Ithaka Hospitality Partners is proud to announce its designation as the management company for the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center opening at Auburn University later this year.
The Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center (RCSC) will serve as the new cutting-edge, state-of-the-art home to the College of Human Sciences’ esteemed Hospitality Management Program at Auburn University. Once complete, the Center will feature numerous experiential learning spaces where students can obtain meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities to prepare them to be leaders in the hospitality industry.
The involvement of a world-class management partner is crucial to executing the ambitious programming and educational opportunities the Rane Center will provide. The Ithaka Hospitality Partners team will be heavily involved in the hands-on learning experiences in The Laurel Hotel & Spa, poised to be Alabama’s first ultra-luxury hotel, as well as the 1856 teaching restaurant and its Chef in Residence program, which will be the first-ever teaching restaurant with a tasting menu format.
As the management company for RCSC, Ithaka Hospitality Partners will manage the day-to-day operations of all commercial spaces including The Laurel Hotel & Spa, 1856, and the Hey Day Market food hall, as well as the on-site café, coffee roastery, and microbrewery. The company also currently manages The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center, a AAA four-diamond property located adjacent to RCSC.
In addition to property management, Ithaka Hospitality Partners is deeply involved in the educational components of the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center. Its leadership team serves as affiliate faculty working alongside professors and staff within the Hospitality Management program, teaching and advising students.
Auburn-based Ithaka Hospitality Partners was founded in 2018 by Hans van der Reijden, an international hotelier with more than 35 years of experience in the industry. Formerly a partner in the Capella Hotel Group, he worked side by side with founder Horst Schulze, a legend in the hospitality industry. Collectively, the Ithaka Hospitality Partners management team has more than 200 years of industry experience at some of the biggest and most respected hospitality organizations across the globe.