University of Maryland Hotels

Hello everyone,

I am taking my daughter to look at U of Maryland in College Park on Aug 9 for the weekend. I looked at the conference center hotel on campus but no pool. i am leaning towards the Hampton Inn at College Park but have checked the hotels in Greenbelt. What is crime like in the area? Any help would be greatly appreciated as most of the hotel reviews seemed dated.

Thanks

Scott

University of Maryland Hotels

I would do the Greenbelt Marriott, I%26#39;m seeing a rate of $129 for that weekend, less for AAA. The reviews may be no newer than 6 months old, but they are consistently good over the last few years.

I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll find crime to be a problem--the College Park area%26#39;s reputation is far worse than actual crime statistics by virtue of being located in Prince Georges (PG) County. PG has some genuine ';war zones,'; but you won%26#39;t come across them in College Park. And whatever rowdiness you might find in a college town when school is in session (and you will find a little in CP) you won%26#39;t find during an August visit.

I will say that while the Hampton looks nice from the outside, the area around it is a little seedy in appearance. I%26#39;ve been to meetings at the Marriott and it%26#39;s a nice facility in a safe, clean area.

University of Maryland Hotels

Guests at the Marriot on campus may be able to use the pool at the university, which shouldn%26#39;t be crowded during the time you are there. You might want to call the hotel and ask, because staying on campus would have advantages given that seeing the university is your reason for visiting. Should you stay at the Marriott, be sure to get rooms in the new building, not in the old conference center.

Good restaurants in the area (see the Washingtonian and Washington Post websites for reviews and addresses) include:

Udupi Palace, Tiffin, and Woodlands for Indian food. All are west of campus at the University Boulevard %26amp; New Hampshire Avenue intersection.

Franklin%26#39;s, a brew pub south of campus on Route 1 in Hyattsville. Be sure to check out the general store attached to the restaurant.