Hilton has launched Undergraduate by Hilton, an upper-midscale brand for US college towns, and said it sees long-term room for 400-500 of the hotels, with the first due to open in 2027, according to a press release seen by Emerging Travel.
The company confirmed its 27th brand on June 1, positioning it as a complement to Graduate by Hilton, the upper-upscale lifestyle line it acquired in 2024. Undergraduate sits a tier below, built on a standard prototype that supports both new builds and conversions near campus.
Outside the US, Graduate by Hilton also operates in the lofty heights of Cambridge, England, where many international students and visiting family members are known to stay, and it remains exceedingly popular with guests.
Chief executive Chris Nassetta told investors on the company’s first-quarter earnings call there were “hundreds and hundreds” of US markets too small for a Graduate but suited to a cheaper offering. The new brand is aimed at college towns where demand from open days, athletics weekends and reunions outpaces the supply of quality rooms.
The 400-500 target is a long-term ceiling rather than a committed pipeline. No locations have been named. It comes on top of the markets already identified for Graduate, which has close to 60 properties in development.
Undergraduate forms part of a Lifestyle portfolio Hilton expects to reach 700 hotels worldwide by 2028, with 60 opening this year.
Properties are designed as off-campus social hubs, with library-style lounges, guest rooms described as “creative classrooms” with a study corner, and a barista-led all-day market. Owners can add a cocktail programme run by Authentic Hospitality, the operator behind the New York bars Ray’s and Pebble Bar. The brand targets students, parents, alumni, sports fans and conference attendees.
Undergraduate will participate in Hilton Honors, the company’s loyalty programme, which has more than 250mn members.
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) operates 28 brands across more than 9,200 properties and over 1.3mn rooms in 144 countries and territories.
Trade implications
- Owner economics: the conversion-friendly prototype undercuts Graduate on cost, opening secondary college towns that could not carry a full lifestyle flag.
- Two brands, one demand driver: Hilton is now selling campus travel at two price points, capturing spend it would otherwise lose to independents and midscale rivals.
- Loyalty reach: Undergraduate joins Hilton Honors, putting its members within earning range in markets that often lack a branded option.
- Distribution: small-town owners get Hilton’s booking engine, the same pitch driving the rest of its Lifestyle growth.