Hilton Fans Can Now Explore One of Our Beloved Boutique Hotel Brands

Soon, you’ll have the opportunity to use your Hilton Honors points to reserve stays at a selection of distinctive, design-driven hotels throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.

Hilton has just revealed its intention to acquire Graduate Hotels, a collection of nearly thirty carefully curated boutique properties in university-centered towns (such as Minneapolis, Minnesota, home to the University of Minnesota, and State College, Pennsylvania, where Penn State is located).

Integrating Graduate Hotels into our portfolio “fast-tracks our growth in the lifestyle sector,” combining the “beloved brand” with Hilton’s capabilities to enhance Graduate’s reach, said Chris Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, in a press release. Nassetta mentioned that “with thousands of colleges and universities worldwide,” the Graduate brand could expand to as many as 400 to 500 hotels globally.

Graduate Hotels, which launched its first two locations in Athens, Georgia, and Tempe, Arizona, in 2014, is celebrated for intricately incorporating the history, culture, and traditions of the local college or university into the design elements of each hotel.

For example, Graduate Nashville showcases a lobby adorned with custom black-and-gold star-patterned rugs, reflecting Vanderbilt University’s colors (and the Tennessee state flag), along with 160 watercolor leaf paintings, each representing a tree species found on the campus, which is recognized as an arboretum.

In a similar vein, the reception area of Graduate Chapel Hill resembles a scoreboard with 17 seconds remaining, reminiscent of the moment Michael Jordan clinched the championship with a game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA finals against Georgetown.

Currently, Hilton operates 19 hotel brands, spanning from Embassy Suites by Hilton to Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. The Graduate Hotels will be part of Hilton’s lifestyle collection, joining brands like Canopy, Curio, Motto, Tapestry, and Tempo, all of which were acquired in the past decade to meet the rising demand from travelers for more authentic experiences, as stated by Hilton.

Ben Weprin, the founder of Graduate Hotels, affirmed his commitment to preserving the distinctive brand identity of Graduate Hotels.

Graduate Hotels is set to launch its 34th location, Graduate Princeton, in New Jersey this spring, along with Graduate Auburn in Auburn, Alabama, opening in September.

Hilton announced its intention to make Graduate Hotels available for booking through its channels, including the Hilton Honors rewards program, later this year (the acquisition is expected to finalize before the end of June).

Alongside the acquisition of Graduate Hotels, Hilton recently unveiled partnerships with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a network of over 500 independent luxury hotels, and AutoCamp, a U.S.-based glamping company known for its bespoke Airstreams and upscale tent accommodations. While Hilton isn’t acquiring these brands, travelers will soon be able to book stays at these properties through Hilton’s platforms, offering Hilton Honors members exclusive perks such as discounted rates, waived resort fees on reward stays, complimentary Wi-Fi, room upgrades, spa discounts, and more.