Hilton Launches Undergraduate by Hilton, Accelerating Lifestyle Portfolio Growth
New upper-midscale brand builds on the success of Graduate by Hilton, bringing college town hospitality to a broader range of markets
- Undergraduate by Hilton is an upper-midscale hotel brand that expands Hilton's collegiate hospitality strategy into more college markets, building on and complementing the established brand equity and guest loyalty of Graduate.
- Undergraduate by Hilton uses a flexible development model that supports both new-build and conversion projects, enabling more efficient and scalable projects for owners and developers.
- Undergraduate by Hilton hotels are designed as off-campus social hubs, giving more than 250 million Hilton Honors Members additional opportunities to earn and redeem Points across Hilton's portfolio.
Hilton (NYSE:HLT) today announced the launch of Undergraduate by Hilton, a new upper-midscale brand developed to serve a broader range of college and university markets. 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.
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Undergraduate by Hilton - Lounge Rendering (Photo: Hilton)
The brand has long-term expansion potential of 400-500 hotels, with the first property anticipated to open in 2027. This is in addition to market opportunities identified for the Graduate brand.
Undergraduate by Hilton is designed for travelers visiting college towns, from students and families, to alumni, sports fans, business travelers and conference attendees. These destinations see consistent, year-round demand tied to tours, athletic weekends and campus gatherings, often placing pressure on hotel availability – particularly for options that balance character, quality and price point. Undergraduate responds to this dynamic with a campus-connected hotel concept that reflects the social rhythm of college life, paired with the consistency and reliability of a Hilton stay, offering a more flexible, accessible complement to the Graduate by Hilton experience.
"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. 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," said Chris Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton. "Undergraduate reflects the ongoing momentum of our Lifestyle portfolio, which is one of the most dynamic areas of expansion for our company as we plan to grow to offer 700 Lifestyle hotels globally by 2028, with 60 opening this year alone."
Built for Flexible Growth in College Markets
Each Undergraduate by Hilton property is designed to balance development efficiency with a guest experience that feels energetic and rooted in the pace of college life. With a model that supports both new builds and conversions in close proximity to campus, the brand pairs a structured, scalable approach with thoughtful opportunities for owners to reflect the spirit of their local campus communities while delivering the consistency guests expect from Hilton. Key elements include:
- Social public spaces built to feel like an always-on, off-campus hangout, with a dynamic lounge and library-inspired areas to welcome guests, students and locals throughout the day.
- A prototypical approach that is cohesive yet flexible, allowing hotels to easily and enthusiastically tap into their local college culture through authentic customization, a robust art program and simple details described as "retro the right way."
- Guest rooms are crafted as "creative classrooms" supporting a range of stay occasions, combining bold, purposeful design with adaptable layouts anchored by a dedicated study corner and functional storage.
- A barista-led all-day market and social space designed as an energetic off-campus hangout, featuring grab-and-go retail, curated essentials and cult-favorite items designed for on-the-go convenience from morning through late evening.
- A cocktail program powered by Authentic Hospitality, the group behind buzzy New York City venues like Ray's and Pebble Bar, amps up the bar offering for properties seeking a more elevated experience. Channeling the spirit of a favorite college dive bar, menus playfully elevate campus classics.
"We're continuously evolving how we connect with the next generation of travelers by creating new ways to stay within the places that matter most to them," said Chris Silcock, president, global brands and commercial services, Hilton. "With Undergraduate by Hilton, we're broadening the stay experiences we offer, pairing community-led experiences with the scale of Hilton's global platform to expand choice and deliver long-term value for owners."
Continued Momentum in Hilton's Lifestyle Portfolio
Undergraduate joins Hilton's rapidly growing Lifestyle portfolio, which is projected to grow to 700 hotels globally by 2028, driven by sustained demand for design-forward, culturally relevant and experience-led stays.
- Undergraduate complements Graduate by Hilton, the company's fully bespoke, design-driven upper-upscale lifestyle brand in university destinations, which has nearly 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.
- The recent launches of new brands, including Outset Collection by Hilton, which has recently opened properties in San Diego, Calif. and Richmond, Va., and Hilton's exclusive agreement with lifestyle brand YOTEL, the first brand under Select by Hilton, have fueled one of Hilton's fastest-growing categories.
- The growth of Collections brands like Curio Collection by Hilton and Tapestry Collection by Hilton has also reinforced Hilton's commitment to Lifestyle growth as both brands have surpassed 200 trading properties globally.
- A new generation of Canopy Hotels—Hilton's first Lifestyle brand, defined by elevated design, crafted food & beverage and local sensibility—is also driving the category's expansion through its evolution with upcoming openings in top destinations like Bangkok, Milan, Deer Valley and New York City.
- Motto by Hilton is set to triple its portfolio through entry into new global markets like Shanghai; Sydney; and Paris.
- With more than 70 hotels in development, Tempo by Hilton continues to pick up pace, with openings this year in Nashville, Tenn.; Savannah, Ga.; and Washington, D.C., and additional properties coming soon in destinations including San Diego, Calif., and Mesa, Ariz.
Undergraduate by Hilton will participate in Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest loyalty program for Hilton's world-class portfolio of brands and exclusive partners, including Explora Journeys, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, AutoCamp and more. The more than 250 million Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits and contactless technology exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app.
FAQ: Undergraduate by Hilton
What is Undergraduate by Hilton?
- Undergraduate by Hilton is an upper-midscale hotel brand designed for a broad range of college and university markets. The brand delivers campus-connected stays through a structured, scalable design framework tailored to local market needs, while maintaining the comfort, reliability and backing of Hilton's commercial engine and loyalty platform.
How is Undergraduate by Hilton different from Graduate by Hilton?
- Building on the success of Graduate by Hilton, Undergraduate by Hilton introduces a distinct but complementary expression of college-town hospitality. Graduate by Hilton is an upper-upscale, fully bespoke, design-driven lifestyle brand with highly individualized design and robust, full-service food and beverage programming. Undergraduate by Hilton is positioned in the upper-midscale segment, built on a flexible, prototypical model that enables a more scalable and efficient approach to development. Together, the two brands allow Hilton to serve a wider range of college travel occasions with clear differentiation in design, experience and scale.
What type of traveler will stay at Undergraduate by Hilton?
- Undergraduate by Hilton is designed for travelers visiting college communities, including current and prospective students, parents and families, alumni, sports fans and conference guests. These travelers are drawn to campus destinations for academic events, sporting weekends, campus visits and regional gatherings and are seeking a stay experience that reflects local culture and community energy while delivering the consistency and reliability of Hilton.
Why is Hilton launching Undergraduate by Hilton?
- Hilton is launching Undergraduate by Hilton to expand its portfolio into additional college markets and stay occasions. The brand enables Hilton to serve communities that can support a lifestyle-forward hotel at an upper-midscale price point, while preserving the distinct positioning of its upper-upscale Graduate by Hilton brand. Undergraduate reinforces Hilton's disciplined portfolio growth strategy by clearly differentiating scale, service model and design ethos across its college-oriented brands.
When can guests stay at Undergraduate by Hilton?
- The first Undergraduate by Hilton hotel is anticipated to open in 2027.
Is Undergraduate by Hilton a student housing concept?
- No. Undergraduate by Hilton is a hotel brand designed for college and university markets, not a student housing concept. Hotels will welcome a range of travelers, including students, locals, parents, alumni, sports fans and business or conference guests.
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE:HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 28 world-class brands comprising more than 9,200 properties and over 1.3 million rooms, in 144 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 4 billion guests in its more than 100-year history. Named as the No. 1 World's Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune, Hilton aims to create the best culture for its 500,000 team members around the world. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 250 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to our expectations regarding the performance of our business, future financial results, liquidity and capital resources and other non-historical statements. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "forecasts," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "projects," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties including, among others, risks inherent to the hospitality industry; macroeconomic factors beyond our control, such as inflation, changes in interest rates, challenges due to labor shortages or disputes and supply chain disruptions; the loss of key senior management personnel; competition for hotel guests and management and franchise contracts; risks related to doing business with third-party hotel owners; performance of our information technology systems; growth of reservation channels outside of our system; risks of doing business outside of the U.S.; risks associated with geopolitical conflicts, including Iran; uncertainty resulting from U.S. and global political trends, tariffs and other policies, including potential barriers to travel, trade and immigration and other geopolitical events; and our indebtedness. Additional factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found under the section entitled "Part I—Item 1A. Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and is accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this press release and in our filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
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Media Contact:
Kristen Savoy
Hilton
kristen.savoy@hilton.com
Cindy Andrade
Hilton
cindy.andrade@hilton.com