Nittany Lion Inn to Remain Closed this Fall

Penn State's popular hotel will be repurposed to house COVID-positive students and staff.

Penn State's Nittany Lion Inn is a popular spot on the west side of campus, particularly during football weekends. But the hotel will serve a very different function this fall.

Penn State President Eric Barron said during a series of virtual town halls Monday that the Nittany Lion Inn will serve as an isolation space for students and staff who test positive for COVID-19. As a result, the hotel will not accept public reservations through at least the fall.

Barron said that the hotel's closure would result in layoffs for some staff members.

"The financial and other impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the university are forcing Penn State to make many hard decisions, and this one is among the most difficult because of how it affects our dedicated employees," Barron said in a statement. "While we had hoped to reopen both of our hotels [including the Penn Stater] and return to full operations, extremely challenging financial conditions and the need for isolation space ultimately compelled us to make this decision."

Penn State said that the Penn Stater, located closer to Beaver Stadium, is scheduled to reopen in July.

The 223-room Nittany Lion Inn is a cornerstone of football weekends, attracting alumni, university guests and football recruits and their families. The hotel closed in mid-March as part of Penn State's campus shutdown. Penn State said that, because both hotels are self-funding, tuition or university funds could not be used to keep them open.

Barron said that the Nittany Lion Inn's guest rooms are suitable for quarantining those who test positive for COVID-19.

Penn State expects the COVID-19 pandemic to have a $260 million impact on its budget over the next year. The university received $55 million from the federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

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