Case Study

Auburn University and Ithaka Hospitality Partners Offer Hands-On Learning for Future Hoteliers with Oracle Cloud

Dana Centola

Oracle Hospitality · דֵצֶמבֶּר 07, 2023

Auburn University is opening a world-class concierge-level teaching hotel with the support of Ithaka Hospitality Partners, the property’s operating manager, and Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud Service. The Laurel Hotel & Spa is part of Auburn’s Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center (RCSC).

Why it matters: The exciting destination will not only provide guests an enticing place to stay, but also act as the home of the university’s hospitality management program. Students will first learn OPERA Cloud in their coursework and apply this knowledge with hands-on training in the hotel when it opens later this year.

Training students on the leading cloud-based Property Management System gives them a head start in the hospitality industry while also providing the hotel with a smart and efficient tool to manage their operations.

Top 3 Core Objectives: The entire Laurel environment is specially designed and built for student learning. Offering one of the leading cloud property management systems is a must.

Integrate hotel operations: Ensure real-time, connected data across departments for meaningful and impactful operational insights
Streamline capital expense portfolio: Reduce on-site equipment and IT management needs
Prepare future hoteliers: Enrich students’ learning opportunities with exposure to a modern, cloud-based system.

"The Laurel Hotel & Spa will offer groundbreaking technical advantages for students, staff, and visitors alike. OPERA Cloud will provide the property with industry-leading technology to run efficiently, but even more importantly, will deliver an immersive educational experience that blends hands-on learning with cross-functional coursework to prepare students to be leaders in the hospitality industry."

Hans van der Reijden

founder and CEO, Ithaka Hospitality Partners

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👍 founder and CEO, Ithaka Hospitality Partners Hans van der Reijden said that OPERA Cloud PMS sets the industry standard and introducing it to future hoteliers prepares them for Day 1.:

"The Laurel Hotel & Spa will offer groundbreaking technical advantages for students, staff, and visitors alike. OPERA Cloud will provide the property with industry-leading technology to run efficiently, but even more importantly, will deliver an immersive educational experience that blends hands-on learning with cross-functional coursework to prepare students to be leaders in the hospitality industry."

⚖️ The selection process: During their research process, Alecia Douglas evaluated Oracle Hospitality's product differentiators, customer support, and holistic value as a strategic partner and ultimately decided that Oracle Hospitality was the best fit solution:

associate professor of hospitality management, Auburn University College of Human Sciences Alecia Douglas said, about their decision: "With OPERA Cloud integrated throughout lodging and IT related courses in the curriculum, hospitality management students not only gain a competitive learning advantage over their peers at other institutions, but also have the distinction of studying the platform across functional, operational and strategic goals of The Laurel Hotel & Spa. Such an experience is above and beyond the passive learning from the current mode of instruction and gives students first-hand knowledge of the technology thereby making abstract concepts much more relatable."

📈 The results: Staffing is one of the largest obstacles facing hospitality today, making what Auburn University and Ithaka Hospitality Partners are doing not only invaluable for students, but essential for our industry. OPERA Cloud provides The Laurel Hotel & Spa with leading-edge industry innovations to help deliver concierge-level service and offer students a strong educational foundation that will prepare them for a long and rew

Provides students with hands-on, practical experience in all aspects of hotel operations.
Further positions Auburn’s hospitality management students to become future leaders in the industry.
Provides the personalized service guest expect.