In October, the University named the Morris Inn the official hotel of Notre Dame Athletics, a designation the hotel's managing director Joe Kurth said he believes will reintroduce Notre Dame fans to what he calls “the living room of the University.”
Named a AAA Four Diamond Hotel in 2013, the recently-renovated Morris Inn is different than the Inn in the black and white photos now displayed on the hotel’s walls, Kurth said.
“The old Morris Inn was a bit more dorm-style — built in the 1950’s, a bit more classic. … Many generations of alumni know the Morris Inn as the old Morris Inn,” Kurth said. “As we think of the marketing arm that Athletics already has, the ability to reach out to thousands of people, it allows us to tell the story of the new Morris Inn and the renovation in a way that gives people a reason to come back. And once you see [the hotel], then you understand.”
As the official hotel of Notre Dame Athletics, the Morris Inn will sponsor several athletic events and offer promotions for Notre Dame fans, according to an October press release. The partnership with the Morris Inn will benefit the athletic department by providing “the best experience possible” to Notre Dame fans, Deputy Athletics Director Jim Fraleigh said.
“In addition to the fact that the Morris Inn is within close proximity of athletic venues, it also offers athletic department guests a unique opportunity to embrace the full Notre Dame experience at a full-service, first-class hotel,” Fraleigh said.
Kurth said the Inn looks to imitate the "Notre Dame experience" in its own operations.
“Who you are is often not what you say about yourself but what people say about you,” Kurth said. “And people say that Notre Dame is a place to visit, it’s a bucket list place for so many, and part of that is athletics, part of that is research, part of it is going back to the dorm you used to live in.
“Our mission at the Morris Inn is trying to be tied in as tightly as we can in multiple areas of campus, so that when you come here, you’re comfortable. [Whether] it’s for athletics, for research, or you’re a junior in high school visiting as a prospective student … that partnership with athletics allows us to be able to say [the Morris Inn is] the best place to stay for the Notre Dame experience.”
Fraleigh said Notre Dame fans will benefit from the partnership as well, because of the hotel’s central location and focus on customer service.
“The Morris Inn serves as an extension of our department,” Fraleigh said. “We know the staff has great pride in what they do and we know our guests will benefit from a staff willing to go above and beyond to provide excellent service.”
Kurth said the Morris Inn’s commitment to Notre Dame and its fans is a constant.
“That tagline that the Morris Inn has had for years, as the living room of the University, is not just a tagline,” Kurth said. “Because … you walk out the front door, and you’re in the corridor to campus.”
