The parents of Eastern students will be invading Charleston at the end of the week, and many have booked their hotel reservations a year in advance.

Last minute hotel reservations will be nearly impossible to find, unless parents are willing to drive from Effingham, and even there, hotels are mostly booked.

Of the three hotels located in Charleston alone, Days Inn began taking reservations for this particular weekend back in January and was quickly booked soon after.

Don Hise, the front desk manager of the Days Inn, said there are six busy weekends that need to be booked in advance for parents or people coming from out of town.

Hise said with the parents who are trying to make reservations at this time, he tells them to try calling hotels outside a 30-mile radius of Charleston.

Assistant General Manager, Sarah Huppert, of Mattoon’s Hampton Inn, begins taking reservations on the date released on Oct. 1 for the following year.

“It is not uncommon to be booked within the hour,” said Huppert.

Hotels take this time to raise their standard prices.

The Baymont Inn and Suites standard prices per night are $84, but during Family Weekend, the rates per night are $109.

Many of the hotels in the area do not have a waiting list because of the number of people who call during this time; it is a first-come-first-serve criteria.

Some students complete the role-reversal by hosting their parents after years of being the guest in their homes.

For senior, Meredith Mueller and her six roommates, they are lending their beds in exchange to sleep on the floor and couches for the eight family members who will be visiting this coming weekend.

Mueller said it is more convenient than having them drive from Mattoon everyday.

“It can be pretty expensive, too; all that is available now are suites and rooms with Jacuzzi’s,” said Mueller.

In previous years, Mueller’s parents wanted to stay only one night, but all the available hotels had a two-night stay minimum.

“We have fun together, all of my roommates and our families are really close,” said Mueller.

Allison Twaits can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].