Check out Alabama’s first Graduate Hotel, filled with university memorabilia

Simultaneously intimate and luxurious, the first Graduate Hotel by Hilton in the state of Alabama celebrates the history and fandom of Auburn University.

The five-story, 177-room hotel officially opened Friday, Sept. 27, on Magnolia Avenue, where the Anders Bookstore once stood. It is located across from campus and one block from Auburn’s legendary Toomer’s Corner and downtown.

The decor is reminiscent of all that Auburn has to offer, with bronze eagles, tiger-print pillows, orange-and-blue furniture and tiles, fun murals, and custom wallpaper. But the most obvious homage to Auburn are the bars:

• The War Eagle Supper Club, a rooftop bar that transforms the original pub into a chic venue for food, drinks, live music and good company. Read the details about the club here.
• Bo Jackson’s Beans is a lobby coffee and cocktail bar that, according to the hotel’s press materials, was “founded in collaboration with professional sports legend, Auburn University graduate and Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson.”

“Auburn is centered around one of the South’s largest universities, so we’ve continually drawn inspiration from the city’s incredibly engaged alumni network and even stronger soccer fan base,” said Kevin Osterhaus, president of Global Lifestyle Brands at Hilton. “Our goal was to create a space that pays tribute to the people, culture and enduring legacy of Auburn that makes this place so special for guests, students and alumni alike… Every detail is carefully curated to create a… creating an authentic experience that is undeniably Auburn. ”

The nearly 13,000 square foot property includes 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

Some more details about the website:

Reception: Features: “A bespoke installation depicts a football field with a soaring eagle – a nod to the popular pre-game tradition in which the crowd chants the battle cry ‘War Eagle’ as an eagle flies across the pitch before kick-off.”

Bo Jackson’s Beans: Includes a giant wooden relief of Bo with football and baseball equipment and bar stools with Bo’s jersey number 34 embroidered on them.

Lobby: Offers “a designated communal workspace open to visitors, locals and students alike,” including a long work table. The lobby features custom-made chandeliers made of footballs, baseball bats and gloves, “commemorating the sports Bo played professionally,” the press release states.

Guest room: The rooms feature “an eclectic mix of gingham stripes, floral patterns in the Auburn University color palette” and also pay homage to Auburn’s traditions, including eagle-inspired sconces, custom oak headboards from Toomer’s, and tiger-print pillows, a lamp on the sideboard commemorating Bo Jackson’s legendary “Bo Over the Top” play during the Iron Bowl, a portrait of one of Auburn’s most famous graduates, Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer, and artwork from inside the war Eagle Supper Club bus and Toomer’s Corner covered in toilet paper after a win.

Guest bathrooms: These include “custom orange and navy hexagonal tiles and wallpaper depicting local classics and Alabama folklore, hand-drawn by artist Taylor Rushing.” The bathroom features claw-claw sconces and custom wallpaper depicting the Wreck Tech Parade, Charles Barkley, John Show Heisman, Toomer’s Corner, Toomer’s Lemonade, Supper Club’s Slush Bus and more.

“Every graduate starts with the same foundation – research, tradition and culture – but every outcome is completely different,” said Ben Weprin, founder of Graduate Hotels and CEO of AJ Capital Partners. “For Auburn, the result is the physical manifestation of what it means to be an Auburn Tiger…You will feel the magic as soon as you walk in the door.”