20 of America's Top College Hotels

Families seeking the high road—the very high road—in accommodations for college tours, freshman drop-offs, or fall parent weekends might want to take a look at a list prepared by Travel + Leisure Magazine of America’s Top College Hotels.

“Whether independent B&Bs or historic resorts, the top college hotels deliver much more than proximity,” suggests Jason Cochran an award-winning travel writer for the magazine.  “These hotels often embrace the personality of their local institutions and provide an exceptionally adult, dignified experience.”

And not surprisingly, a few local favorites—UVa’s Boar’s Head Inn and William & Mary’s Cedars of Williamsburg—make the list.

Featuring an “abundance of four-posters [and] flower boxes in the windows,” the Cedars of Williamsburg offers guests cookies at night and baked oatmeal pudding with brandied raisins in the morning—just what stressed parents need to face another day of tours.

And not to be outdone, the Boar’s Head Inn will arrange for a hot-air balloon ride for families seeking a broader view of the UVa “grounds.”

For those traveling further afield, here is the complete list of America’s top college-owned hotels as rated by Travel + Leisure Magazine:

• The Charles Hotel, Harvard University
• The Nittany Lion Inn, Penn State
• The Boar’s Head Inn, UVa
• The Ketter Center, College of the Ozarks
• The Mansion, SCAD
• The Arizona Inn, University of Arizona
• The 5 Twelve, University of Mississippi
• Hotel Lumen, SMU
• Lafayette Inn, Lafayette College
• Wild Goose Inn, Michigan State University
• The Study, Yale University
• The Claremont Hotel, UC Berkeley
• Cabot Lodge, University of Florida
• Briar Rose Bed & Breakfast, University of Colorado
• Cedars of Williamsburg, College of William & Mary
• Foundry Park Inn & Spa, University of Georgia
• The Blackwell, Ohio State University
• Ambassador Hotel, Marquette University
• Reynolds Mansion Bed & Breakfast, University of North Carolina
• EB Morgan House, Wells College