tl;dr – This is Hilton’s 27th (maybe 28th?) brand. I’ve lost count.
Earlier this year, I wrote about rumored news that Hilton would launch another college-themed brand, Undergraduate by Hilton, complementing the existing Graduate Hotels it acquired in 2024. Well, Hilton has recently made things official via a press release on its website. The first Undergraduate Hotel will open in 2027.
If you’re so inclined, you can check out the announcement video below:
A post shared by Undergraduate Hotels (@undergraduatehotels)
Hilton also provided a bit of insight on the distinction between the ‘Undergraduate’ and Graduate Hotels lines:
“Building on the success of Graduate by Hilton, the brand introduces a complementary expression of college-town hospitality. Undergraduate will extend Hilton’s presence with a flexible model designed to unlock development opportunities at scale and a cost structure suited to the demand in more campus-driven markets.”
In other words, you can expect Graduate by Hilton to remain the chain’s college-campus-focused full service offering, while Undergraduate offers more price approachable, flexible accommodations, likely with fewer amenities. That said, Hilton is looking at Undergraduate as a ‘lifestyle’ property, as “Undergraduate by Hilton hotels are designed as off-campus social hubs.”
Initial plans call for ‘Undergraduate by Hilton [to] use a flexible development model that supports both new-build and conversion projects, enabling more efficient and scalable projects for owners and developers.’
Hilton believes ‘the brand has long-term expansion potential of 400-500 hotels, with the first property anticipated to open in 2027.’
Hilton has recently launched several new brands, and if you’re having trouble keeping up, that’s not unreasonable by any means. Select new launches include the Outset Collection, which is expanding one property at a time, as well as an aparthotel concept, the Apartment Collection.
