The good folks at Southern Living have done the hard work of trying out luxurious hotels and resorts to bring you their list of 10 of the South’s Best New Hotels – and an Alabama hotel made the very short list.

Southern Living chose The Graduate Hotel in Auburn, Ala., which opened in September 2024, as one of “the best of the bunch.”

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The Graduate by Hilton is a unique chain of hotels located in college towns that decorate with colors and themes from those universities, much to the delight of fans.

Southern Living wrote: “Auburn University’s signature look is fantastic here. War Eagle Supper Club has rooftop views of campus, which is steps away. The coffee shop, Bo Jackson’s Beans, pays tribute to another local legend.”

The five-story, 177-room hotel is located at 202 W Magnolia Avenue where Anders Bookstore once stood. It is across the street from campus and a block from Auburn’s legendary Toomer’s Corner and downtown area.

MORE: See inside Alabama’s first Graduate Hotel, filled with university memorabilia

The décor includes nods to everything Auburn, featuring bronze eagles, tiger-print cushions, orange-and-blue furniture and tile, fun murals and bespoke wallpaper. There is a portrait of Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer, an Auburn graduate, in each guest room. The chandeliers are made of baseball gloves and balls.

But the most obvious homage to Auburn is The War Eagle Supper Club, a rooftop bar that reimagines the original college dive bar (since demolished) into a swanky space for food, drinks, live music and good company. Read the details about the club here.

“While it was very hard to choose just 10 places, we selected these based on our own experiences as guests, customer reviews, and the value that they offer travelers,” Southern Living wrote, saying it looked at “innovative design, thoughtful touches, and world-class service.”