Student Life

15 College Dorms with Crazy-Awesome Amenities

Residence halls? More like luxury hotels. Be sure to see these dorm rooms when touring campuses.

Elizabeth Hoyt

July 10, 2014

15 College Dorms with Crazy-Awesome Amenities
Many of these dorms are more luxury resort hotels than typical college residence halls.
Why live in a cell-like dorm when you can have the comforts of home? Or, perhaps even, an upgrade from home. Below, you'll find that not all dorms are created equal. Many of these dorms are more luxury resort hotels than typical college residence halls. Some schools have one ultra-fancy dorm (specified), while others have dorms that are so luxurious, we couldn’t pick just one. Chances are that students living on campus at any the following schools are living the dream.
1. High Point University’s Residence Halls
Students who don’t commute are required to live on-campus until senior year, but you don’t hear many of them complaining about the policy. Swimming pools, hot tubs, a first-run movie theater with free snacks, an arcade, putting green and free ice cream truck are among the amenities available within this university’s lavish facilities. Plus, one residence hall is pet-friendly.
Honestly, all of the residence halls at High Point are awesome. For example, there is Centennial Square, the upperclassmen facility, which is comprised of 50 town homes. The school's website details that “each town home consists of a double occupancy room on the first floor, four single bedrooms with semi-private bathrooms on the second floor, and one single bedroom with a private bathroom on the third floor. Some amenities include; shared living area, dining room, full-size kitchen (which includes a dishwasher), and laundry room in each facility, as well as access to the Centennial Square Center, which includes learning commons, study space, recreation facilities and post office.”
For first-year students there’s Finch Hall. “The rooms are double and single occupancy and are arranged in suites; rooms in Finch feature a connecting bath with a walk-in shower. Each floor has a common lounge featuring pool tables, air hockey tables, plasma televisions, and comfortable furniture to study or just relax.” There’s an on-campus steakhouse, 1924 Prime Steakhouse, where students are able to use their meal plan points to enjoy a weekly five-course meal. There’s also the “Campus Concierge.” Which provides, complimentary GPS units, Kindles, iPads, TI-89 calculators and, of course, a dry cleaning service. Learn more about residence life and High Point University’s awesome amenities.
2. University of North Florida’s Osprey Fountains
The putting green, fitness center, aerobics room, lap pool, running track, swings, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts are nothing compared to the six-themed lounges for students. The lounges include “Joe’s Diner”, a 50’s themed diner, “The Morgue,” a quiet study room, “The Upper-Deck,” a rec room with plasma screens, “The Spotlight,” a karaoke lounge, “The Galaxy,” a gaming room with televisions and desks and “The B.L.O.C.,” a laid-back lounge with beanbags. Learn more about residence life at University of North Florida.
3. Saint Leo University’s Residence Halls
At Saint Leo, you can appreciate the wonders of nature by peering into a 2,100-gallon aquarium, which was featured on Animal Planet’s Tanked. When you need to unwind or take a break from studying, there’s a relaxation room with “nap pods,” which play soothing music to help calm student stresses. Common areas also include a fitness room, a game room with pool tables, pinball and foosball tables and video games. Want to get some sun and exercise in on a beautiful day? An outdoor sand volleyball court is located between Henderson and Benoit Halls. Learn more about the perks of residence life at St.Leo University.
4. Mississippi State University’s Hurst Hall
If you’re going to Mississippi State, we recommend getting placed in Hurst Hall, where the rooms have individualized room temperature control, private baths, refrigerators, microwaves and, free in-room cable, complete with HBO. Learn more about the amenities included within residence life at Mississippi State University.
5. MIT’s Simmons Hall
Simmons Hall at MIT is the place to live. Not only is the building known for its architectural awards, it contains lounges with huge TVs, PS3s and Rokus for streaming music or movies. Additionally, most floors have their own dining hall, movie theaters and laundry rooms. And, for when students get really stressed, there’s a giant ball pit to play in. Discover residence life at MIT.
6. Boston University’s Student Village 2
If you’re looking to live green, this is how to do it with style. Common areas here include bamboo walls, CO2 sensors for ventilation adjustments, soundproof music practice rooms and a media lounge with a giant flat screen television. Find out more about the residence halls at Boston University.
7. Washington University in St. Louis’ South 40
Students are sure to get a good night’s rest on the TempurPedic mattresses included in each dorm room. Plus, who wants to do their own laundry? The dorms have a student-run laundry service dubbed Wash-U-Wash, which picks up student’s dirty laundry and washes it for them within two days. Learn more about Washington University’s South 40.
8. University of Michigan’s North Quadrangle Residential and Academic Complex
Students with a refined palate can appreciate the North Quad’s dining hall, which has won awards for culinary excellence. The internationally themed menu features unique items like lamb and shark, plated to perfection. For night owls, there’s the Java Blue café and coffee shop, serene art gallery for relaxation and a multipurpose room with armchairs arranged in circles for students working on group projects. Learn more about the University of Michigan’s housing options.
9. University of California, Davis’ Cuarto Area
Two of the three residence halls in this area include swimming pools and spas. All three dorms have suite-style dorm rooms complete with two to four bedrooms, a living room and one or two private bathrooms. Discover more information about housing at the University of California.
10. Loyola University Maryland’s Newman Towers
Many of the university’s apartment style suites include walk-in closets and pantries, plus living rooms, full-equipped kitchens and up to four bathrooms per suite. Additionally, all of the university’s dorms include high-tech heat and air-conditioning systems. Check out housing at Loyola University of Maryland.
11. University of Cincinnati’s Campus Recreation Center Housing
Students can get active with the 40-foot climbing wall, Olympic-sized pool, a channel that’s basically an indoor river for swimming upstream, an indoor track, six-court gym and fitness center with 200 plus machines to choose from. The rooms also have shared living rooms and even some private bedrooms. Oh, and the dining hall has seven taste stations so students are able to find a meal that accommodates their taste buds. Check out University of Cincinnati’s housing details.
12. Purdue University’s First Street Towers
Air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms surround a dinette area and living room. Each floor has two student lounges complete with 47-inch flat screens, in-room cable which includes a movie channel and kitchenettes. Learn more about Purdue University housing.
13. Rutgers University’s Rockoff Hall
If you don’t want to risk getting placed in a typical dorm, Rutgers' Rockoff Hall is a privately owned community that leases to Rutgers students. A computer café with free printing, an on-site 7-11 and pizzeria, lounges on each floor and a huge fitness center are included within this college community’s perks. Discover residential life at Rutgers University.
14. Colorado State University’s Academic Village
Specifically built for first-year engineering and honors students, this building featured single and double rooms with their own bathrooms. The dining hall offers theme menus, like Stone Hearth Pizza and Mongolian Grill. When students need to relax, they can gather in the fireside lounge, perhaps while they check online to see if any of the high-tech washing machines are free. Learn more about residence halls at Colorado State University.
15. Oberlin College Resed Housing
All Oberlin residence halls have plenty of bells and whistles, including a kitchenette and a grand piano in each housing facility, should students feel like tickling the ivories. Some also feature dance studios, practice and study rooms, libraries and computer labs. Discover residential life amenities at Oberlin College. Whichever colleges you're interested in, be sure to ask to see multiple residence halls and dorm rooms when touring campuses.

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