Hilton launches Undergraduate by Hilton brand targeting college and university markets

Hilton has introduced Undergraduate by Hilton, a new upper‑midscale lifestyle brand aimed at growing its footprint in college‑town markets worldwide.

Created as a sister brand to Graduate by Hilton, it targets a wider set of campus‑related markets using a flexible development approach and cost framework tailored for university communities.

Hilton projects that Undergraduate by Hilton could grow to 400–500 properties worldwide over the long term, with the inaugural hotel slated to debut in 2027.

The brand will serve visitors to college towns—students, families, alumni, sports fans, business travelers, and conference goers—meeting rising lodging demand in university locales while preserving character, accessibility, and value.

Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton, remarked, “We identified a clear opportunity to bring the vibe, design, and experiences that guests love about campus life to more university towns with this brand. Undergraduate by Hilton signals a fresh chapter in college‑town hospitality, broadening our reach to campus‑linked travelers, providing additional lodging choices while driving disciplined, sustainable growth across our portfolio.”

He continued, “Undergraduate builds on the strong momentum of our Lifestyle portfolio—one of our fastest‑growing segments—as we aim to reach 700 Lifestyle properties worldwide by 2028, with 60 set to launch this year.”

Hilton notes that Undergraduate by Hilton will blend scalable development efficiencies with design cues drawn from campus culture and social life.

Key features comprise social public areas modeled after off‑campus lounges and libraries, adaptable guest‑room layouts with dedicated study zones, barista‑driven social spots, grab‑and‑go retail concepts, and locally inspired design touches and art programs.

The brand will additionally offer a cocktail program created in partnership with Authentic Hospitality, the operator behind New York venues such as Ray’s and Pebble Bar.

Chris Silcock, President – Global Brands and Commercial Services at Hilton, said, “We are continually evolving how we engage the next generation of travelers by offering fresh lodging options in the locations that matter to them. With Undergraduate by Hilton, we are widening the stay experience, merging community‑focused offerings with Hilton’s global scale to increase choice and deliver lasting value for owners.”

The launch bolsters Hilton’s fast‑expanding Lifestyle portfolio, which is on track to reach 700 properties worldwide by 2028.

Hilton pointed out that Graduate by Hilton presently has close to 60 hotels in various development phases within university markets, while other lifestyle and collection brands—Curio Collection by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Motto by Hilton, Tempo by Hilton, and Canopy by Hilton—continue to grow in key international locations.

Undergraduate by Hilton will also be part of the Hilton Honors loyalty program, which now boasts over 250 million members worldwide.