"I don't see us in a competition as much as a partnership in serving the Dartmouth community," Bruce said. "There's clearly a need for us to serve the community since there's such a demand for guests to be in walking distance of the College."
Because Hanover is such a small community, the two hotels are "more partners than competitors," Hanover Inn manager Joseph Mellia said in an email to The Dartmouth.
Both hotels were filled to capacity over Homecoming weekend, the hotel managers said. Since the Inn contains more rooms than Sixth South Street does, its profits from the weekend were expected to be higher, Bruce said. While the Inn offers 93 rooms, Sixth South Street offers 60.
"I wish we'd had 160 rooms instead of 60 rooms," Bruce said, expressing amazement at the number of alumni who returned to the College for Homecoming.
Much of Six South Street Hotel's business during the weekend came from older alumni as well as referrals from the Hanover Inn after it ran out of available rooms, he said.
Mellia said the weekend was a "complete success."
Sixth South Street which opened in February 2011 has generated business by providing rooms to Hopkins Center for the Arts performers, members of College President Jim Yong Kim's Leadership Council and alumni returning for various events or jobs, Bruce said.
Tuck's Executive Education programs three-week programs held throughout the year that focus on management, leadership and other business strategies have also increased business for Sixth South Street as many of the students enrolled in the programs seek hotel accommodations, Bruce said.
The four-month closure of the Inn beginning in December due to comprehensive hotel renovations is likely to positively impact business at Sixth South Street, which is often considered the contemporary alternative in town, Bruce said.
"Since we're such a new hotel we haven't even been open a year we're still struggling to get our name out there," he said. "It's always surprising when you meet people from Hanover and they don't even know that Six South Street is here."
While the Inn is closed, hotel employees will refer its guests to a variety of nearby hotels, Mellia said.
"Our goal is to take care of our clients and ensure that they have accommodations during this time period," Mellia said. "We will look to refer guests based on their requests, to all of the various hotels in Hanover and the surrounding communities. Understandably, in the short run it will reduce our business, but it is well worth it given the product that we will we have after renovation."
The Inn, which was founded in 1780, has been serving guests for over 225 years, according to its website.
Patrons at Sixth South Street said its most distinguishable quality is its service, guest Sarah Goodwin said. Goodwin, who works at Bain and Co., traveled to Hanover to supervise on-campus interviews this past week, she said.
"The service here is impeccable," she said. "Everyone from the front desk to the housekeeping really served all our needs while we were here. I stay in a lot of hotels, including the Hanover Inn, so it's great when the staff goes out of their way to accommodate our needs for a change."
