Football season is one of the busiest times of the year in Oxford, so die-hard fans and tourists have to do their research and book their accommodations early if they want to find a place to stay.
Visitors can choose between multiple hotels throughout Oxford as well as rental options such as VRBO, a vacation rental website, Couchsurfing or any of the hotels from the Chamber of Commerce rental list.
Oxford has a total of 14 hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts. Revenue from the hotel/motel tax has increased consistently over the past 5 years. The tax earned $173,423 from 2009 to 2010 whereas this year, revenue was already at a record halfway through the summer with $317,427.
Liz Lancaster, marketing manager at the Inn at Ole Miss, said she encourages people to get their football weekend waitlist forms submitted the day the Inn reopens after Christmas break in January.
Individuals sponsor the rooms at the Inn. This means alumni have the first right of refusal for their room during peak demand times such as home football games.
Sponsors have until June 30 to confirm their rooms.
“After June 30th, we go down the waitlist and fill the rest of the rooms,” Lancaster said. “Active members of the Alumni Association get first priority.”
The only game this season that the 145-room Inn has availability for is Saturday’s game against Wofford College.
Independent renters in Oxford are increasing in popularity as well.
More than 20 Airbnb rentals are within walking distance from the Square as well as many others located in residential areas throughout Oxford. There are more than 200 vacation rentals on VRBO listed in Lafayette County.
Kinney Ferris, assistant director at Visit Oxford, said alternative rental options are not regulated by all of the same taxes that the hotels are. Ferris said this can be hard on the hotels because they are mandated to pay or charge a lodging tax to customers.
“Of course, our office is funded by those taxes,” Ferris said. “So, for us to advertise for Oxford, we are obviously going to support the hotels first.”
Ferris said that Oxford does not have enough hotel rooms to fill the demand for large football weekends and that families renting space is a good way to make up some of the difference of the city’s high cost of living.
“It’s good for the community no matter what,” Ferris said. “Whether people are staying in a house or a hotel, they are still going to shop and go out to eat and buy a tank of gas before they go home.”
Nicole List, the event manager at the newly opened Courtyard Marriott on Jackson Avenue, said she has not seen a conflict between hotels and independent rental properties.
“Definitely book way in advance,” List said. “Know when we’re going to (start booking rooms) because the moment we open availability, we start booking and they go fast.”
List said as a hotel, they are more than welcome to send folks to rentals in the area because once the rooms are booked up, they want to give them other options.
Carolyn Freiwald, Airbnb host and anthropology professor, said she started hosting guests for football games near campus.
“It’s quite fun, I’ve loaned people bikes or dropped them off from the airport” Freiwald said. “You do get something a little special when you stay at someone’s home.”
For those running on a budget or no budget at all, there are still options.
As opposed to VRBO, Airbnb and other rental options, Couchsurfing.com is completely free. There are 190 potential Couchsurfing hosts in the area.
The concept is different from other methods, because with Couchsurfer guests stay in the same house or apartment as the owner who lives there.
Charlie Neely, student and Couchsurfing host, said Couchsurfing uses a review system so you can see what other hosts’ experiences have been like with a traveler so overall the website is safe. Neely has hosted three people at his apartment in Oxford so far.
“It’s nice to stay with a local,” Neely said. “You can get a better idea for the area than you would just staying at a hotel.”
Neely said he has never had a problem and has always had a good experience hosting.
“I think those that are doing rental properties want a house that they can split with different couples and bring their own food and cook,” List said. “Whereas those who want to stay in hotels don’t have to cook and clean after themselves.”
