Hilton is continuing its studies to expand its lifestyle hotel offering. Following the acquisition in 2024 of Graduate Hotels, located in or near American university campuses, the group has just given this brand a little sister: Undergraduate by Hilton. Positioned at the upper end of the mid-range segment, whereas its elder is more high-end, this new brand will also target demand in markets with a strong university component.
Students and their families, alumni, supporters, business travellers, and conference attendees throughout the week: the group is experiencing sustained demand all year round. related to campus visits, sports weekends and university events ".
With Undergraduate by Hilton, the group intends to respond with a good value-for-money offering and a contemporary concept. rooted in the campus universe Communal spaces acting as off-campus living areas, baristas for morning coffee and an evening cocktail programme, rooms designed as "creative classrooms" with modular layouts, a dedicated workspace, and practical storage: Undergraduate by Hilton hotels are part of this new generation of hotels tailored for student life. This trend isn't confined to the United States but is also materialising in Europe through projects by The Social Hub group – formerly Student Hotels – or the recent partnership of the Accor brand Jo&Joe with Aken Ecosystèmes for ten projects linked to "hypercampuses" in France.
If the first opening is planned for 2027 for Undergraduate, Hilton envisages for its new brand long-term expansion potential of 400 to 500 hotels, whether through new builds or conversions of existing hotels. And this, while its older sister, Graduate by Hilton, has nearly 60 hotels under development in new university markets such as Syracuse, Savannah, Flagstaff, or Boulder. « Undergraduate reflects the continued dynamic of our Lifestyle portfolio, which is one of the most dynamic areas of expansion for our group, with the ambition of reaching 700 Lifestyle hotels worldwide by 2028, including 60 openings this year. », said Chris Nassetta, CEO of Hilton.
