The Laurel Hotel & Spa

Auburn, Alabama

The Laurel Hotel & Spa is a luxury teaching hotel within Auburn University’s 142,000-square-foot Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center. The boutique hotel features 16 guestrooms, 10 suites, and six residences, along with a full-service spa, fitness center, rooftop pool, and yoga pavilion. Students from Auburn’s Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management gain real-world experience alongside hospitality professionals, bringing education and elevated guest service together within an operating luxury hotel.

Leadership

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Randy Miller

Senior Associate

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Anita Summers

Leadership

project scope

32 KEYS

design services

Architecture, Interior Design, Sustainability Services

Studios

Hospitality Interior Design

CLient

Auburn University

Awards

2025 ASID GA Awards, Silver, Contract - Institutional & Education

Luxury Hospitality Designed for Learning

The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry was challenged to bring the luxuries of a Five Diamond hotel to a compact footprint while maximizing the number of guestrooms. After exploring multiple room types and layouts, the design team and ownership selected an all-king guestroom model. Guests seeking additional space may choose a king suite with a separate living room that includes a top-of-the-line sofa bed.

While students contribute to the hotel’s daily operations as part of their education, a dedicated entrance separates the guest experience from the activity of the culinary center’s food hall and academic spaces. This thoughtful planning preserves the privacy and exclusivity expected of a luxury boutique hotel while supporting immersive hospitality education.

Heritage lounge at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, with a sculptural beaded chandelier, plush seating, and display cases of Auburn memorabilia.

King guestroom at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, with a leather bed, walnut wall paneling, branch wall art, and a city view.

Guestroom workspace at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, with a wood desk, wall-mounted TV, coffee station, and a bar cart stocked with spirits.

Powder room at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, with moody blue floral wallpaper, an oval mirror, sconces, and a glass vessel sink.

A Rooftop Connected to the Culinary Experience

Surrounded by lush greenspace, the rooftop pool offers views of prominent Auburn landmarks, including Samford Hall and Jordan-Hare Stadium. Students cultivate and maintain a rooftop garden that provides fresh herbs, produce, and flowers for the hotel and dining venues below, creating a direct connection between hospitality education, culinary operations, and the guest experience.

Rooftop lap pool at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, with scalloped navy umbrellas, lounge chairs, and a cocktail on a poolside table.

Rooftop garden lounge at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, with a round pergola, outdoor seating, and flowering planters overlooking the town.

Circular lounge seating in the rooftop garden at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, framed by colorful celosia and amaranth planters.

Spa Design Centered on Wellbeing

The full-service spa includes separate men’s and women’s locker rooms, three private treatment rooms, a couples treatment room, a salt room and a nail salon. A neutral, calming palette carries throughout the spaces, creating a restorative atmosphere designed to enhance guests’ comfort and wellbeing.

Couples treatment room at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, with two massage tables, warm stone eye pillows, and marble sink stations.

Lobby lounge at The Laurel Hotel & Spa at Auburn University, with a curved blue velvet sofa, tiered brass chandelier, and botanical relief wall panels.

Inspired by Culinary Arts and Academia

Warm spice tones inspired the hotel’s interior palette and the kaleidoscopic digital artwork displayed throughout. The name “Laurel” refers to both the aromatic bay leaf used in cooking and the laurel wreath, a longstanding symbol of academic achievement. Together, these meanings reflect the hotel’s union of artful hospitality, culinary education, and scholastic achievement.

Archival books celebrating local and Southern cooking reinforce the hotel’s sense of place. Thoughtfully curated works by local artists further connect the interiors to the region, with subtle references to food, hospitality, and Auburn’s culinary traditions.

Restaurants at the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center

The Johnson Studio also designed the Culinary Science Center’s dining destinations, extending its hospitality experience through several distinct culinary settings.

1856 Culinary Residence

The center’s signature restaurant lets students work alongside an acclaimed chef and hospitality professionals in an immersive teaching environment. In 2025, 1856 became Auburn’s first restaurant and the first teaching restaurant in the United States to be recognized by The MICHELIN Guide.

Hey Day Market

This multi-concept food hall brings a variety of global cuisines together in a lively community setting. Incubator stalls allow promising culinary graduates to develop and test new restaurant concepts before expanding to larger locations.

New Realm Brewing Company bar at The Laurel Hotel & Spa's Culinary Science Center at Auburn University, with tap handles, merchandise display, and seating.

Hey Day Market food hall at The Laurel Hotel & Spa's Culinary Science Center at Auburn University, with pizzeria and bar stalls and communal dining tables.

The Laurel Hotel & Spa

Luxury Hospitality Designed for Learning

A Rooftop Connected to the Culinary Experience

Spa Design Centered on Wellbeing

Inspired by Culinary Arts and Academia

Restaurants at the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center

1856 Culinary Residence

Hey Day Market

Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort

Ámbar Restaurante

La Perla

Loews Kansas City Hotel

James F. Martin Inn at Clemson University