Anders Bookstore closes + a new branch of Graduate Hotels to open

Big news for Auburn students, alumni and fans alike—the iconic Anders Bookstore has officially closed. Keep reading to learn more and find out what’s next for the space.

56 years serving the Auburn family

Anders Bookstore opened in 1966 and was family-owned until about 2015. According to Opelika-Auburn Now, In 2020, Auburn’s City Council approved a request for a new hotel to be built after recommendation by the Auburn Planning Commission. Anders Bookstore officially closed on March 10, 2022 and will now be demolished for the new room.

As an Auburn alum and lifetime fan of the team and school, it’s certainly bittersweet to see businesses close that I remember visiting as a child with my dad.

The first Alabama location of Graduate Hotels

The former location of the Anders store will soon become the first Alabama branch of the national hotel chain, Graduate Hotels. There are over thirty locations of the chain across the country and in the UK.

“Graduate Hotels is a collection of hand-crafted hotels in university-driven towns around the globe.”

Graduate Hotels, website

In January of 2022, the Graduate Hotel received its first review from the Downtown Design Review Committee. According to the Auburn Villager, the hotel will be five stories with 177 rooms, event space, a fitness center, and a coffee shop on the ground floor.

The Graduate Hotel isn’t the only new thing coming to Auburn—the $110M Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center (RCSC) is scheduled to open this summer. The RCSC will include The Laurel—a luxury hotel and spa.

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