Back in March, we traveled to the University of Notre Dame for a week and stayed at the Ivy Court Inn and Suites, located next to the University's baseball field. Sure, if you're there to visit the campus and are there mainly to hang out around the University, then it would probably be a lot more convenient just to stay at The Morris Inn. But most people with babies are pretty price-conscious, and let's just say that the Ivy Court Inn and Suites is much more economical. If I recall correctly, I believe the rate we were quoted was something like $69 per night in a king suite (granted, we were staying during the low season, that is, not during football season). Still, it would have cost us three times as much to stay at The Morris Inn.
What did the rate get us? Amenities included high-speed wireless Internet in our 2-room suite and daily breakfast buffet. And they had coffee and cookies available in the hotel lobby throughout the day. The hot breakfast buffet was decent enough - scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, in addition to the usual continental breakfast fare. They advertised that you could request eggs made to offer, but we never tested that out.
But on to the important stuff: how baby friendly was the hotel? We brought our own pack n play, so I can't comment on whether or not they provided cribs and if so, what condition they were in. But the 2-room suites are fairly baby friendly. Upon entering the room, you stand inside the sitting area, which is closed off from the bedroom area by a set of double doors. So, for naps and at night, we put Baby in the Pack n Play in the sitting area. When we closed off the double doors to the bedroom, it got really dark in the sitting room area, perfect for bedtime. Having a separate sitting area was great so that Husband and I could work in the main bedroom area or watch TV or whatever without bothering Baby. The only downside was that the doors (both the entrance to the hotel room and the door separating the sitting room from the bedroom) were a bit thin. So we had to be a bit careful to not turn the TV up too much or talk too loudly. Also, since the walls and doors were thin, we could hear people outside in the hallways walking around and talking. Our room was right near the elevator, so we heard the elevator go up and down. Luckily, none of this disturbed Baby while he slept. Our room was located on the 2nd floor, but we didn't hear anyone above or below us - and supposedly the hotel was full while we were there.
The bathroom was quite convenient - the vanity area is located outside of the bathroom where the tub/shower combo and the toilet are located. The sink was large enough to wash pump parts if necessary and also to bathe our son, who was 3 1/2 months old at the time. However, our son was small for his age, and if he were any bigger, I don't know how well he would have fit in that sink.
Lastly, there is a refrigerator in the sitting area, should you need to store baby food or breastmilk.
Overall, the hotel was remarkably baby friendly. Now, if you're staying there in the winter and need to get to campus often without a car, note that there's no shuttle to take you to and from campus. Although it's a relatively short walk, it's important to plan ahead if you'll be walking with your baby - as you probably know, it gets deathfully cold and snowy at Notre Dame. Make sure you bundle up baby and be careful that the sidewalks can get icy. We were there in late March, and it was chilly. We carted Liam around campus in his Snugride carseat and the Snap n Go stroller. We found that an infant car seat cover (we had the Baby's Cozy World Microfiber and Fleece Cover from Target) worked wonders.
Ivy Court Inn and Suites
1404 Ivy Court
South Bend, IN 46637
574-277-6500
