Gino Feciskonin, Contributing Photographer

Hotels around New Haven are preparing for one of their most booked weekends of the year — Yale’s Family Weekend. The weekend, which will officially commence on Friday, historically has a strong showing, as families around the world will make the trip into New Haven.

The high attendance throughout the weekend translates into high demand for New Haven hotels. Several hotels in the area were contacted regarding the upcoming weekend, and all who replied described a similar story: a completely booked hotel.

“We typically sell out most weekends, but there is a different level of energy with Family Weekend,” Anthony Moir, general manager of the Study at Yale, told the News. “The last time we had an energy like this was move-in day. Moving in, everybody is a little more stressed out, but now there is more time for families to relax.” 

Moir shared that the energy translates to his staff as well: “Everybody in the building is looking forward to it. We want to make the Study a gathering place for families, as it has been in the past.”

Abby Dion, the Graduate at Yale’s general manager, offered a similar story in her interview with the News. The Graduate has also sold out all rooms for the weekend.

Dion shared that the Graduate at Yale was recently acquired by Hilton, and despite being under the same management, there will be a new customer palate. 

“Hilton Honors members, with statuses from member to diamond, will be staying here this weekend,” Dion said. 

The transition to Hilton, however, does not make their mission to provide comfort to the students any less prioritized. Dion explained that, on both Family and Graduate Weekend, “there is a hospitality area that students and families can engage with.”

Hotels not on the border of Yale College are just as busy heading into this weekend. Hotels on Long Wharf, in addition to hotels near Wooster Square, are near or at full capacity, per their websites. 

In an interview with the News, Alicia Zentkovich, assistant general manager of La Quinta by Wyndham New Haven, described La Quinta being sold out for the weekend as a “normal outlier.”

“We’re always busy, but completely booked weekends most often happen around the start of the school year,” Zentkovich explained. 

This will be Zentkovich’s third Family Weekend, and she told the News that La Quinta has sold out all three times. When asked about resources for the weekend, hotels discussed optimized staffing and preparation. 

“Staffing is calculated according to occupancy, so we will be ready for this weekend,” Zentkovich said. 

Dion said that the Graduate “figures out its staffing through occupancy statistics,” which are based on historical data and are “quite accurate.” 

Moir explained that Family Weekend is a “long-term process” for The Study, as the staff begins preparing months in advance. Moir added that they have extra staff to manage their food and beverage amenities during the busy weekend.

When asked about how New Haven hotels have fared over the past few years, Moir said that you will find a common story: COVID-19 brought a drop in reservations, but momentum was regained in 2022 and 2023. He expressed that 2024 has resembled pre-COVID-19 years. 

Furthermore, with strikes at hotels around the city, local unions are calling for families with reservations to request refunds and change their reservations to other hotels to encourage fair hotel contract negotiation, which has also affected Family Weekend hotel bookings.

Nonetheless, hotels in New Haven have a long history with Family Weekend. Dion reported that Family Weekend has always been a part of the Graduate, and Moir stated that the history of The Study includes “16 years and 16 Family Weekends.”

“The city has seen a lot of changes, but Family Weekend has stuck around,” Dion told the News.

Held once a year in the fall semester, Family Weekend includes several ways for families to engage with Yale, all of which can be viewed through Yale’s Family Weekend schedule available online.