Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Auburn / The Laurel Hotel & Spa
The Laurel Hotel & Spa
Auburn, Alabama, United States · Independent · High Luxury
Alabama's first and only AAA Five Diamond hotel sits on Auburn University's campus as a 26-room teaching hotel for the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management. It occupies the top floors of the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, opened in 2022 with 1856 Culinary Residence, billed as the first teaching restaurant anywhere to serve a tasting menu. A rooftop garden grown with Auburn horticulture students supplies the kitchen.
- 26 rooms
- Opened 2022
- Neighborhood: Auburn University
About The Laurel Hotel & Spa
- The Laurel was the first hotel in Alabama to earn AAA Five Diamond (2023), and its own site still calls it the state's only one.
- It is a teaching hotel for Auburn's Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, run with Ithaka Hospitality Partners atop the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center.
- 1856 Culinary Residence, named for Auburn's 1856 founding year, is billed as the first teaching restaurant in the world to serve a tasting menu.
- Sixteen king rooms and ten suites (26 total) sit above culinary labs; a rooftop garden with Auburn horticulture students feeds 1856 and the student kitchens.
History
The Laurel Hotel & Spa is a 26-room teaching hotel at 130 E Thach Avenue in Auburn, Alabama, on the Auburn University campus. It occupies the top floors of the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, home of the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, and opened in September 2022 with operator Ithaka Hospitality Partners.
Its restaurant 1856 Culinary Residence, named for Auburn's founding year, is billed as the first teaching restaurant to serve a tasting menu. The hotel became Alabama's first AAA Five Diamond in 2023 and remains listed as the state's only one. A rooftop garden run with Auburn's Department of Horticulture supplies the kitchen.
Restaurants and bars
- 1856 – Culinary Residence — Restaurant · French-inspired fine dining (teaching restaurant) · Chef Joël Antunes (chef-in-residence)
- Walt's on the Roof — Bar · cocktails and tapas
- Hey Day Market — Café · creative plates, authentic gelato, hand-crafted cocktails
- Thrive Here @Auburn Powered by Thrive Farmers — Café · coffee from Central America, homemade pastries · Dallas Kee (Pastry Chef)
Experiences
- Custom small-group culinary experiences, from pasta making to sommelier-led tastings — Offered in tandem with Auburn University's Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center.
- Hands-on hospitality training with Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management — Students learn hospitality through immersive training experiences in the teaching hotel, a partnership with Auburn University.
- Tea on Thach at 1856 – Culinary Residence — Themed afternoon tea experiences with specialty teas and imaginative bites, including Wizarding World and Mamma Mia-inspired editions.
- Epicurean Experience — All-inclusive culinary weekend with guest chefs, Master Sommeliers, demonstrations, tastings and a nine-course dinner; two-day stay required.
- Walt's on the Roof cocktails and tapas — Rooftop cocktails and tapas bar; guests can print their own photo onto the sea salt foam of a cocktail.
- Rooftop infinity pool and private cabanas — Rooftop pool with views over Auburn University campus.
Amenities
- Fine dining
Awards
- AAA Five Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended (2026)
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