By Samantha Garza | Staff Writer

This year, Baylor renewed its contract with Springhill Suites to last until summer 2023. With Collins Hall undergoing renovations, the university is utilizing the hotel to accommodate the newest freshman class.

Back in 2021, the university partnered with Springhill Suites by Marriott Hotel on the corner of University Parks Drive and Interstate 35, making the hotel a dorm for first-year students. This dorm came to be known as Baylor Cityside.

Cityside provided the class of 2025 — and now the class of 2026 — with a different take on “traditional” housing. It continues to house 150 male and female first-year students of all majors.

Baylor is also providing Cityside residents who did not have a car with a shuttle service to take them to and from campus.

According to Tiffany Lowe, director of Campus Living and Learning, Baylor’s lease with Springhill Suites is scheduled to terminate in summer 2023 and, until then, will continue to serve as a residence hall for first-year students.

“Leasing Cityside has helped offset the number of beds needed for 2022-23,” Lowe said.

Kerrville sophomore Kaylee Hayes said she felt like she missed out on a traditional dorm experience and felt “robbed” of her freshman year in the fall of 2021.

Hayes said she would only recommend students to live in Cityside if they counted on using a car during the school year.

“Based on what I heard from others, the shuttle wasn’t super reliable, and it was inconvenient when it came to going to the dining halls as well,” Hayes said.

Hayes also said Baylor handled the living registration poorly. She said living arrangements were not sent out until three weeks prior to the start of classes in 2021.

“I was incredibly stressed the entire summer waiting for my housing assignment,” Hayes said.

Even though Hayes said the housing process was handled “very poorly” by the university, she said as far as the rooms alone went, they were not bad at all.

“The rooms were really spacious, and I loved having my own bathroom,” Hayes said. “The queen-size bed was great as well.”