Daily Collegian - Homecoming housing requires foresight

State College may not have any beaches or oceans, but hotels base their prices on the same seasonal fluctuations.

At the shore, summer draws the largest crowd and highest rental prices. In State College, home football weekends -- especially Homecoming -- raise prices by about 80 percent. 

In addition to having a healthy checkbook balance, visitors need to plan ahead. Many hotels take reservations a year in advance. The Atherton Hilton, 125 S. Atherton St., has two rooms left for next year's Homecoming game against Indiana University, said Meg Evans, director of sales and marketing. They are sold out for all games except Texas Tech and Temple universities, she said.

The Days Inn-Penn State, 240 S. Pugh St., like many hotels, has a football list and gives priority to previous guests who stayed the entire season, said Manager Mark Morath.

The Autoport Motel and Restaurant on state Route 322 gives each guest a coded rating based on past cancellations and whether they ate in the hotel restaurant, said Owner Mike Ferringer.

Because rooms are costly and scarce, many students stay with friends on campus or at fraternities.

Mike Thim's brother and a friend from Drexel University are staying at his three-bedroom apartment with a dozen friends his three roommates invited.

"The more, the merrier," said Thim (senior-exercise and sport science). "Everyone's coming up for the weekend. It looks like a morgue in the morning with everyone laying all over the place."

Theta Chi fraternity, 523 S. Allen St., is hosting 20 alumni and 10 members from Ohio State University's Theta Chi chapter. The 30 visitors will sleep in rooms or on couches, said Mike Hetrick, fraternity president.

"The younger alumni will stay here with friends," he said. "The majority of (older) alumni will stay at hotels."

Most fraternities and sororities host alumni during Homecoming, said Rick Funk, coordinator of Greek Life. Theta Chi holds a reception, meeting and dinner for graduates.

Some parents look outside of State College to find rooms because hotels, such as the Autoport Motel and Restaurant, only add people to their football lists if a guest dies or moves out of the area.

Martin and Carol Figlioli of Emmaus are staying at the Main Liner Motel in Philipsburg, 24 miles from State College, to visit their son Andrew (senior-management information systems).

"Since it's Andy's last year, we decided to do it," said Carol Figlioli, who will tailgate with 20 friends while her son goes to the game.

Another couple is staying at a three-bedroom house in Reedsville, 22 miles east of State College, for less than $500, said Gary Call, owner of the house.

To attract guests during the winter, Toftrees, 1 Country Club Lane, and other hotels lower their prices. Toftrees reduces a two-person room from $110 to $69.

"It's like demand at the shore," Ferringer said. "It's more expensive in the summer and cheaper in the winter."