Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel And Conference Center Completes Renovations
Auburn, AL - Only a few weeks into 2007 several milestones are believed to have occurred at an Auburn hotel, the Auburn Marriott Opelika at Grand National. A new look, new address and new honors from ConventionSouth magazine complement the hotel's $2M makeover
"Since opening as The Lodge five years ago, our hotel staff has welcomed business travelers, golfers, vacationers and Auburn fans from around the world," said Jay Prater, general manager. "Now, we have taken the hotel to the next level by implementing several enhancements found in Marriott resorts around the world."
New Look
Converted to a Marriott in March 2005, the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel and Conference Center at Grand National's major renovations are highlighted by upgrades to the 129 rooms and 4,200 square feet of new carpeting throughout all public areas, meeting rooms and ballrooms.
"While new carpets and enclosed hallways are nice, we believe the new Marriott bedding with luxurious sheets, comforters with duvets laundered between every guest stay and pillow-top mattresses may be the most popular changes for our guests," Pratner said. "Additionally, meeting groups will find the hotel's new hospitality room with its pool table, comfortable seating areas and lots of Auburn memorabilia to be great for teambuilding." Even the renowned Auburn restaurant inside the hotel was refurbished and a new menu is being unveiled.
New Address
The street name for the hotel and the Grand National golf courses has changed from Sunbelt Parkway to Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail as most of the 114 guest rooms and 15 luxury suites overlook the famous course collection. The Auburn, Alabama hotel is part of the resort division of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and will be the first hotel in the Auburn area to be smoke-free.
New Award
The Auburn hotel recently was presented with ConventionSouth magazine's annual Readers' Choice Award, and named one of the best in the South. ConventionSouth editors asked meeting professionals to name the convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), convention centers, conference centers, hotels, resorts and other meeting sites that display exemplary creativity and professionalism to groups.
"The value in receiving this recognition is that it comes from the United States' top meeting planners who book events in the South. These planners demand the highest level of customer service and quality facilities, and they have determined that the recipients of ConventionSouth's Readers' Choice Awards do indeed display the commitment to professionalism, creativity, excellence and outstanding customer service they require," said ConventionSouth President and Publisher J. Talty O'Connor.
In 2005, the Auburn Marriott Opelika was honored by Meetings South readers as one of the region's top meetings hotel. It was also named the top city for golf by Golf Digest in 2005.
Designed for business and social events, the hotel's conference center includes 15,000 square feet of event space, including ten meeting rooms, all of which are being updated. The ballroom offers an elegant setting for receptions of up to 480 guests, and the indoor amphitheater provides an ideal video conference location.
SOURCE: Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel & Resort