has many advantages, like access to a pool, hot tub and weight room, an in-room bathroom and cleaning services – all for the same price as living on campus.

“You’re not losing out on anything,” she said “You actually get a better deal, I think.”

A combination of freshmen men, upper-class men and upper-class women are living in Quality Inn, totaling 95 students. The Plaza is now home to a total of 86 students, a mix of 50 upper-class men and 36 upper-class women.

Busing services are available to students living in hotels, Major said, with Eau Claire university bus number nine traveling a modified route on a regular basis.

Kaltenberg said the bus service is an example of the university’s efforts to make living in a hotel as accommodating as possible.

“They make it very convenient for you,” she said.