Dive Brief:

• After months of speculation, Hilton officially launched Undergraduate by Hilton on Monday, a new upper midscale hotel brand that expands its presence in college markets, according to a news release obtained by Hotel Dive. 
• Designed as “off-campus social hubs,” Undergraduate will serve as a complement to Hilton’s upper upscale Graduate brand, which it acquired in 2024, per the release. The new brand’s flexible development model offers owners and developers both new-build and conversion options for better scalability and efficiency. 
• The launch of Undergraduate by Hilton underscores Hilton’s commitment to college and university markets and “reflects the ongoing momentum” of Hilton’s lifestyle portfolio, President and CEO Chris Nassetta said in a statement. As “one of the most dynamic areas of expansion,” Hilton plans to open 700 lifestyle hotels globally by 2028, including 60 this year, Nassetta said. 

Dive Insight:

Long-term, Undergraduate by Hilton has the potential to expand to 400 to 500 hotels “in addition to market opportunities identified for the Graduate brand,” according to Hilton. The first Undergraduate property is slated to open in 2027.

Compared to the “fully bespoke, design-driven” Graduate brand, which has nearly 60 properties in various stages of development, Undergraduate offers owners and developers opportunities “at scale and a cost structure suited to the demand in more campus-driven markets,” per the release.

The new brand, a “campus-connected hotel concept that reflects the social rhythm of college life,” is designed for travelers visiting college towns, including students, parents and families, alumni, sports fans and business travelers.

“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. “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 long-term growth across our portfolio.”

Furthering the college-town theme, Undergraduate offers owners opportunities "to reflect the spirit of their local campus communities while delivering the consistency guests expect from Hilton,” per the release. Property elements will include public gathering spaces to welcome guests throughout the day; a “cohesive yet flexible” prototypical approach to design; guest rooms that resemble classrooms, with a dedicated study corner and storage space; and a barista-led market. 

With Undergraduate, Hilton is “broadening the stay experiences we offer, pairing community-led experiences with the scale of Hilton’s global platform,” said Chris Silcock, president of global brands and commercial services at Hilton, in the release. 

Silcock added the company is "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.” 

Undergraduate joins the Hilton Honors loyalty program, which has more than 250 million members. 

Furthermore, the brand joins Hilton’s rapidly growing lifestyle portfolio, which includes Outset Collection by Hilton, which debuted last October and recently opened a 135-key hotel in San Diego; Select by Hilton, which launched in March through a partnership with Yotel; the growing Curio Collection and Tapestry Collection brands; and Tempo by Hilton, which has more than 70 hotels under development. 

The launch of a conversion-friendly brand also arrives as conversions continue to drive growth for Hilton, Nassetta noted during the company’s first-quarter earnings call last month.