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Back in March, I wrote about Hilton acquiring the global portfolio of Graduate Hotels® for $210 million. Each hotel is based near a university and offers travelers a chance to be immersed in the unique character of the area and the school. Now, the first new location since the acquisition has opened in Princeton, NJ.
The brand launched in 2014 has grown to span the United States and the United Kingdom with 33 locations in Ann Arbor, Knoxville, Berkeley, Chapel Hill, Palo Alto, State College, Oxford, Cambridge, and many other college towns. New hotels are opening soon in Austin and Auburn.
The hotel is located on historic Nassau Street directly opposite the campus. It boasts 180 guest rooms and a signature restaurant called Ye Tavern. Ye Tavern is named after a 1930s-era bar that once occupied the site. It takes design cues from its namesake including an intricately carved wooden bar, stone-topped banquets, and leather-top tables. Ye Tavern will serve up pre-prohibition era cocktails, classic American entrees, regional fare, and grab-and-go offerings throughout the day.
The hotel’s opening marks the first new hotel in Princeton in nearly 90 years and with this addition, the number of rooms in the college town have doubled. In the guest rooms, references to the university’s color palette are carried throughout. Framed artwork above the desk in every guest room references the traditions of the University. Guest bathrooms feature custom wallpaper inspired by the campus’ renowned arboretum, paired with a framed sketch by Albert Einstein, which pays homage to his time working for Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study.
Ben Weprin, Founder of Graduate Hotels, said:
When we started Graduate ten years ago, Princeton was at the top of our list. The history, the heritage, the backdrop, the charm, the sophistication — it’s just the idea of what somebody envisions college looks like in America.”
Weprin’s firm, AJ Capital Partners, meticulously restored, modernized, and expanded the 1918-era, Colonial Revival-style former university dormitory. Graduate Princeton is now a contemporary collegiate-inspired hotel with 6,000 square feet of public space all designed in the brand’s characteristic hyper-local, vibrant style.
Hilton now has a portfolio of more than 7,500 hotels worldwide. Graduate Hotels® will join Hilton’s lifestyle portfolio alongside brands like Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Tempo by Hilton and Motto by Hilton.
Anthony’s Take: I love the concept of these hotels for families visiting students and alumni heading to sporting events. Under the Hilton umbrella, guests will have access to all that comes with being part of a huge loyalty program.
(Image Credits: Hilton.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
