For a few Aggie football fans, the ultimate game weekend is just $100K away. Texas A&M's 250-room hotel and conference center has been taking shape at the north end of Kyle Field throughout the season. Starting this week, Aggie fans and campus visitors can place deposits to get a chance at guest room options at the new 252K SF luxury on-campus hotel.
The options, which start at donations of $100K, will be valid for 10 years and will give holders the right to book hotel rooms or suites at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center for home football games — or any other day of the year.
The rooms will be as close to Kyle Field as you can get — just 96 yards from the gate of the stadium to the entrance of the hotel. The property includes a full-service restaurant, wine bar, coffee shop, gym, business center and a multilevel sports bar with indoor and outdoor space.
Options for corporations and other individuals also will be available. Thirty-six “Century Level” rooms, 11 suites and two penthouses will be offered through an online auction. Former students and fans will be able to secure a spot in the online auction or lottery beginning Sept. 23. The date of the auction and lottery itself will be announced later in the fall.
The deposit for suites and "century level" guest rooms will be $10K. Two penthouses, 11 suites and 36 eighth-floor guest rooms will be available at auction. Standard rooms will require a $5K deposit and will be distributed via random lottery. The deposits will apply to the total $100K needed to secure a room option.
Other universities in the Southeastern Conference, like Auburn and LSU, have sold similar options at campus hotels. Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp said the hotel and conference center is an example of how a public-private partnership can benefit the university, its students and the College Station area for years to come. Proceeds from hotel operations will be invested in education, research and service.
Sharp said the hotel and conference center will not only provide easy access to Aggie sporting events, but it also can help the university recruit talented students, world-class professors and top-tier staff.
Naming the facility is also expected to fetch a hefty price. Sharp expects the naming rights, currently up for bid, to go for around $20M.
The hotel will be operated by Aggie-owned Benchmark Hospitality International, which is based in The Woodlands. The public-private partnership is funded through the nonprofit National Campus and Community Development Corporation of Austin and made possible through a ground-lease agreement with A&M.
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