TulaneLSU's review of The Hotel at Auburn University

Friends,

One of the purposes of a vacation to take us away from our normal lives of work and allow us to recreate and reflect. Vacations always deserve our attention. When they are completed, they also deserve to be dissected and reviewed. Our time in Auburn was much needed and I am starting to form thoughts about that place and time. So far here are some of them:

TulaneLSU's Top 10 staircases of Auburn University
TulaneLSU's Top 10 trees of Auburn University
TulaneLSU’s Top 10 flowers of Auburn University
TulaneLSU's Top 10 pizzas of Auburn, AL
TulaneLSU's guide to Goodwater, AL
TulaneLSU's vacation to Tuskegee, AL
TulaneLSU's Top 10 signs of Ashland, AL

Our home base throughout the trip was The Hotel at Auburn University. It is, I believe a 3.5 star hotel, so honestly I was not expecting much from it. After all, The Grand Hotel in Point Clear is rated a 4 star hotel. My stay at the Grand was more along the lines of a 2 star stay. So I thought maybe ratings are done differently in Alabama, as it is not a state known for refined tourism options.

When I review hotels, I do so on a 10 point scale. The Grand got a 5.3/10, correlating to a 2 to 2.5 star rating. It certainly isn't worth the hundreds of dollars. Below you will find the criteria I am judging.



To be short, I was pleasantly surprised by The Hotel at Auburn University. Its location is in the middle of everything, across the street from the old campus, a three minute walk to downtown, and less than ten minute walk to the football stadium. There was quite a bit of construction to the streets while we were there. This construction was poorly planned, and lacked temporary sidewalks for walker. This oversight forced us to walk in the street if we wanted to go northward. It was not a big deal, as traffic was almost non-existent. However, it is a big liability to the campus, should someone be struck by a car.



The building is handsome and matches the character of the old campus as well as a conductor's hat from Meyer's the Hatter with a navy blazer from M. Goldberg's. Likewise is its adorable parking garage. No expense was spared to make this garage a centerpiece of the campus. I spent a good hour walking through the garage, marveling at its construction and the attention to detail the architect made. Parking was included in the stay. Normally I believe it is only $5 a night. Most nights, our car was one of the only ones occupying a spot.



The lobby is well decorated and inviting. Its furniture just slightly more modern than I would expect at an SEC univeristy's hotel. A little more dark oak furniture and thick navy curtains would be more appropriate. The ceiling's height is far too low. How much grander would it be for all to enter a lobby with 30 foot ceilings. These ceilings lend a feeling of grandeur that no amount of furnishings can give. When you enter the lobbies ofthe Omni Grove Park Inn or the Palace Hotel in San Francisco the eyes are drawn upward, setting the stage for a great stay. Auburn lacks this, and I hope after management read these words, they will consider ripping out parts of floors two and three to turn them into the lobby.



The conference area on the building's south side is adequate. Its carpet is plush and has excellent padding beneath it, making the walk down this long hall comfortable and easy on the knees. There is quite a lovely perfume pumped into the air, adding to the feeling of walking through a quiet meadow's soft soils. No music is played through speakers, which is now a novelty. I like this absence of sound, as a hotel's only music should come from a live pianist or harpist in the lobby.



The paintings on the wall were not beautiful. I would suggest purchasing decent artwork from an Auburn student artist. Surely every few years the school produces a painter of merit. Once you arrive in the lobby, there are antique photographs of scenes around campus. I enjoyed looking at them. The light fixtures are acceptable. However, there is a level of cheapness to them that I fear will cause them to become dated within a decade's time.



Every luxury hotel should have a restaurant worthy of attracting customers from around town. The Hotel has that in Ariccia. Its pizzas are very good, made so by a fabulous red sauce that is as good as any red sauce in America.



The hotel's swimming pool, unfortunately, is not heated. Mother will not allow me to swim in a pool whose water is below 78 degrees, for she fears I will develop hypothermia. I brought a thermometer and checked the temperature daily. One day it reached 76. So close! Ultimately, I never got to test its waters. The area is clean, but quite small for a hotel its size. Don't expect to have a good place to do laps here.