Hilton has launched Undergraduate by Hilton, a new upper-midscale offshoot of its Graduate by Hilton collegiate lifestyle brand.
Hilton acquired the upper-upscale Graduate flag, which is focused on college and university markets, in 2024 for $210 million.
Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta teased Undergraduate's launch earlier this year, pointing out that some college markets "can't afford to build a full Graduate, which is an upper-upscale brand, and need something more in the midscale space."
According to Hilton, Undergraduate is designed to "serve a broader range of college and university markets," and will target travelers visiting college communities, including current and prospective students, parents and families, alumni, sports fans and conference attendees.
The brand supports both new-build and conversion projects. Unlike Graduate, which features individually designed properties, Undergraduate offers a "flexible, prototypical model" intended to make development more scalable and efficient.
Hilton's plans to scale the brand
A rendering of the lobby and check-in area. Photo Credit: Hilton
Undergraduate hotels will feature library-inspired public spaces, a "barista-led" all-day market and social space and a cocktail program crafted by Authentic Hospitality, the group behind New York City venues Ray's and Pebble Bar. Guestrooms are designed around what Hilton calls a "creative classroom" concept, with study corners and adaptable layouts.
The first Undergraduate property is anticipated to open in 2027. Hilton said it expects the brand to potentially scale to around 400 to 500 hotels over the long term.
Hilton currently has more than 30 Graduate hotels across the U.S. and U.K., with nearly 60 properties under development in markets like Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Manhattan, Kan.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Savannah, Ga.; Laramie, Wyo.; Flagstaff, Ariz.; and Boulder, Colo.
In addition to Graduate and Undergraduate, Hilton's lifestyle portfolio includes the Canopy, Curio Collection, Tapestry Collection, Tempo and Motto brands as well as the recently launched Outset Collection.
In a statement, Nassetta called the lifestyle category "one of the most dynamic areas of expansion" for Hilton, with the company planning to have 700 lifestyle hotels globally by 2028 and open 60 lifestyle hotels this year alone.