Rent a Facility

View From Harris House, Garden Overlooking Lake Wononscopomuc

Certain facilities are available for use by the local community. The School does not intend to serve as a formal conference center, resort, or wedding facility for either the general public or the Hotchkiss community. Anyone using School property for a private event will be expected to meet our terms and conditions. For a list of those terms and conditions, please see our Facilities Use Guidelines. Please note that while these guidelines relate to all Hotchkiss facilities, there are separate, additional rules for use of the Mars Athletic Center (MAC).

For questions, contact Senior Events Manager Lisa Brown at (860) 435-3188 or ebrown@hotchkiss.org.

Facilities Use Guidelines

  • Some facilities are strictly limited to use by members of the Hotchkiss community, which includes current students, current faculty, staff, retirees, and parents of current students only. Alumni fall under this category for select events only. Some facilities are also limited as to their use, and this applies to both members of the Hotchkiss immediate community and the public.
  • School tables, chairs, music, sound and lighting systems, audio visual equipment, school vehicles, etc. are generally not available for use with any facility. Interested parties need to make their own arrangements for these items. The exception is when such equipment is part of the normal furnishings of a venue, such as the organ or piano in the Chapel or other such “on-site” equipment. Said equipment requires a School-authorized operator, and sometimes additional fees for their time. Additionally, no ladders, hoses, fans, risers, or speakers are available for use. Moving any furniture from the general area in which it is located is prohibited.
  • Tents come under the local building and fire code regulations and require significant coordination and compliance. Please contact Tim Schilling, director of grounds, regarding these permits, as well as any electrical or code concerns. He can be reached at 860-435-3605.
  • No smoking is permitted anywhere on the premises.
  • Anything that requires additional support from Hotchkiss employees will not be allowed. The School will not do any extra mowing, cleaning, insect spraying, etc. over and above the normal scheduling of such activities.
  • ALL EVENTS, BOT SCHOOL-RELATED AND NON-SCHOOL RELATED, MUST FINISH NO LATER THAN 11:30 P.M. as a courtesy to resident faculty families and the surrounding community.
  • DO NOT assume you have the use of a facility unless you have specifically reserved it with the senior events manager’s office, or in the case of facilities that others maintain such as the Mars Athletic Center (MAC), which is directly managed by Mike Traggio. He can be reached at 860-435-3215. Make sure the senior event manager's office is alerted, and the reservation is put on the Facilities Use Master Calendar.
  • Any media participation in an event, including taping or filming, must be approved by the Business Office in discussion with the Communications Office, in advance, including the taping or filming of said event. Use of the School’s name or images is prohibited without prior approval of the Business Office in consultation with Communications.
  • The School has the sole right to assess the security needs of an event, the cost of which will be assumed by the event host. Joaquin Aymerich, director of safety and security, will determine the security needs for an outside event. He can be reached at 860-435-3296.

Weddings, Family Reunions, and Other Special Events

  • The responsible party is expected to meet their own vendors or delegate a non-school representative to do so.
  • Guests are not permitted to use any of the indoor athletic facilities, but are welcome to use the golf course (for a fee), outdoor tennis courts, platform tennis courts, or outdoor track.
  • Use of the climbing wall is allowed only when a certified instructor is present.
  • No throwing of rice, birdseed, rose petals, etc. will be permitted indoors.
     
  • The Chapel is available for wedding rentals for both the Hotchkiss immediate community and the public.
     
  • Wedding receptions and other, larger special events are restricted to the Hotchkiss community in the following locations: Dining Hall, Goodbody Terrace, the Monahan Event Space, Harris House Lawn (for tent set-ups), Fairfield Farm, and the Boathouse.
    • At Fairfield Farm, for events over 125, we strongly recommend that porta-potties are rented. Groups over that size can strain the plumbing system, so we strongly advise additional toilets. This is not required, but you may run the risk of some back-ups and will be charged for additional clean-up required.
       
  • Due to the multitude of other annual activities such as construction or refurbishing of the campus and its facilities, there will be no more than three weddings or personal events per summer. Available weekends are generally from the last week of June through the last week of July. No weddings or personal events will be allowed when School is in session, as it is too disruptive to the educational process.
     
  • Facility use by outside groups is limited to when school is not in session, and only one use of any venue per 12 month period is allowed for any outside organization.

Non-Profit Groups

  • Hotchkiss will not donate its facilities to non-profit groups or causes, no matter how worthy, without the approval of the head of school or chief financial officer. Performances or presentations by outside groups, which may be of interest to the School for its community, may result in the School's purchase of tickets to help offset the rental costs.

Dorm Rentals

  • Dorm rentals are only available when school is not in session and must be associated with a school-sponsored event.* Rentals can take place from the last week of June through the last week of July. Due to other summer activities, such as Summer Portals and construction or refurbishing of the campus and its facilities, there will be no more than three dorm rentals per summer.
  • Rates to the sponsoring department are as follows:
    • $50 per person per night
    • $75 per person per night for Redlich, Flinn and Edelman (limited to one rental per summer)
    • Linens are not included. Please contact Joe O’Connor at joconnor@hotchkiss.org to set up rentals with E&R Laundry.
  • *School-sponsored events are defined as programming that is directly related to an employee’s work within the School (i.e., College Symposium, Eight Schools Programs, etc.). Employees may request dorm rentals for larger, personal events (i.e., weddings, family reunions etc.); however, these will be handled on a case-by-case basis and will fall under the three-event-per-summer count.

Catering

  • All catering must be provided by one of our approved vendors. Please contact Lisa Brown, Senior Events Manager, at 860-435-3188 for the list.

  • A refundable security deposit will be required for use of the School’s kitchens in the following spaces: Dining Hall, Fairfield Farm, and Monahan Event Space. In addition, a member of the Sodexo staff must be on site during the event to ensure proper use of the kitchen and standards of service. The responsible party will be charged for their time.

  • The School reserves the right to forbid the serving of alcohol during a non-school event held while school is in session. When alcohol is allowed, the COI must explicitly indicate that alcohol is not an excepted coverage item and that if a fee is being charged for the event, that a liquor permit is obtained and a copy given to the School at least 2 weeks in advance.

  • Special insurance coverage for a wedding, other specific event or any single event can be obtained for a fee from www.wedsafe.com.

Payment and Insurance

  • We are unable to accept credit cards, so please pay by check. The agreement outlining the specific details of the rental must be completed and returned as soon as possible, with a 50 percent deposit of the total fees due to the senior events manager, or use of the facility will not be guaranteed. This deposit is refundable up to 30 days prior to the event. If the event is canceled between 16 and 29 days prior to the scheduled event, we will refund 75 percent of the total fees paid. If the event is cancelled within 15 days before the event, we will refund 50 percent of the total fees paid. No exceptions.
  • Most facilities require the Responsible Party to present the School with a current public liability insurance certificate. This Certificate of Insurance (COI) shall be in the amount of not less than $1,000,000 with respect to injuries to any one person, not less than $1,000,000 with respect to any one accident, and not less than $1,000,000 with respect to property damage. A COI normally can be written in connection with an individual’s homeowner’s or personal liability policy naming The Hotchkiss School as an Additional Insured FOR ALL DAYS OF THE EVENT. Current employees can generally execute a Waiver of Liability in lieu of a Certificate of Insurance for certain events, unless it involves a commercial use.
  • There will be a charge to the responsible party for any damage that has occurred during use regardless of who actually causes the damage. Deposits will be assessed and collected in advance.
  • All liability insurance certificates are due one week prior to the event, and the outstanding balance is due one week after the event.