<p>We just got back from a tour of UA and my son is excited to be attending. I immediately looked up when Parents Weekend is scheduled to book a hotel and most of the places are booked already. I pinned two hotels for now and would like comments if anyone has stayed at them: La Quinta and Country Inn and Suites both on McFarland Blvd.</p>
<p>My husband and I would like him to be in a traditional dorm as we feel there are quite a few life lessons to be learned from that experience. Any thoughts on Burke or Harris Halls? Also, if a dorm is designated as a learning community must the student take part in the community or can they just live there?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance. My oldest is 2 years out of college and I feel like I have forgotten everything. LOL</p>
<p>Comfort Suites on McFarland near the freeway is nice and comfortable and I just cancelled the reservation I had for a Queen Suite (for up to six people) for the Parents Weekend so maybe still available (though to warn you, the rates were crazy, double the usual.). My son has chosen Alabama but since we are going to be there in July for Bama Bound, and August for Honors Action/Move-in, we didn’t want to go up there again - we’ll see him at Thanksgiving (and he is fine with that.) :)</p>
<p>Country Inn and Suites is much better than the T-town LaQuinta</p>
<p>Burke is better.</p>
<p>Country Inn is better than la quinta. </p>
<p>Thank you all for your comments. Looks like I’ll cancel La Quinta. I knew that hotels jack the prices up for special events like parents weekend and graduation, just didn’t expect them to be sold out this quickly. When does UA typically announce the dates for parents weekend? Is there ever a problem getting tickets for the game then?</p>
<p>Hi, New Gamecock Mom - I sent you a PM re: Mary Burke Hall West…</p>
<p>Hey Amy, I just replied, hopefully you got it. Don’t know the ins and outs of this site too well.</p>
<p>This is the info for parents weekend this year. </p>
<p><a href=“Family Weekend - Parent & Family Programs”>Family Weekend - Parent & Family Programs;
<p>We bought the weekend package just so we could get football tickets. If you want guaranteed tickets, this is the best way. However, there was at least one person walking around selling better tickets for a lot less than we paid so you can also try to get tickets this way. Don’t forget, your student will need a ticket (not student ticket) to sit with you at the game instead of the student section. We did go to the parent tailgate which was really great and worth the money.</p>
<p>Thanks girlzmom. I was planning on buying the package as that is what we did when my D was in college, and for 3 of the 4 years we were in the nose bleed section. We finally had good seats her senior year LOL. I will ask him but I’m betting my son will want to be in the student section instead of with us. Neither my D nor any of her friends sat with parents. I didn’t realize how close it is to move in weekend, I’ll barely have a chance to miss him ;)</p>
<p>I wish they would make Parents Weekend later, perhaps in October. I know this is when alot of other universities have there weekend.</p>
<p>Burke is a decent dorm as far as traditional dorms go, and it’s convenient because there’s a dining hall downstairs. However, a lot of Asian and foreign exchange students live there, the kind that tend to keep to themselves and only talk with other foreign exchange students from their home country. If your son is not planning on rushing a fraternity, it could be hard for him to meet people living there. I have literally never met anybody who lives in Harris nor heard anything about it. It seems a little sketchy, but maybe that’s only because nobody seems to know anything about it and because it looks sort of run-down. </p>
<p>Hmm that is good to know Sunshine341. So is there a traditional dorm you would recommend? Doesn’t seem to be too many that are open to all unless i am just not understanding how they work</p>
<p>FYI, I’ve heard from some parents about their kids living in Burke – not fancy, but a fun and social place, with a good cafeteria and nice location. Foreign exchange students live there, yes, but there are five floors each in Burke East and West…that’s a lot of rooms. I’m trying to find out more about Burke as well.</p>
<p>As far as the timing of parents’ weekend…it’s dependent on the football schedule. It’s usually on the weekend of a game with a weak opponent. That means it’s easier to get tickets to the game. Since it’s a game weekend and early in the season, few students will be going home. And it might be just a tad easier to get a hotel room since there’s less demand than for the game with, say, LSU or Tennessee.</p>
<p>Follow-up FYI - Burke Hall (East and West) combined houses 520 students, per UA Housing.</p>
<p>Harris is an A&S living-learning community. To the best of my recollection, you must be in the learning community to live in Harris. Like Burke, it’s a decent as far as traditional dorms are concerned. The common facilites have had some renovations.</p>
<p>Stumbling on this thread again…just want to add for the benefit of new parents that Martha Parham is a dorm that was originally built as a twin to Mary Burke, just across the street. Parham is still there, but closed its cafeteria before I started school in 1970 and shut down its original snack bar that fall. (Yes - they both originally had snack bars serving simple stuff when the cafs were closed).</p>
<p>Martha Parham dorm is not co-ed - women only.</p>