Oxford Lodging Report
Oxford Population Growth Causes Hotel Industry Boom
Brian Powers
Oxford, Mississippi has seen unprecedented growth for the area over the last two decades. With that growth comes the need for hotel lodging availability in order to accommodate visitors who come to town for football games, graduation, the Double Decker Arts Festival, or simply to see what Oxford has to offer.
There were only three hotels and a handful of bed and breakfasts in Oxford at the turn of the century. That number has grown to ten in 2017, with two more currently in development.
The initial hotel growth was located on Jackson Ave. However, the three most recently built are located near the Oxford Square, the hub of the town’s entertainment district.
These hotels, like the Chancellor’s House and the Graduate, are luxury hotels targeted at high end accommodations, making the cost of staying in Oxford increase.
“Oxford really started growing at the turn of the century,” said Kinney Ferris, Deputy Director of Visit Oxford. “While there are a lot of reasons for that growth, student enrollment is the most logical.”
The Office of Institutional Research, Development, and Planning Enrollment Trend Report shows an average of a 200 student increase for the years of 1993–2000. That average steadily increased from 2001–2017, growing to over 800 a year by 2017.
Oxford had an average growth of 17 percent a decade in the twentieth century. However, that growth shot to 60.9 percent between 2000 and 2010, adding over 8,000 residents according to U.S. Decennial Census reports.
“There were really two hotel booms,” Ferris said. “The first was between 2000 and 2004, the second after 2011. The 2008 economic crash is most likely the reason for the break.”
Since 2000, seven hotels have opened. Four of those opened after 2011.
“There are plans for more hotels to open in the near future,” Ferris said. “One, Home2Suites, the first extended stay hotel, breaks ground soon.”
No Room at the Oxford Inn
Shelby Nichols
The University of Mississippi’s growing population has parents and families struggling to find lodging during big weekends in Oxford such as graduation, football weekends, Double Decker and parents weekend.
Graduation is arguably the biggest weekend of the year, since thousands of family members come into town with large groups. Even knowing the date months in advance, booking a room in town is a struggle due to the fact that there only being 10 hotels.
Over 3,000 students are graduating in May not including those who actually finished in December or will this August, making this one of the largest graduating classes yet according to the Office of the Registrar.
The Inn at Ole Miss started booking at 8 a.m. on August 1st and was booked up within minutes. There was a two night minimum, and rooms cost $169, though they usually only cost $119.
Other hotels in town are completely booked for graduation weekend also, making families search elsewhere.
Jennifer Froning is graduating with a degree in journalism. Despite starting to look for a room months in advance, her family could not find a hotel in Oxford.
“I started looking for hotels for graduation in October of 2016,” said Janet, Jennifer’s mother. “I looked in Oxford, Batesville, Westhaven and other nearby towns for a room.”
They finally found one at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Memphis-Olive Branch, almost an hour away from Oxford.
Ryan Whittington, Assistant Director of Public Relations for Social Media Strategy, says that the communications office on campus does its best to be in contact families regarding big weekends in Oxford and how to plan accordingly.
“We do our best to communicate with all constituencies in the months leading up to commencement via traditional forms of communication as well as social media,” Whittington said.
He also added that the weekend is a memorable one and should be experienced with the least amount of stress possible.
“We encourage all students and their families to be proactive and plan ahead by visiting commencement.olemiss.edu to ensure that graduation weekend is as relaxing and enjoyable of an experience as possible,” said Whittington.
Janet Froning added that this is not the first time they have had problems booking in Oxford.
“We have had trouble booking a hotel in Oxford…when my husband and I came during my daughter’s freshman year for parents weekend,” said Froning. “We couldn’t find a hotel in Oxford, so we stayed about 20 minutes away with a lot of other families.”
Froning was a freshman three years ago, showing that the population has only been growing since. She believes that Oxford will continue having problems, possibly even worse problems, in the future.
“It seems to me like the Ole Miss students are outgrowing Oxford because the more students there are, the more visitors there are,” Froning said. “Something should be done about it.”
The areas outside of Oxford have seen more families seeking rooms as an alternative to staying in Oxford. One location that has seen a rise in booking rates is Batesville, about 30 minutes from Ole Miss.
According to Hampton Inn, rooms were booked up completely in February, if not before.
Shornette Kirkwood, front desk clerk at the Hampton Inn in Batesville, says that though Oxford helps business, local businesses are also an asset.
“Weekends bring a lot of business from Oxford, and then our companies bring in the business during the week,” said Kirkwood.
Lindsey Paul and her family will be attending the graduation of her brother Justin Paul, who is graduating with a double degree in Banking and Finance as well as Managerial Finance.
Similar to the Fronings, the Paul family also had trouble booking, though they started searching for hotels months in advance.
“We started looking about 4 months ago,” said Paul. “We are staying at the Holiday Inn in New Albany.”
The family is paying $180 a night for their room and staying 45 minutes away from Oxford.
“Usually we would get a military discount because of my dad, but they wouldn’t let us because it’s graduation weekend,” Paul said. “We stay there a lot, usually when we come up for football games and stuff, and they always give us the military discount, but not this time.”
The Fronings were only looking for one hotel room. Jennifer’s parents and sister will be traveling from Orange County, California for the ceremony.
“There simply aren’t enough hotels near the university,” said Froning. “They don’t have enough rooms to accommodate all the visitors for all of the events happening at Ole Miss.”
Staying Oxford in Style
Eleanor Bush
Oxford, Mississippi is rapidly growing and the local hotel industry is quickly adapting to it.
In the past three years, three five-star hotels have opened close to the Oxford Square, the historic hub of the entertainment district.
Until the Graduate opened in the September of 2015 with Courtyard by Marriott following in June 2016, the highest rated hotels in town — The Inn at Ole Miss and the Marriott-TownePlace — were rated four and a half stars.
Most of the hotels in the Oxford area are connected with online travel sites like Expedia, which lists the Graduate first, followed by Courtyard by Marriott, making them the best-rated hotels. The site also includes a full range of booking prices.
“A lot of the time the people who stay with us are used to staying at nicer hotels, so they naturally will gravitate to something like the Graduate or the Marriott just because it’s nicer than a Super 8,” said Annie Simlick, a student and employee of the Courtyard by Marriott. “It never hurts to be as close to the Square as possible.”
“The Courtyard stands out from other hotels because it is Ole Miss themed on the inside,” Simlick said. “Combine that with the rewards that Marriott loyalty club members get, shuttle system and proximity to the square; it makes it a unique hotel.”
The rates for the hotels closer to the Square are significantly higher than those further from downtown, especially hotels on Jackson Avenue. The proximity to the Square adds to popularity, especially since most activity and nightlife is there.
The price gap between hotels can be attributed to their distance from the Square and amenities they offer along with the higher ratings that come with them. The hotels closest to the Square are the three highest rated hotels in Oxford and Lafayette County.
“Most of the people who come to Oxford stereotypically are on the richer side, so any kind of commercial hotel is considered affordable as opposed to luxurious,” Simlick said. “During the fall it is more of a mad dash for a room, but in the offseason, people aren’t crunched to find a place to stay and will choose the nicer choice.”
In the fall and spring, there is a noticeable rise in population for football game weekends and graduation. Hotels usually tend to sell out for football weekends about four months in advance, including the lower rated hotels.
Other than football season,there are also other events like graduation and multiple conferences — like the Oxford Conference for the Book — and festivals like Double Decker that draw large crowds throughout the year.
“From September to November, people are not really looking at what the hotel is rated or what they have to offer,” said Caitlyn Lazzari, a University of Mississippi hospitality major. “They are looking to grab the closest hotel to the Square during the weekend of the game.”
“In the offseason, the lower rated hotels will suffer, but they won’t be vacant 24/7. Not everyone is going to be able to pay for The Chancellor’s House; there still needs to be the affordable option,” Lazzari said.
The Chancellor’s House is the newest lodging addition to the downtown area. Funded by a group of investors, Chancellor’s House is a 31 room hotel that offers a restaurant, bar and spa along with an onsite parking garage.
“We were under booked for Double Decker weekend, which was not expected,” said Madison Haynes, a hospitality major and Chancellor’s House Guest Assistant. “We do not collaborate with online booking sites, and our rates were higher this weekend due to the event.”
As a guest assistant, Haynes’ job is to help guests check in and out, manage reservations and assist guests. She is a hospitality major who hopes to work in the hotel industry.
“There seems to be confusion about whether we are condos or a hotel due to investor financing, but it is 100% a hotel. There is no timeshare system,” Haynes said. “The investors have to book a room and pay like everyone else.”
The three five star hotels in close proximity to the Square also boast a new bar atmosphere that the entertainment district did not previously have, rooftop and hotel bars.
When the Graduate opened, it was the first hotel with a bar in town, let alone a rooftop lounge, and it was a block from the Square. The Courtyard by Marriott also houses the Green Roof Lounge, a rooftop bar and restaurant. While the rooftop bars are popular with out of town visitors and students, the hotels do not make a profit from them because the bars are owned and operated by separate service entities.
The bar at the Chancellor’s House is inside the lobby and allows guests to sit outside and enjoy beverages and a small hors d’oeuvres menu. Unlike the rooftop bars at the Graduate and the Marriott, the lobby bar and restaurant are connected with the hotel.
“Most of our guests rave about being able to drink at the Green Roof Lounge before they head out to the Square,” Annie Simslick said. “It’s definitely a selling point.”
Hotel Pricing (prices from Expedia — no price indicates sold out)
Oxford Bed and Breakfasts Face Resistance
Houston McLain
OXFORD — Miss. — With city growth rapidly expanding, renting homes has become an increasingly popular way for locals to earn some extra money, but the growing opposition has made things difficult for both renters and out of town guests.
A growing amount of neighborhood associations, condominiums, and apartments in Oxford have started to regulate whether or not people can rent out their homes. Among these locations are Jackson Square Condominiums, Gather Oxford, Solo Apartments, The Links at Oxford, and Lexington Pointe, all of which do not allow sub-leasing or renting. This comes after a surge of interest in companies such as Airbnb and VRBO, which accommodate out of town guests through the comfort of a home rather than a hotel.
Gather Oxford representative, Sarah White, said that “occupants agreed in their housing lease that only they would be the ones living there,” and “it’s not meant to exclude guests, it’s more for security reasons.”
Graduation, sporting events, and other University affairs usually max out the local hotels which gives home renters a chance to make some money and visitors a place to stay in town. Another growing concern for these associations however, is that short-term guests not only bring tourism into the town, but also their party mentality.
Solo Apartments associate Ivey Sneed said that it was too high of a legal and financial risk for them, and that the permanent residents wouldn’t appreciate any disturbances during these high profile University events.
“If someone was a temporary resident and didn’t know the rules and regulations the apartment has, then that can be a liability for us because they are really signing a lease through Airbnb and not us,” said Sneed. “Football games and things like that usually bring a lot of noise to the area, and people from out of town want to experience the school and city in a big way, and those late nights can disturb the permanent residents.”
Families may be the ones who have to deal with the disturbances, but renters are starting to become nervous that a secondary source of income might be at risk. Tennessee native, Kim Carmichael has been renting out her condominium on the edge of campus since 2014. Carmichael purchased the condo as a place for she and her family to stay when they visit, and also as a way to make money on the side. The location especially makes it a desirable place to stay, but she is worried that more neighborhoods like hers could adopt the sub-lease ban.
“We’re lucky that our condo isn’t one of the ones that decided to have a sub-leasing agreement, because I would have lost a lot of money. During football weekends we’re always booked,” said Carmichael. “If something changed then our condo would stop paying for itself.”
With over 300 available listings in Oxford currently on Airbnb, out of town guests have a variety of options if they choose to avoid traditional hotels. Currently, the average price of a hotel room in Oxford is about $100. However, traditional hotel room sizes can generally only accommodate three or four people. Listings on Airbnb range from $38 a night for a single bedroom, to over $1000 a night to rent out someone’s entire house.
During busy times such as graduation or sporting events, hotel rooms in Oxford can fill up weeks or months in advance and the ones that don’t can be very pricey. The average price of a traditional hotel in Oxford during a football weekend can range between $600 and $800 a night, usually with a two-night minimum. Airbnb prices also spike during this time and availability also goes down, but has the added benefit of being able to accommodate more guests and nearly a $100 difference on median price.
Despite this, the Jackson Square homeowner’s association and The Links at Oxford also decided that ultimately they wanted to keep their neighborhoods exclusive.
With their son in school at Ole Miss, Colleen Lusetich and her husband Robert visit Oxford occasionally and have recently started using Airbnb.
“When we come to visit, we like to bring our dog, family, and friends and it’s usually cheaper for us to all split an Airbnb rather than get individual hotel rooms. I’m not sure how many hotels in Oxford are even pet friendly”.
With the growing opposition, Lusetich believes that out of town guests are going to be at a disadvantage.
“It’s really unfortunate that these places are putting a ban on Airbnb, because it just means more people are going to have to stay in Batesville and commute to Oxford,” said Lusetich.
Living on An Oxford Wage
Brittany Abbott
Melissa Dobyns, a Hampton by Hilton employee, begins her mornings by waking up earlier than her alarm, and with a slow and easy pace, she gets ready for her first job of the day. She has a total of four jobs, and working in the bar of a Hampton by Hilton hotel is one of them, she said.
With the influx of student enrollment at Ole Miss, the Oxford community has seen steady growth beyond its expectations. The hotel industry is one that has seen significant growth to keep up with the demand of the visitors coming to Oxford for football, graduation, and events like conferences or festivals. The impact this has on tourism and the economy is one side of the story, but the cost of staying in a hotel, both new and old, increases due to the factors of supply and demand.
Melissa Dobyns lives in Holly Springs, MS and commutes to both Memphis and Oxford on a regular basis, whether for work or to visit her two kids who are attending the university and Northwest Community College. She does not live in Oxford herself because she is trying to establish her life in Memphis, she said.
“I prefer the country living, no noise,” Dobyns said. ”I’m not familiar enough with the taxes and cost of living in Oxford to consider moving there.”
At her job, Dobyns deals with both food and alcohol, as well as customer service, and because of this there are several laws she has been required to follow. Since she is a Hilton employee, she can move between locations with ease and work around her full time busy schedule. She also has full benefits including tips, while only working two days a week, she said.
“I am tested annually on liquor laws and recognizing false ID’s and drunk people, and I also have to wear gloves whenever I touch the food, and clean the tables, sanitize the dishes, and check the due dates on all the food,” Dobyns said. “I see the food inspection certificate, labor laws, paid time off, liquor license, and code enforcement policies posted around my workspace.”
The laws that she mentions are the ever-changing laws that pertain to running a hotel in the United States. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 1.230, says that “you must register (with the state government) before your facility begins to manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for consumption.”
Next to that, The Federal Alcohol Administration Act has many laws pertaining to the sale, packaging, and distribution of any alcoholic product in a business. “To ensure the integrity of the industry, to protect consumers, and provisions to preclude unfair trade practice.” So Dobyns has a variety of laws and regulations that she is required to follow.
Chief Financial Officer of Charter Road Hospitality, Joel Reeves, said that Hampton by Hilton, off Jackson Avenue and off Sisk, is owned by CRH. Holiday Inn Express, Towneplace Suites by Marriott, and Tru by Hilton are also owned by CRH and follow similar rules and regulations set up by the company, said Reeves.
Reeves also drew attention to a quote on his desk from Ken Blanchard when asked about what it was like running a successful hotel in Oxford. It said, “profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and keeping your employees engaged and happy.”
“I like the hours, management is good to me and very flexible, and they are free to work around my schedule,” Dobyns said. “They help us with training, keep us up to date on codes and rules, and pay for our licenses to sell alcohol.”
Since she is only making about eight dollars and hour, she is slowly helping to pay for her childrens’ educations.
“I make it work,” Dobyns said.