According to CABBI, California Association of Bed & Boutique Inns: The return of college students to California campuses this fall also brings the return of parents for move-in day. My husband and I will be among the beleaguered parents carting our kid’s stuff up to his dorm room for his freshman year of college and trying to hold it together upon saying goodbye.
But rather than drive back home in tears, I’ve booked a stay at a boutique hotel as a way to soften the blow and enjoy a bit of pampering on our first night as empty nesters. At the hotel, we’ll be greeted with wine and hors d’oeuvres, sink into a luxurious bed, and enjoy a gourmet breakfast the next morning. Six weeks later, we’ll come back for parents’ weekend and more boutique hotel pampering. We also plan to drive down occasionally to see our son and catch a football game or attend a special event. Then if all goes well, we’ll be back one last time in about four years for his graduation.
As the parent of a college freshman, I did my homework and checked out swanky boutique hotels and charming B&Bs near all of the universities my son considered for school.
Here is one recommendation from this parent:
OLD MONTEREY INN FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
While not typically considered a college town, Monterey has a surprising number of institutions of higher education, including California State University Monterey Bay, Monterey College of Law, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, among others. Surrounded by over an acre of English gardens, Old Monterey Inn is a luxurious, 1929 Tudor mansion hidden among the trees in the heart of the city. An ideal place for family and friends of those studying in the Monterey area.
