Auburn, Alabama, is a small town with a big love for football. Come fall, the town’s population swells as football enthusiasts flock to support Auburn University.
But with a limited number of accommodations, where do all these fans stay?
Enter University Station RV Resort, Auburn’s very own mini-town, offering a solution as grand as the town’s football spirit.
For most RV Parks, Labor Day weekend means the busy season is about to wind down and calmer days are ahead. But for University Station, it marks the start of the most wonderful time of the year.
“Our season aligns with football season. It actually starts in mid-August because we have folks move in early,” said Kim, University Station’s Property Manager. “It ends the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is the last football game.”
Being located just three miles from Auburn University’s campus gives University Station the unique opportunity to lend a valuable service to the fans and faithful alumni who crave the game-day experience but struggle to find a place to stay while they’re in town.
“First of all, there aren’t enough hotels here for everybody who wants to come in,” Kim admitted. “Second of all, hotel rates are outrageous for a weekend. We can make it cost-efficient for people to have an RV here just for football season.”
And with well over 800 sites, University Station can comfortably host plenty of football-loving families.
So they do. Actually, they do way more than that.
With so many football fanatics gathering in the park all at once, Kim and the staff knew they could go beyond simply providing a place to stay—they could create community.
“We turn this place into a little town—a little neighborhood,” Kim shared. “It’s hard to explain unless you see it for yourself.”
University Station offers lots of opportunities for guests to connect and forge friendships that reach well beyond football season.
When families arrive on Friday afternoon, the park is already buzzing with activity as Kim and the staff prep the outdoor stage area for their Friday-night concert series. Then the food trucks roll in and circle up, turning the whole courtyard into a space for guests to grab dinner and socialize after a long day of traveling.
“All day Saturday, we have a large jumbotron for folks to hang out and watch football,” Kim said. “For those who go to the game, we run shuttle buses to town all day on game day. But we have a ton of folks who come in just to tailgate with their friends, so we literally have thousands of people in the park on any given weekend.”
The fun isn’t only centered around football, though. Park staff plan socials in the clubhouse, costume contests for Halloween, and potluck dinners for Thanksgiving.
“When the weather cools off, we’ll have the largest bonfire I’ve ever seen,” Kim added, “We’re always trying to do something that not only entertains our guests but gives them another reason to get together. Mathan, our owner, always says that some people live in their neighborhood for 20 years and don’t really know their neighbors. But here, they have a chance to really get to know each other and feel a part of the community. He loves to see that.”
But what happens when Kim and the staff need to make sure their 800-plus community members are aware of everything they have planned? That’s when it’s good to be a part of the CampLife community!
When it comes to keeping everyone informed about the park’s activities, University Station relies on CampLife’s SMS text messaging feature.
“We tell people when they make a reservation with us to give us all the numbers where they want to be reached,” Kim explained. “Because we’re texting, ‘Hey, don’t forget the concert tonight, or don’t forget the time changed for trick or treating in the park.’ It’s an amazing tool for us to communicate with our guests instantly, and they absolutely love it.”
CampLife’s notes feature also simplifies management, keeping track of guest information and special requests.
“Any time I need to make a general remark about someone and their reservation, with the notes feature, it’s right there,” Kim confessed. “I can see the chain of events and recall everything I need to know. I love that feature.”
The ability to add vehicle, equipment, and tag information to reservations, the user-friendliness of the system, and robust reporting round out just a few of the ways CampLife makes life easier for University Station and their unique needs.
“CampLife works perfectly for our situation,” Kim concluded. “Your customer support is amazing. Everyone is easy to work with. Everything we've ever asked of ya’ll, you have delivered.”
Are you looking to foster a similar sense of connection and efficiency in your campground? From streamlined communication to effective management tools, CampLife is here to help!
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