The (arguably) worst-kept secret in the industry has finally been officially announced: After Hilton President and CEO Chris Nassetta dropped several hints earlier this year, the company has launched its 28th brand: Undergraduate by Hilton, a companion brand to Graduate, which the company acquired in 2024.
According to a statement from the company, the new upper-midscale brand was developed to “serve a broader range of college and university markets.” The new brand will have a “flexible model designed to unlock development opportunities at scale” as well as a “cost structure suited to the demand in more campus-driven markets.” The first property is slated to open in 2027, and Hilton believes the brand has long-term expansion potential of 400-500 hotels.
“We saw a clear opportunity to bring the energy, design and experiences people love about campus communities to more university towns with this new brand,” Nassetta said in the statement. “Undergraduate by Hilton unveils an exciting new era of college-town hospitality, expanding how we show up for campus-connected travelers–offering more stay options while supporting disciplined, long-term growth across our portfolio.” The Graduate brand has 60 hotels in various stages of development in new collegiate markets like Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Manhattan, Kan.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Savannah, Ga.; Laramie, Wyo.; Flagstaff, Ariz.; and Boulder, Colo.
During Hilton’s Q1 earnings call with investors, Nassetta said there were “hundreds and hundreds” of markets in the U.S. alone that would not fit the Graduate brand and that would be better suited by something in the midscale space. “They like the theme and the idea of Graduate—the ethos of the brand,” he said at the time. “We want to give all those college towns the same opportunity to have a really great Graduate approach, and Undergraduate, we think, is a fabulous way to do that.”
In the statement, Nassetta said that the new brand reflects the “ongoing momentum” of its Lifestyle portfolio, which Hilton plans to grow to 700 hotels globally by 2028. Sixty are slated to open this year alone, Nassetta added.