Most hotel groups enter a new market with a new property, a new labor pool, and a new vendor learning curve. Ithaka Hospitality Partners did not have to start every part of that process from zero. Croux had supported The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center since October 2022. When Ithaka launched Elevation Convening Center & Hotel in Montgomery in May 2026, Croux was already an established staffing partner. What transferred was institutional trust, a working process, and confidence in the relationship. The same worker bench did not move with it: only three workers have completed assignments at both properties.
The relationship started in Auburn
Ithaka Hospitality Partners operates independent hotels, resorts, restaurants, and hospitality concepts with an emphasis on long-term owner relationships. Croux began supporting The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center on October 21, 2022. Over the next 3.6 years, Croux delivered 743 completed assignments through 147 workers across 488 shift postings.
At Auburn, property leaders retain direct control over which applicants to place rather than using Croux's auto-fill workflow. Croux supplies the talent pipeline and operating support while the hotel makes each selection. That operating choice gives the property local control, so its requested-role totals are not directly comparable with businesses that use automated matching.
Those years mattered beyond their volume. Ithaka and Croux built the operating habits behind the work: how a property requests talent, how teams communicate, and how Croux supports a hospitality operation over time.
A new convention operation in a new market
Elevation Convening Center & Hotel opened a different operating chapter for Ithaka. The Montgomery property combines hotel rooms, restaurants, and flexible event spaces, including a divisible ballroom and additional meeting rooms. Launching that operation meant building a dependable local labor layer while the property itself was ramping.
Croux entered the launch as a known partner, not a new vendor asking Ithaka to learn another process. Elevation posted its first shifts within an hour of onboarding on May 15 and scheduled workers for the following morning. Since May 2026, the property has created 284 shift postings covering 549 requested roles. Croux filled 482 of those roles and delivered 470 completed assignments through 50 workers.
What moved from Auburn to Montgomery
The portfolio advantage was continuity. Ithaka already knew how Croux worked, who to call, and how the platform fit into hotel and event operations. Croux already understood the group's expectations and could focus on building supply for the new market instead of rebuilding the commercial relationship from the beginning.
That distinction matters: the Auburn worker bench did not simply relocate to Montgomery. Only three workers have completed assignments at both properties. Croux built a new local bench for Elevation while carrying forward the institutional trust and operating process earned in Auburn.
Results after the launch ramp
From June 1 through July 14, 2026, Elevation requested 448 roles. Croux filled 395 of them, an 88% fill rate, and delivered 386 completed assignments with a 96% show-up rate among hired applications.
The local bench also began to deepen quickly. Of the 50 workers who have completed assignments at Elevation, 36 returned on another workday. That 72% return rate is an early signal that the new-market labor pool is becoming a repeat crew rather than a one-time roster.
What this means for growing hotel groups
Opening a property in a new market will always require local recruiting and local operating judgment. It should not require a hotel group to reset every trusted relationship at the same time.
Ithaka's path from Auburn to Montgomery shows the practical value of a staffing partner that can grow with the portfolio: an established process at the group level, a purpose-built worker bench in each market, and one relationship that becomes more useful with every launch.