The University of Alabama at Birmingham is celebrating its golden anniversary this year with the addition of a new on-campus flagship hotel with event space. Hilton Birmingham at UAB opened its doors on Jan. 31.

In November of 2016, UAB purchased the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Birmingham. The property was closed in March 2018 for a multimillion-dollar transformation, renovating and rebranding to reflect both the Hilton brand and the university’s spirit.

“The transformation has been extraordinary,” said Lisa Castagna, general manager, Hilton Birmingham at UAB.

She added, “It’s been a strategic, collaborative effort between Hilton and UAB to create this flagship Hilton property in the heart of the college campus. From the lighting fixtures above to the flooring below and everything in between, this renovation has been marked by acute attention to detail.”

Hilton Birmingham at UAB has 17,000 square feet of event space situated around a large foyer. Three event spaces pay tribute to groundbreaking alumni from the university’s 50-year history: Virginia Dare Hamilton, Dr. Herschell Lee Hamilton, Delois Skipwith and Jimmie Ethel Montgomery.

“We took the opportunity with the transformation to honor some notable UAB graduates who made significant achievements and broke barriers,” Castagna said. “The ballrooms and a large meeting space are named for early female and African-American graduates of the medical program.”

The two ballrooms Castagna referred to are the Hamilton Ballroom and the Skipwith Ballroom.

The former can hold up to 620 attendees with theater seating or 430 seated classroom-style, and the latter can seat 220 theater style. Each ballroom can be divided into two sections if smaller meeting or breakout rooms are needed.

Several other meeting rooms, boardrooms and rentable space for outdoor events and private dining are also available. For audiovisual needs, PSAV is located in-house.

The hotel’s top floor features guest rooms with full balconies and views of Birmingham’s downtown skyline and UAB campus. All 259 guest rooms are entirely LED-lit, with a goal of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Guests can take advantage of the hotel’s fitness center, pool, business center and Wi-Fi located throughout the property.

The need for comfortable working environments is also acknowledged. Guest rooms include multiple USB charging ports and custom stone desks, and the hotel lobby features Connectivity Stations: complimentary-use workstations with Wi-Fi-enabled computers, printers and ergonomic seating.

On-property dining options at Hilton Birmingham at UAB include the Lab Bar and Kitchen, an indoor/outdoor Southern-inspired locally sourced bar and restaurant. The quick-serve Lab Market Café serves seasonal, locally sourced pastries and prepared foods. Breakfast and made-to-order meals, salads and sandwiches are available at the Blaze Coffee Bar. 

Hilton Birmingham at UAB is located 20 minutes from Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) and provides airport complimentary shuttle service. The hotel also offers shuttle service to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center, which is two miles away.

Hilton Birmingham at UAB is offering a special incentive to groups who book by Apr. 30, 2019. Planners can choose an amenity from a list including a 10 percent rebate, triple Hilton Honors points and event upgrades.

Photo © 2019 Hilton