You probably wouldn’t know the hotel was there if it weren’t for a small roadside sign reading “Bison Inn” with an arrow pointing towards the interior of Lipscomb’s campus.
That sign directs guests from Belmont Boulevard into the northern end of campus, where within the walls of Bison Hall rests a nine-room hotel on the bottom floor. Both Lipscomb Now and Lumination Network featured the hotel in January.
Lumination spoke with manager Bodhi Dark on Wednesday to provide an update on Bison Inn.
“We’re definitely picking up some traction in the community and the greater Lipscomb community,” Dark said. “Kind of being mostly alumni (sic) and parents that we’re trying to get the word out to right now.”
While the numbers in the hotel haven’t yet skyrocketed, Dark said he’s happy with the overall progress.
“I’d say that we’ve been averaging probably 50 percent occupancy this whole month. This month particularly was pretty busy.”
Dark said that one challenge in terms of outsider perspective is that people seem to focus on the dorm setting when considering Bison Inn.
“That stigma, even though we kind of fight against that, is still something that’s really hard to kind of communicate, I guess.”
Meanwhile, Bison Hall residents have raised parking concerns with the development. Nine Bison Hall parking spots are now accompanied by signposts indicating that only guests may park there.
Dark said that students can use reserved spots during daytime hours but not nighttime hours. Guests can also take advantage of passes for roadside parking by the front of the hotel.
“I’m here to serve students as much as I’m here to serve the people that are coming to stay at Bison Inn,” Dark said.
Senior chemistry and English major Rachel Brooks, a Bison Hall resident, had a lot to say about the hotel in general. Although she complained about the parking situation, Brooks also raised an objection to the problem the Inn has caused with the laundry room. According to Brooks, students have taken their clothes out of the washing machines only to see that bleach has ruined their clothes due to previous misuse by staff and guests. Personal space has been a bit of an issue as well.
“There have been a few times where we have been told to not use the main entrance,” Brooks said, “because they were having an event, and they didn’t want students interrupting.”
Residents do not necessarily have the same opinion on the experience, however.
“Doesn’t really affect it at all,” junior marketing and international business major Sarah Roney said. “I mean, I’ve seen people coming in and out, but that’s pretty much all.”
However, when asked about how she felt about the reserved spots, Roney quickly spoke up and deemed it “very annoying.”
Brooks effectively summarized her experience.
“It’s also a little bit odd to have strangers and conferences in the place that you live. Not bad, but just different.”