Loyola University Chicago Opens First Student-Run Business

Undergraduates to Manage and Operate Luxury Guesthouse in Rogers Park

CHICAGO, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Loyola University Chicago has opened its first student-run and managed business -- The Flats at Loyola Station. The Flats is a Renaissance-style, luxury guesthouse located across the street from Loyola's Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park.  The guest house is available for short- and long-term stays.

The Flats contains 10 fully furnished and state-of-the-art units, creating a unique experience for every guest. It is affiliated with Loyola University Chicago and is managed and operated by undergraduate students who earn course credit as part of their experience. Currently, this interdisciplinary program's student team consists of nine members: juniors and seniors at Loyola who come from a variety of schools and programs at Loyola, including the School of Business Administration, School of Communication, and the College of Arts and Sciences. The program will be a great internship opportunity for current and future students who want hands-on training in running a business.

The idea for the program started when an MBA entrepreneurship class adopted this project in winter 2010 to test the viability of turning a 10-unit residential building into a high-end guest house, run and managed solely by undergraduate students. Feasibility research revealed that The Flats at Loyola Station could become not only the first undergraduate student business at Loyola, but to our knowledge, the first undergraduate student run and managed guesthouse in the nation. At the end of February, the project received the green light. Only six months later, on July 22, 2010, The Flats at Loyola Station opened its doors.

Loyola Station is a 5.2 acre mixed-use development initiative that will create living, working, and playing amenities, enhancing the quality of life for both Loyola University Chicago and the Rogers Park communities. This urban renaissance project lies immediately west of Loyola's Lake Shore Campus, adjacent to the Loyola Red Line 'L' station. The answer to University and community interests who voiced the need for a boutique hotel or guesthouse in the area, The Flats at Loyola Station will become a much-needed resource for many parties, including local residents, travelers, and Loyola's families, alumni, faculty, and staff.

Amenities include:

• One- and two-bedroom units
• Covered, secure parking included
• Fully equipped state of the art kitchens
• In-unit washer/dryer
• Balcony or outdoor terraces
• Surround sound and plasma screens
• Wireless internet
• Access to Loyola events and health club facilities
• Bike rental

To make a reservation or to learn more about this exciting project, please visit www.loyolaflats.com.

About Loyola University Chicago

Committed to preparing people to lead extraordinary lives, Loyola University Chicago, founded in 1870, is the nation's largest Jesuit, Catholic university. Enrollment is more than 15,800 students, which includes more than 10,000 undergraduates hailing from all 50 states and 82 countries. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy. Loyola also serves as the U.S. host university to The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies in Beijing, China. Loyola's 10 schools and colleges include arts and sciences, business administration, communication, education, graduate studies, law, medicine, nursing, continuing and professional studies, and social work. Loyola offers 71 undergraduate majors, 71 undergraduate minors, 85 master's degrees, and 31 doctoral degrees. Loyola is consistently ranked among the "top national universities" by U.S. News & World Report, and the University was named a "best value" in the publication's 2010 rankings. In addition, Loyola is among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations, such as the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more information about Loyola, please visit LUC.edu.

-Loyola-

Special Thanks to our partners, Walter E. Smithe furniture, Windy City Blinds, Hortons Lighting and Flor.  We would also like to thank Metropolis Coffee Company, Bananas Foster and Ropa restaurants for their generous contributions and support.

SOURCE Loyola University Chicago