Academic Partnership
Preparing the Future of the Hospitality Industry

Ithaka is a proud partner with the Auburn University Hospitality Management Program. Through this unique partnership, we work with students, faculty and staff to give back to the next generation of hospitality industry leaders.

The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center, the first property under Ithaka’s management, serves as not only the leading hotel in the area, but also a teaching facility that gives students real-world experience in hotel management, restaurant management, event management and culinary science. As one of only three AAA Four Diamond properties in the United States dedicated to hospitality education, The Hotel at Auburn University provides students with an unparalleled education. Students gain first-hand experience in the intricacies and detail that goes into the day-to-day management of a premier hotel and benefit from the property’s elite Four Diamond rating.

Most importantly, Ithaka team members serve as mentors to Auburn University Hospitality Management Program students, instilling in them a love of the industry and a willingness to serve.

About the Partnership

Ithaka Hospitality Partners is proud to be the management company for the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center.

The Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center (RCSC) is the new cutting-edge, state-of-the-art home to the College of Human Sciences’ esteemed Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management at Auburn University. The Center features numerous experiential learning spaces where students 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 provides. The Ithaka Hospitality Partners team is 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 is the first-ever teaching restaurant with a tasting menu format.

As the management company for RCSC, Ithaka Hospitality Partners manages 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 School of Hospitality Management, 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.

About the Program

Within the Hospitality Management Program, key members of the Ithaka team serve as affiliate faculty, working closely with academic program faculty to provide students a robust, engaging, practical education that will serve them for life, whatever path their career may take. In addition, both teams work to:

Educate students in the classroom by ensuring that students are exposed to the right balance of theoretical and applied knowledge
Welcome students to The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center by offering the property as a premier practicum space for hands-on learning experiences
Provide job shadowing opportunities for students with key members of The Hotel at Auburn University leadership team
Support the program fundraising efforts, including the annual Hospitality Gala, the largest single-night fundraiser in the area
Facilitate professional placement of graduates in the hospitality industry worldwide
Offer a unique range of differential study opportunities as a result of our existing industry partnerships, such as the Guild of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators
Open doors for students and faculty to travel the U.S. and worldwide to experience the California Wine Country, Oregon Wine Country and Chilean and Argentinean Wine Country

Ithaka Hospitality Partners

241 S. College Street
Auburn, AL 36830

info@ithakahp.com
334.321.3178

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The name Ithaka comes from a poem by C.P. Cavafy, signifying the journey our guests as well as our team members take with us. A road full of adventure, full of discovery!

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The Ithaka blue is based on the rich blue of the Greek Eye, or “matiasma,” a fixture dating back to the 6th century, B.C., and used to ward off the “evil eye.” Greeks often safeguarded themselves against bad fortune by keeping some form of the Greek Eye somewhere important to them.

Academic Partnership