May graduation brings droves of families to Boulder
Although graduation is still a few months away, Boulder hotels are already filling up with reservations for incoming families of graduates.
The commencement ceremony for seniors graduating in the spring takes place May 11. Inevitably this means that families of graduates both in state and out of state will be flocking in droves to Boulder during the days surrounding that Friday. Boulder has only a limited amount of hotel rooms, and they are filling up fast.
Michael White, an employee of the Millennium Hotel, said that the hotel is already completely booked for the dates of May 10 and 11 with May 9 and 12 also filling up quickly.
The situation is similar at the Boulder Broker Inn, where the receptionist said they are already solidly booked for those days surrounding graduation. She added that they tend to get fully booked during any major CU event that involves families of students. She cited CU’s parent’s weekend as an example.
With hotels filling fast, options are running out for families hoping to stay close to campus for graduation. Both the Millennium and the Broker said that they keep waiting lists in case someone should cancel their reservation, although they do not expect to see much cancellation.
White said that sometimes people cancel their reservations at the last minute, but added, “It’s past the last minute.”
With prospects in Boulder dim, both the Broker and the Millennium suggest accommodations in neighboring cities such as Westminster or Louisville. White said that some people have to find hotels as far away as Denver.
Nick Dalton, a senior political science and history major, said that his family, who reside in southern California, has yet to make reservation plans. He said that his family will attempt to book a hotel in Boulder, but may have to look for accommodations in cities along Highway 36 towards Broomfield.
“In a worst case scenario, [my family] can stay at my place,” Dalton said, but added that he would like to avoid that situation.
When asked how far in advance reservations ought to be made, the Broker’s receptionist said, “A year,” and she was not joking. White also said that many of the customers booking rooms in the Millennium during graduation made their reservations during the summer of 2006.
Aside from the obvious issue of availability, it is also be a good idea to book Boulder hotels in advance for reasons of stable rates.
White said that the Millennium’s room rates fluctuate depending on the size of the waiting list, which makes predicting those rates difficult as the deadline for graduation approaches.
Students and families who have not yet made accommodations still have until May to address the issue. Booking opportunities in Boulder for May are narrow, but it is not even February yet, and there are still options left.
Those who have not yet made reservations can try getting on a waitlist at a hotel in Boulder, booking with a hotel in a nearby city, or staying with the graduate at his or her residence – an option not necessarily available to all graduates, such as those living in dorms or who have multiple roommates.
For those out of ideas, the Millennium and the Boulder Broker Inn both have waiting lists and can also refer customers to hotels in neighboring cities.
The numbers for their reception desks are: The Millennium (303) 443-3850, and Broker Inn (303) 444-3330.
