Community Sharing

My wife and I recently stayed in Oxford, Ohio, a small college town. It was the source of two interesting facts I didn’t previously know: Oxford is the home of Miami University – the other one always called “Miami of Ohio”. It is also a town with a hotel that shares its swimming facilities with the local residents.

The hotel we stayed in had indoor pool and hot tub. I’m not prone to use the pool, but I do love a hot soak after a long day of travel, which is the main reason we chose that particular hotel in the first place.

When I was checking out at the front desk I noticed a sign in sheet for the ‘pool club’ so I asked about it.

I was told that Miami University doesn’t have a swim team. Therefore, they also have no swimming pool for the students to use. The hotel owner decided to allow the students – and I suppose anyone else not registered as a guest of the hotel – to pay a fee and use the pool facilities.

Well, upon further research I learned that the above is completely false. The Miami Redhawks boast both men’s and women’s swim teams that are very competitive, and I’m pretty certain that the pool is available to students for classes and leisure time swimming.

However, I believe I have the real reason there is a fee-only ‘pool club’ at that hotel. It is probably a defensive move by the hotel owner to limit pool use by non-guests and to also satisfy insurance requirements for pool use by them.

I can’t count the times I’ve stayed in hotels with indoor or outdoor pools, spas and exercise rooms where I’ve struck up a conversation with another hot tub user, only to learn that they live nearby and are using the facilities on the sly.

I know, the hotels have installed key-card locks on the doors to discourage non-guest use, but there are easy ways to get around that barrier as I frequently learn. Kids are usually adept at convincing a hotel guest that they “…forgot the room key” and need someone to open the pool door for them. Once inside, they then open the door for any of their friends to also use the pool.

Anyone who wishes to participate in the ‘pool club’ must sign a waiver of liability and then pay a fee of either $5.00 per day, or $35.00 per month. It is a perfect way to accommodate the students and realize a small profit at the same time.

No, I’m not going to blow the whistle on the hotel and divulge its name. This is an isolated case that might cause repercussions for the hotel owner. However, I think it is a great way to utilize the hotel facilities to the fullest extent while sharing with the students at the college. My hat – if I wore one – is off to the owner for that hotel.