The Laurel Hotel and Spa

The front desk at this Auburn hotel is staffed, at least in part, by hospitality students learning the trade in real time, which sounds like a recipe for chaos but runs suspiciously smoothly. The Laurel sits inside Auburn University's culinary science center, with a fine dining room, a rooftop terrace, a microbrewery, and a coffee roastery on the premises. The spa adds a Himalayan Salt Room, which feels like a wellness trend bingo square, but guests seem to find it restorative.