// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did Graduate Hotels go to school? To get a degree above the rest.
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Ben Weprin |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | 35 |
Area served | United States England |
| Parent | Hilton Worldwide |
| Website | graduatehotels |
Graduate Hotels is a collection of hotels located in college towns, primarily in the United States, launched in 2014 by Nashville-based real estate company AJ Capital Partners and now part of Hilton Worldwide.[1][2][3] There are currently 33 operating hotels in the United States and two in England.[4]
History
[edit]
Graduate Hotels was founded in 2014 by Nashville-based real estate investor Ben Weprin and his firm, AJ Capital Partners.[5] The company launched the Graduate Hotels brand by acquiring and remodeling hotels in university-anchored towns across the country.[6] The first hotel opened in Athens, Georgia in 2014, centered around the University of Georgia.[7]
Hilton Worldwide agreed to acquire Graduate Hotels in March 2024, after which the brand was renamed Graduate by Hilton. AJ Capital Partners retains real estate ownership of the existing Graduate properties under long-term franchise agreements with Hilton.[8]
In June 2026, Hilton Worldwide announced Undergraduate by Hilton, a spin-off of Graduate. The first property is set to open in 2027.[9]
Locations
[edit]United States
[edit]Alphabetized by city:
England
[edit]| Hotel | Location | Opening Year | Nearby University |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Cambridge | Cambridge | 2021 | University of Cambridge |
| The Randolph Hotel | Oxford | 2021 | University of Oxford |
Former
[edit]| Hotel | Location | Opening Year | Closed (Year) | Nearby University |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Roosevelt Island | New York (Roosevelt Island), New York | 2021 | 2025[10] | Cornell Tech |
Future
[edit]| Hotel | Location | Opening Year | Nearby University |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Boulder | Boulder, Colorado | 2026[11] | University of Colorado Boulder |
| Graduate Manhattan | Manhattan, Kansas | 2027[12] | Kansas State University |
| Graduate Syracuse | Syracuse, New York | 2027 | Syracuse University |
| Graduate Austin | Austin, Texas | 2028 | University of Texas |
References
[edit]- ↑ "This college town boutique hotel chain is the anti-Airbnb". CNBC. February 20, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ↑ "Graduate Hotels graduates into a bigger chain". USA Today. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ↑ "Visiting Colleges? The Era of Staying in a Sad Hotel Is Over". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ↑ Felice, Selene San. "Loews Annapolis reopens as Graduate Annapolis following remodel". capitalgazette.com. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ↑ Brown, Abram. "The Revivalist: Young Hotelier Ben Weprin Has An Eye For An Aged Luxury Gem". Forbes. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ↑ Rosman, Katherine (July 14, 2018). "The Education of a Brotelier". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ↑ "Boutique Group Graduate Hotels Finds Its Niche in University Towns". Skift. May 30, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ↑ Clark, Patrick (March 14, 2024). "Hilton Agrees to Buy Graduate Hotels Brand for $210 Million". Bloomberg. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ↑ "Hilton Launches Undergraduate by Hilton, Accelerating Lifestyle Portfolio Growth". Stories From Hilton. June 1, 2026. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ "The only hotel on NYC's Roosevelt Island appears to be closing". Time Out. November 21, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Graduate by Hilton expands to Colorado | Hotel Dive". www.hoteldive.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. Arranges Joint Venture Equity Raise for Graduate by Hilton Conversion in Manhattan, Kansas". www.citybiz.co. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
