Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center

Preparing innovators and leaders for the hospitality industry

A unique combination of a higher-education classrooms, teaching laboratories, a commercial hotel (Springhill Suites by Marriott), and a conference center; the Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center (HLC) is the home to the School of Hospitality at MSU Denver. The HLC is the only such facility at a school in the world.

Envisioning Change

In a unique public/private partnership, MSU Denver and Sage Hospitality have built an on-campus, full-service, learning laboratory—the Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center. Located right on campus, the center includes:

• The SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown by Marriott International, a fully functioning, professionally managed hotel with 150-rooms and 5,000 square feet of meeting space, where you’ll receive hands on experience.
• The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Conference Center
• Academic building and learning laboratory, which includes:
  • 30,000 square feet of academic space
  • Sensory analysis lab for wine, beer, and spirits classes
  • 72-seat commercial restaurant including five mixology stations
  • 4,000-bottle wine and beer cellar management lab
  • High-tech food demonstration theaters
  • Tourism lab
  • Events lab

Students in the School of Hospitality prepare for leadership and management careers in this demanding industry.

Most of our students work in the industry already, combining their on-the-job experience with relevant classroom experience, assuring that they graduate with a personal and deep understanding of the industry, its demands and the importance of hard work.