Ithaka Hospitality Partners earns Great Place to Work Certification

Ithaka Hospitality Partners—along with the properties it manages (The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center, The Laurel Hotel & Spa, Hey Day Market Food Hall, 1856, Culinary Residence, a Teaching Restaurant and Thrive Coffee Bar)—has earned the distinction of being the first and only hospitality company in the state of Alabama to be certified by Great Place to Work.

The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Ithaka Hospitality Partners and its properties. This year, 86% of employees said it’s a great place to work – the industry average is 57%.

Additionally, the organization asked employees to agree or disagree with the following statements:

• “Our customers would rate the service we deliver as ‘excellent.’” 95%

• “I’m proud to tell others I work here.” 93%

• “When you join the company, you are made to feel welcome.” 93%

• “People care about each other here.” 91%

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.

“Great Place to Work Certification isn’t something that comes easily – it takes ongoing dedication to the employee experience,” said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of global recognition at Great Place to Work. “It’s the only official recognition determined by employees’ real-time reports of their company culture. Earning this designation means that Ithaka Hospitality Partners is one of the best companies to work for in the country.”

“We have an amazing team at all of the properties within the Ithaka family, and we’re honored to be recognized as a great place to work by those team members,” said Hans van der Reijden, Ithaka Hospitality Partners Founder and CEO. “We owe our continued success to our team of dedicated hospitality professionals at The Hotel at Auburn University, The Laurel Hotel & Spa, and the other groups within our portfolio of hotels, restaurants and food halls. We celebrate and thank them for all they do to earn this incredible recognition.”

According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company’s profits and have a fair chance at promotion.

About Ithaka Hospitality Partners

Auburn-based Ithaka Hospitality Partners, or IHP, 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 with founder Horst Schulze, a legend in the hospitality industry.  The Ithaka Hospitality Partners management team has over 200 years of industry experience at some of the most prominent and respected global hospitality organizations.

IHP manages independent hotels, resorts, spas, restaurants, and food halls and is a proud partner in The Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management at Auburn University.  IHP manages all commercial aspects of the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center and is honored to play an active role in educating the next generation of hospitality and culinary professionals.

About Great Place to Work Certification

Great Place to Work Certification is the most definitive “employer-of-choice” recognition that companies aspire to achieve. It is the only recognition based entirely on what employees report about their workplace experience – specifically, how consistently they experience a high-trust workplace. Great Place to Work Certification is recognized worldwide by employees.