The Pacific Inn: A Need or A Nuisance?
(This photo was obtained from the Holt-Atherton Digital Archives)
Will the Pacific Inn actually benefit students in ways the university claims it can?
Unveiled late last year and slated to open in 2025, Pacific plans to transform the old Tri-Delta (Delta Delta Delta) sorority house into a brand new inn for visitors. Although the inn could provide new income for the university, can this really benefit students?
In 2019, operations for the Phi Rho chapter of Delta Delta Delta were suspended here at University of the Pacific. After sitting dormant for three years the university announced last December its plan to turn the old sorority house into a brand new inn used to house everyone from families of students, prospective students, to bridal parties hosting their wedding at Morris Chapel.
I will admit, as a commuter student who lives fairly close to campus, wondering where my parents would stay if they were to visit is something that has never been a worry of mine. Although this may be a concern for many students it still stands that any benefits the inn may have for students are far outweighed by the negatives of it.
A concern I have heard many times involving the inn is safety, the old Tri-Delta house is right across from Grace Covell (the largest dorm we have on campus). Even though many of the visitors of the inn are likely to be alumni or family members visiting students, there still stands a concern with putting what is essentially a small hotel right across from a building that houses ~300 students, most of whom are freshman. Will students who are uncomfortable with living right next to the inn be forced to simply accept it?
The inn has also sparked discussions of the possibility that the university will be adding hospitality and tourism majors to the business school. The plan seems to be that students in these programs will be able to work at the inn, presumably in exchange for credits, in order to prepare them for the hospitality industry. While many majors have stopped being offered at the university and others are seeing major shifts in their programs due to budget cuts, is it the wisest idea to add entirely new programs based solely on an inn that will have only around 20 rooms available?
While it may be a smaller issue, another worry voiced by students is parking. There is already an incredibly limited number of spots available right in front of the sorority houses, and most end up filled by the early morning hours. Will the University reserve some of those spots for guests of the inn? Or will they end up having all guests park in lot seven located behind the houses? Will these guests have to pay eight dollars a day for parking like all visitors do? Will they get free parking while students who are already paying to go here have to pay $200 for parking? Even concerning a topic like parking, there are about a dozen questions that have yet to be answered.
With the opening of the inn set for 2025, and only a few months left until the new year, the university is not transparent about any issues concerning the inn. As of right now, the only way to find information about the inn is through a singular article on Pacific’s website, or by attending an event hosted during homecoming where guests were given an exclusive sneak peek of the inn. So far, we have gotten the most basic amounts of information possible, which is completely unfair when the location and mere existence of the Pacific Inn will directly affect each and every student here, even if it is in a way that is as small as a parking spot. The university has a history of not being clear about developments that affect student life, and this situation is no different. At the very least, students deserve to be fully informed about what is happening with the Pacific Inn, especially since it will have tangible effects on our daily lives.
Sources:
https://www.pacific.edu/pacific-newsroom/pacific-inn-will-bring-elegant-boutique-lodging-campus