Holiday Inn could house almost 200 Virginia Tech students

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — An expected enrollment influx at Virginia Tech University means the college could set up students at a nearby Holiday Inn for alternative housing.

The Roanoke Times reports the university announced last week it had made the first steps toward an agreement to lease the Holiday Inn Express hotel for the academic year.

The university initially anticipated about 6,600 freshmen in the fall. Now it figures 1,000 more students may attend.

So they've added about 500 beds on campus and are looking for 500 more off campus. That includes the Holiday Inn, where about 195 students would live dorm-style. These freshmen probably won't get room service — the university says it'll organize the hotel like any other residence hall, with resident assistants and first-year programming.