The Laurel Hotel & Spa

Alabama’s only AAA Five Diamond property, The Laurel Hotel & Spa is Auburn’s impressive case for world-class hospitality in an unexpected place. The 16 king rooms and 10 suites come with floor-to-ceiling windows, soaking tubs, and rainfall showers, but the real draw is how much is folded into a stay. Guests get exclusive access to The Library, a members-only-feeling retreat where complimentary food appears four times a day, breakfast through dessert. On the roof, Walt’s On The Roof has a heated pool, cabanas, and 4,000 square feet of working gardens that actually supply the kitchen at 1856 Culinary Residence. The sixth-floor Spa offers a salt room, facials, massage, and a co-ed relaxation lounge with views over campus. Service is trained through a formal partnership with the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, and it reads that way from the moment you walk in.