Oxford Residents Offer Alternative To Hotels During Game Weekends

Chase and Lillie Hughes home.

With the cost of hotel rooms in Oxford steadily rising and room availability scarce for game weekends, local residents provide a more intimate alternative for overnight stays.

This football season is the second year that both Susan Dempsey and Chase and Lillie Hughes have rented their homes out for Ole Miss game weekends.

Dempsey lists her home through Hightower Property Management, whereas the Hughes couple uses College Town Connections to manage their listing. These and similar services take much of the stress of finding and screening potential weekend renters off of the homeowner. The companies handle the listing, communication with renters and money transfer.

“All I have to do is get the house ready and the beds made,” Dempsey said. “I have a separate set of sheets and towels for renters; so, they’re always clean.”

Each home rented from locals provides a unique taste of Oxford that is much harder to find in a hotel room.

Susan Dempsey’s home.

Dempsey’s property is located just down College Hill Road and offers amenities such as wireless internet, a grill in the backyard and a basket of gifts provided by Dempsey herself.

“I leave a notebook of instructions for the renters,” Dempsey said. “They always leave me notes back. I also leave Ole Miss gifts for them, and I had some Georgia fans take them with them last time and leave me a ‘Hotty Toddy’ in the notebook.”

The Hughes’ home is distinctive because Chase Hughes is a former Ole Miss football player and he and his wife have acquired a vast amount of Ole Miss and Oxford themed decorations.

“We know that people come for football, and it’s an even cooler experience when they get to stay in a former player’s home,” Lillie said. “However, I am an alumna of Pi Beta Phi; so, I have added my fair share of sorority decor to the house. We have taken our memorable experiences at Ole Miss and have applied it through decorations within our house so that the guest may feel the excitement and love that we have with Oxford and Ole Miss.”

Both Dempsey and the Hughes couple have had enjoyable experiences renting their homes and plan to do it more in the future.

“We rent because we want to share our blessings with others, even if it is our home,” Lillie said. “We know how special Oxford is; so, we want their stay to be special.”

Amy Goodin is a writer for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at argoodin12@gmail.com.

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