Central Alabama
Auburn-Opelika represents modern hospitality, says Brooke Kastner, vice president of Auburn-Opelika Tourism. “We offer two boutique towns that are budget-friendly yet rich with sophistication. Our venues are extensions of our forward-thinking mentality and our deeply rooted traditions. As home to Auburn University, the South’s ‘coolest college town,’ the whole community hums with youthful energy, engineering innovation, and spirited pride. That energy carries into our world-class spaces like the Jay & Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, and the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, where meetings transform into experiences.”
Event attendees can pair their meetings with grand outdoor escapes, Kastner adds. “We have a backyard full of Alabama pines, trails, and waterways, and we’re home to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National, renowned as one of the world’s finest.”
The area offers more than 3,500 available guest rooms with several prime event facilities, according to Auburn-Opelika Tourism. The recently opened AC Hotel by Marriott Auburn has 133 guest rooms and meeting space to accommodate 50 guests. The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center has 378 guest rooms and a variety of event spaces totaling 22,000 square feet, with space to host a 500-person event. The Graduate Hotel at Auburn features 177 guest rooms and 10,568 square feet of event space. Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National has 221 guest rooms, more than 17,000 square feet of event space to accommodate 500 attendees, a full-service spa, and 54 holes of golf at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National. Connected to the Rane Culinary Science Center at Auburn University, The Laurel Hotel & Spa is a luxury teaching hotel with 26 guest rooms and suites; it includes a small meeting space for 20 guests, plus Walt’s on the Roof, with a rooftop lounge, pool, and garden.
Botanic, a restaurant, garden market, and event venue, has indoor and outdoor spaces for up to 300 reception guests. John Emerald Distillery and Red Clay Brewery, both in downtown Opelika, offer tastings, tours, and casual gathering spots. Opelika Bottling Plant has a ballroom and courtyard, which can accommodate 800 guests each, and additional meeting space.
