Summer is when savvy parents and their high schoolers hit the road, blending vacation fun with the requisite college tours. After Forbes ranked Oberlin College one of the top 25 Colleges in the Midwest last year, it’s no surprise that a stop in charming Oberlin, Ohio, is programmed into the GPS of prospective students and parents.

Oberlin College is known for its many firsts: the first college in America to adopt a policy to admit black students (1835), and the first to offer a coeducational bachelor’s degree program to women (1841). So it should come as no surprise that the college is also the first to own a hotel. The Hotel at Oberlin is a new 70-room boutique property surrounded by the college campus right in the heart of the famously progressive city of Oberlin. And to add to the list, it is the first hotel in the US to incorporate solar, geothermal, and radiant heating and cooling and is on track to qualify for LEED Platinum certification.

The entire family will find this classic college town a relaxing getaway, with its tree-lined streets, shops and galleries, a renowned art museum, and summertime concerts in Tappan Square, directly across the street from the hotel. The Hotel at Oberlin offers state-of-the-art facilities, as well as the lively 1833 Restaurant, where Chef Jim Barnhart created a menu focused on local purveyors. The hotel is also home to The Birenbaum, a performance space that hosts special musical events. To welcome road warriors, the hotel is offering its “Summer Obie-Nights” package, specifically designed for the college-bound and their family. The package includes one night in a uniquely appointed guest room, breakfast for two in the 1833 restaurant, and a $40 gift certificate, per night, for the Oberlin Book Store. Visit the hotel’s site for more details about the hotel and its summer packages