Lodging and Meals

Lodging

Enjoy the convenience of living on campus in one of our residence halls including meals, your program and all the campus has to offer, only a moment's walk away. If you need to arrive early or stay later, please let us know, as we are happy to work with your Maine vacation plans.

Housing will be in both new and newly remodeled College residence halls. For All Colby sponsored programs and most non-sports or youth-related programs, accommodations include linens, pillows, blankets, towels, and maid service on weekdays. Typical accommodations include private rooms with shared bath with separate facilities for men and women on each floor. A limited number of three- to five-person suites with private baths are available on a first come first serve basis. 

Each of our rooms is wired with an active phone jack (free local calls included), ethernet port with free high speed internet for your computer. Your computer must have an ethernet card and also an ethernet cable and must have currently updated anti-virus software. All residential (dorm) buildings and academic buildings on campus have wireless network access. If running a PC, you must have all of the latest Microsoft updates installed. 

The information desk has fans and phones to rent for a small fee and desk lamps to check out. At the information desk you can get extra linens as well.

Suggested items to bring for your on campus stay:

• clock radio
• face cloth (we provide bath towels)
• computer network cable
• small TV (the lounges in the residence halls also have televisions)
• flip flops or other kind of shower shoes

No worries if you arrive to the campus late and the information desk is closed!  We will have one of our staff on call at any hour to check you in and give you a key to your room.  On a few of our busy registration days when we are checking in several groups at a time, we will keep the information desk open continually.  However, on other days, if you arrive to the campus after 10:00PM and the information desk is closed, please call Security and they will contact our staff.  There is a blue call box phone mounted on the wall outside of Cotter Union at the entrance near the Pugh Center. There will be a sign directing you to the phone on both sides of the building.  Please call Security at 4000 and they will alert the staff person on call.
 
Meals

Our past participants consistently rate the food as one of the best reasons for living on campus. Our all-inclusive room and board price entitles you to all-you-can-eat meals that provide enough options for even the pickiest palate. Meals are served three times a day beginning with dinner on registration day and ending with lunch the last day of the program. For participants, sharing experiences with other registrants, their family members and instructors, can add greatly to the pleasure of a stay at Colby. All meals are served cafeteria-style in a College dining room. Choose from an excellent variety of foods and indulge in unlimited servings. Many programs also feature an authentic Down East lobster bake with all the trimmings, held at Johnson Pond on the Colby campus. Casual clothing is appropriate for all occasions. The Blue Light pub is open some evenings and serves a selection of beer, wine, and liquor.

Dining Hall highlights (Depending on which dining you you are eating in you'll find some or all of the listed items):

• Ice cream bar
• Salad bar
• Grilled items to order
• Dessert station
• Selection of fresh breads and rolls
• Panini station
• International station
• Soups of the day
• Eggs to order during breakfast
• Selection of cold cuts
• Drink stations with a wide variety of choices
  

Special Dietary Needs

Our dining hall staff is prepared to meet almost any special dietary need. Please ask to speak with a manager on duty who will help guide you through the hall while pointing out which menu items suit your specific requirements. Our dining  hall staff is also willing to prepare special food items. Just ask to speak with a manager during the previous meal and they will make sure to have your food ready during the next meal period. You can also contact the Special Programs office prior to your arrival to discuss your food needs and we will make sure they are prepared and ready for you at your first meal.

How to Navigate the Dining Halls

Unlike a traditional dining hall where everyone enters at one end, goes down the line, and exits at the other end, both of our summer dining halls are set up with various stations. New visitors sometimes feel overwhelmed trying to find their way around the serving area. When you come into the main entrance, it will help if you understand that you are free to roam around the serving area and do not have to queue up at the end of the first line you come to.  For instance in Dana Dining Hall, the pizza and pasta station is found near the main entrance but if you don't want pizza or pasta, go ahead and bypass that line and head for one of the other stations, like the international entree or the grill. Usually after one meal, most people become familiar with the station feeding concept and have a much easier time finding their way to the food they want.

Meals to Go

We understand that sometimes our normally scheduled meal periods do not fit with your activity plans so we are happy to offer boxed meals to-go. Just place your order with the front entrance attendant at least one meal period before you want the boxed meal and it will be ready for pick up at an agreed-upon time. There is no additional charge for this service if you would have otherwise eaten in the dining hall as part of your paid room and meal plan.

Snack Bar

Serving breakfast and lunch, the Joseph Family Spa is the campus snack bar located in the new Pulver Pavilion in Cotter Union.  Summer operating hours are Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.  Hot and cold sandwiches, grilled items, panini, soups, baked goods and daily specials can be found at the Spa.  A variety of seating options in air conditioned comfort are available and there's also a big screen TV to catch the latest news and sports updates.  For the commuting visitor, enjoy a full selection of breakfast items before you head to your session.