Calling All Would-Be Innkeepers-Princeton, NJ, Needs You
 

Within about 10-20 miles of Princeton, NJ, there is a demand for good hotel rooms that is not being met. First of all, there is the University, plus 3-4 top boarding schools. Between the activity of these schools, plus Bristol Myers, Sarnoff and other corporate hubs, there is a huge flow of travelers with money to spend who want a good hotel or B&B. With the exception of one very good inn, The Inn at Glencairn, and some very average highway hotels, there is a huge deficit. Someone with the interest and spirit could come to this area and make a difference. Right now, it's a missed opportunity. The Nassau Inn is awful. The Peacock has been sold, closed and is in the midst of a renovation. The Hyatt Regency and Westin are out of the 70's mold of stale, beige and impersonal hotels, and then there are all the budget places on Route 1.
I come here a lot, and the main topic of conversation among fellow travelers is: Why aren't there more good places to stay?

To the would-be Innkeeper, my message is this: a fortune could be made off grateful guests.

My guess is that property values in that area would make a mortgage on an appropriate property a deal-breaker. Many towns have strict zoning that would require exceptions for any business run in a residential area.

I agree with you, Horizon! I had to stay at the Nassau Inn last year...way overpriced for what it is, but I wanted to be in town so I could walk to campus.

And I don't care how high land costs are, I'm sure you could make money if Nassau Inn is!

That being such a densely populated area I'm sure all the chains have gone in and done studies and found it cost prohibitive.

The Inn at Glencairn paved the way for future innkeepers. They were the pioneers in the licensing and permissions. The town elders understand the benefits of this kind of business. Nearby Lawrenceville has three of the best restaurants in the region. In the wake of Glengairn, it would be much easier for furture innkeeprs. Yes, the chains are there -- out on highway -and they are universally boring, beige, banal; some are actually shabby. The entire Route 1 strip is American mall/motel development at its worst. They have a captive audience, but I've talked to many in that audience who crave an alternative: charm, service, uniqueness, and to be "in" Princeton, not on the highway.