Reports by Gretchen Piatt

Lauren Cameron is coming to Oxford for LSU weekend, but she wanted somewhere quieter than a traditional hotel for her stay. She chose the new Hotel Leighton in Plein Air, a community outside Oxford.

“Hotel Leighton seemed like a great place to stay and feel like home while enjoying a great weekend of football,” Cameron said.

Hotel Leighton began accepting reservations Sept. 1. The boutique hotel, which also serves as a wedding venue, gives visitors another place to stay near Oxford and brings guests into Plein Air.

Cameron said she heard about the hotel from people in Oxford and on social media. She liked its location and boutique style, as well as its proximity to restaurants, shops and Ole Miss. She said she also appreciated that the hotel is pet-friendly. Cameron has not stayed there yet; she will arrive this weekend.

“I liked the location and the boutique feel of the hotel,” Cameron said. She hopes that staying in Plein Air will give her a place to relax after spending time in Oxford for the game. It was the combination of being near the places she wanted to visit and having a quieter place to return to that made the hotel stand out to her.

Isabelle Newman, Hotel Leighton’s assistant manager, said opening a new hotel has meant taking on a different mix of work each day. She answers calls, greets guests, helps hire and train staff, makes reservations and promotes the hotel on social media.

“Every day has been different!” Newman said.

Those jobs have kept Newman involved in both what guests see when they arrive and the work happening before they check in. With more rooms reserved for the coming weekend, she said the staff will have a chance to settle into a routine while welcoming football fans.

Newman said Hotel Leighton is almost at capacity for what she described as its first big game day.

“It’s a big weekend for us and is our first big game day where we’re almost at capacity,” Newman said. “It will be great for our staff to get into a rhythm of providing excellent service to our amazing guests.”

Newman also hopes visitors will see Plein Air and nearby Taylor while they are in the area. She said the hotel offers an option for people who want to be near Oxford without staying amid its crowds.

“It’s really sweet to watch couples and families come in and experience it,” Newman said. She said she is excited about guests creating special memories at the hotel.

The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce recently highlighted Hotel Leighton on its Facebook page. Laura Frazier, who works with Chamber membership, said featuring new members is part of the Chamber’s effort to let the community know what businesses have opened and what they offer.

“It’s beautiful, cozy and off the beaten path,” Frazier said of the hotel. She said its quieter location still puts guests within reach of Oxford destinations such as the Grove.

That balance appealed to Cameron as she planned her LSU weekend trip. She wanted to be close to Oxford and Ole Miss while staying somewhere that felt more relaxed than a typical chain hotel. Whether the hotel matches her expectations is something she will find out when she checks in.

Frazier said Hotel Leighton could also introduce more visitors to Plein Air. People travel to the Oxford area from across the country, she said, and staying at the hotel may give them a reason to explore the community. Frazier said she had not known Plein Air was also a retirement community until she visited it herself.

The Chamber has had little time to gauge the response to the new hotel. Frazier said its Chamber listing had gone live only two days before her interview. The Chamber also plans to host a young professionals event at Hotel Leighton, giving locals a chance to see the space firsthand. Frazier said she expects people to be excited about visiting, but the event will give them their first chance to form their own impressions.

For Newman, this weekend means welcoming a nearly full hotel and helping a new staff find its rhythm. For Cameron, it will be her first chance to see whether Hotel Leighton feels as comfortable as she hopes.