COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Refugees from a mold outbreak in a large University of Maryland dormitory are surprised by the temporary accommodations assigned by the University.
"It's really nice. The hotel staff has been so lovely," said Bethie Lowenthal a junior from San Francisco.
Lowenthal has been temporarily assigned to live in The Cambria, a new $109 per night hotel that opened August 1st.
The sparkling new Cambria features suites with an integrated Bluetooth speaker system, big screen TVs and a modernist lobby with a fireplace.
"It's beautiful inside," gushed student Kelsey White. Other students compared it to vacation accommodations.
Other students will be housed in The Hotel at the University of Maryland and the College Park Marriott with retail rates advertised from $139 to $159 a night.
The University did not have information on how much the mold crisis will cost.
At least 550 students will be temporarily relocated in shifts by floor into the high-end hotels between now and October 10th for stays of up to four nights while the eight-story Elkton Hall dormitory receives mold remediation.
The university is responding a swiftly as possible to isolated complaints of mold in other buildings, according to a University spokesman who could not say how many buildings are being investigated.
No additional widespread issues affecting an entire building have been identified.
Remarkably wet weather may be contributing to elevated moisture and humidity inside buildings, according to a letter sent to students and families by the University's Department of Resident Life, which is handling the issues.
