Life at the Comfort Inn: perk or problem?

It’s a Sunday afternoon and while most students are returning to their residence halls catching up on their neighbors’ eventful weekends, Steven Gill, one of the last remaining students at the Comfort Inn, sits alone in his hotel room.

His full-sized bed, draped with a maroon-colored floral hotel comforter hanging off the end, is flanked in piles of dirty laundry. With the aroma of cigarette smoke in the air, Gill works on a homework assignment using his laptop, while listening to the news.

“My favorite part about living here is the fact that I can have a cigarette whenever I feel like it,” Gill said. “The rooms come with a refrigerator, microwave, TV and Internet, and it’s quiet here. There’s nobody running up and down the halls.”

The Comfort Inn housed 23 upperclassmen in August. Now, there are only five remaining, including the resident advisor Erin Morris.

According to Dr. Paul Jahr, assistant vice-president of Student Affairs and director of University Housing at Georgia College & State University, a large number of students wished to live on-campus for Fall 2004. However, because of the new freshmen residency requirement mandating that all incoming freshmen live on campus, there were not enough rooms available in the residence halls.

“We gave returning students an incentive option to live in Terrell and the Comfort Inn for reduced rates,” Jahr said. “This is the third year that we’ve offered some sort of hotel housing option.”

Looking blissfully at an ashtray filled with cigarette butts, Gill said there are many other advantages to residing in the Comfort Inn, such as the proximity to stores such as Wal-Mart, bigger beds, free toiletries, pool access, continental breakfast and the option of maid service.

“We have our own cable modems here,” Gill said. “Our Internet is always consistent.”

Living next door to Gill are more GC&SU students, Abe Zahraie and Clarke Glidewell. Just getting back in town, they watch television while conversing about the interesting people they have met during their stay at the Comfort Inn, including eccentric people from biker and water skiing conventions.

Zahraie agrees that there are advantages to living in the Comfort Inn, but also admits there are disadvantages.

“The shuttles have been cancelled so we’re required to drive to class,” Zahraie said. “We should get a gas allowance. We waste a lot of gas driving to classes.”

“If we want a shuttle to come out here, we have to call an hour ahead of time,” Glidewell agreed. “But at least there’s plenty of parking at the Comfort Inn.”

While Comfort Inn students are given a “B” parking permit, as GC&SU parking goes, they are still not guaranteed a spot in the “B” lot on campus.

Aside from an inconsistent shuttle service, the remaining Comfort Inn residents complain about certain conditions, as well, such as paint falling off the ceilings and flickering lights.

“If we ever have a problem, though, the management is very helpful and very friendly,” Morris said.

Chris Odom, a former Comfort Inn resident, said that although living in the hotel wasn’t convenient, he misses the hotel atmosphere and his friends there.

“We didn’t really have closets, and there was no place to study, except my bed,” Odom said. “But living at the hotel was a good experience. I wish I was still there.”

Not being able to do laundry at the hotel constitutes as a major disadvantage, as well.

“We couldn’t do laundry there,” Odom said. “We had to go to friends’ houses to do laundry because we’re not allowed inside the residence halls without an escort.”

“We know this isn’t an ideal situation,” Jahr said. “But we feel an obligation to provide rooms to students in need.”

“We’re supposed to be out of the hotel by the end of this semester,” Morris said. “But nothing is definite. It could be sooner.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 15 2004. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry