The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center

The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center sits at 215 Innovation Boulevard within Penn State's Innovation Park, adjacent to University Park Airport (SCE / FAA UNV) and the University Park campus. The property opened approximately 1994 and operated for nearly three decades under Penn State Hospitality Services. In 2023 Scholar Hotel Group, founded by Penn State alumnus Gary Brandeis, partnered with Estate Capital Management to acquire The Penn Stater and the historic Nittany Lion Inn from Penn State. A "yearlong, comprehensive renovation" cost more than $10 million per State College reporting; the property celebrated the work with a 2025 ribbon cutting. All 302 guest rooms received an overhaul covering furniture, bathrooms, and amenities, and shared spaces were refreshed top-to-bottom. The Penn Stater remains the purpose-built conference hotel partnered with Penn State Conferences and Institutes for academic and continuing-education programming. The conference and meetings program totals 58,000 square feet of function space across 49 rooms (Cvent surfaces 41 professional conference rooms; the property's own page lists 49 total function rooms). The largest single space, President's Hall, runs 10,000 square feet across four adjoining halls and supports plenary sessions, large banquets, and exhibitions. Other named meeting rooms include Deans Hall (seats up to 300), the Senate Rooms (divided into three rooms with a full-service bar lounge and outdoor terrace), Forum Rooms (up to 61 in U-shape), Executive Conference Rooms, and the Courtyard Lounge. Property maximum capacity is 1,500 guests. The closest commercial airport is University Park Airport (SCE), a small facility approximately 3 miles from the property within Innovation Park. SCE handled 148,196 enplanements in 2025 and is the sixth busiest airport in Pennsylvania. Most attendees driving from elsewhere in Pennsylvania arrive via Harrisburg International (MDT, ~90 miles, regional). Coastal arrivals route through Philadelphia (PHL, ~190 miles, international hub) or Pittsburgh (PIT, ~135 miles, domestic hub). The CATA bus system links Innovation Park to the Penn State University Park campus and downtown State College.