Charlestowne Hotels, a leading hospitality management company, proudly announces the grand opening of The Inn at Elon. The four-star hotel and conference facility, which sits directly on the Elon University campus, opened to the public and hosted its first guests on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. The $31 million facility is owned by an affiliated entity of the university, The Inn at Elon, LLC, and fulfills a longstanding goal of having an on-campus hotel to host visitors to the university and the surrounding region.
The 80-room inn is set at the main north entrance to Elon University's campus, which is consistently recognized as one of the nation's most beautiful collegiate environments. Located next to the Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business Center, the inn features 10 suites along with 70 rooms featuring king-sized and queen/double beds.
During their stay at The Inn at Elon, guests will be steps away from major university landmarks and within convenient driving distance to the key hubs of Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Durham and Winston-Salem. Property features include an upscale restaurant and lounge, The Mark at Elon, as well as an outdoor courtyard with fire pits, fitness center, dedicated on-site parking, valet and bell service and complimentary bicycle rentals for guests to explore the campus, which is designated as a botanical garden.
The inn's conference facilities are a valuable new resource not just for the university, but for the entire community and region. The 5,200 square foot multipurpose ballroom accommodates up to 340 people, with the outdoor lawn providing space for 440. All facilities are open to the public and available for business meetings and retreats as well as family celebrations such as weddings, reunions and holiday parties.
As an asset of the university, financing for The Inn at Elon includes a plan to directly benefit students. All revenue beyond operating costs will be directed to fund scholarships. Guests are reminded that their visits to The Inn at Elon are "A Stay with Purpose."
The Inn at Elon will be an important economic benefit to the town of Elon and Alamance County, supporting new jobs and the local economy while producing tax revenues for local government. Charlestowne Hotels employs 54 full-time employees at The Inn at Elon and its operations support other local and regional companies that serve the hospitality industry.
The Inn at Elon is made possible due to the vision of the Elon University Board of Trustees and the philanthropy of Elon alumni, parents and friends. Generous funding for the project includes a lead gift of $2.5 million by trustee Mark Mahaffey and his wife, Marianne, who are parents of two Elon alumni. Elon celebrated the support of the many donors who made the inn possible at a groundbreaking in October 2018. A formal dedication ceremony, which will honor project donors, will be held on April 3, 2019, in conjunction with the university's spring Board of Trustees meeting.
Charlestowne Hotels will oversee full-service management operations of The Inn at Elon. Providing guests with an elevated experience, Charlestowne Hotels' operations team worked extensively to attract top talent to staff the restaurant and hotel, with Francine Boissonneault serving as general manager. Among its extensive portfolio of properties, Charlestowne operates collegiate hotels at or near Clemson University, Colgate University, Sewanee - the University of the South, Longwood University and the University of Arkansas.
