Graduate by Hilton: The Guide to These Boutique Hotels in College Towns

Graduate by Hilton is a group of over 30 boutique hotel properties located near college campuses throughout the U.S. and United Kingdom. The brand was acquired by Hilton in 2024 and recently integrated into the Hilton Honors program, giving loyalists more ways to score a room using points during college football season, graduation or other high-traffic university events.

Each property is designed to represent characteristics of the local community. For example, the Nashville, Tennessee property is adorned with odes to Vanderbilt University and the city’s musical heritage, including a karaoke bar. Meanwhile in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, you’ll find Carolina Blue accents and tributes to the University of North Carolina Tar Heels throughout the hotel.

NerdWallet was recently invited by Hilton to check out the Graduate properties in Auburn, Alabama, and Tucson, Arizona. While the cost of our stays were paid for, all the opinions expressed in this guide are our own.

From the lobby to the guest rooms, the local vibe is on full display throughout each Graduate location. Both the Auburn and Tucson properties were full of bold, local flair that was quirky and refreshing compared to the uniformity of similar-class hotels, like Hampton Inn & Suites or Hyatt Place.

In Tucson, the lobby is designed with vibrant Southwest themes and colors, including dream catchers and saguaro cactuses (which may be decorated like Christmas trees depending on the time of your visit).

In Auburn, home of the Auburn Tigers, you’ll be greeted by sports-themed decor throughout the lobby, including the Bo Jackson Beans coffee shop and an enormous wooden bust of the dual-sport Auburn alum, complete with his number “34” stitched on the back of chairs.

The wallpaper and carpet throughout the Auburn property included state flowers from Alabama in the design, with bold colors and tons of character.

As of March 2025, there are 32 Graduate Hotel properties in the U.S. and two in the United Kingdom. An additional property in Dallas is scheduled to open in 2025.

Both the Auburn and Tucson properties are centrally located on the edge of campus, making them an ideal place to stay for campus-based activities. The Auburn property is close enough to campus that you can see the football stadium from the rooftop bar and restaurant. According to a hotel representative, other Graduate locations are similarly located with campus access in mind.

Guest rooms throughout the Graduate brand also showcase local flair with custom artwork, lamps, and wallpaper. The available room types vary by each Graduate property, which all include standard rooms and suites.

Rooms at the Auburn property are designed with tiger-printed accent pillows and custom sconces and wall decorations tied to the university’s rallying cry, “War Eagle.”

Guest rooms in Tucson have a more calming and serene desert vibe, including soft, pink lighting and Southwest floral art.

Additionally, some Graduate locations have one-of-a-kind family suites and pop-culture themed rooms, including a Stranger Things themed suite in Bloomington, Indiana, a Dolly Parton suite at the Nashville property and a family suite with beds shaped like battleships in Annapolis, Maryland.

All Graduate by Hilton properties are pet-friendly and smoke-free with on-site dining and free Wi-Fi, and most offer a fitness center, meeting rooms and valet parking. Dining options vary by hotel and range from rooftop restaurants to lobby bars and coffee shops.

At the Auburn property, you’ll find a rooftop bar and restaurant called the War Eagle Supper Club. The venue provides indoor and outdoor seating and a great view over the Auburn campus. During our stay, the place became packed with locals grabbing dinner or a drink before an Auburn basketball game.

The outdoor patio in Auburn is spacious and even has a human-sized bird’s nest made of woven sticks for “War Eagle” fans to take selfies with the football stadium in the background.

In Tucson, you’ll find both a rooftop restaurant and swimming pool. The restaurant, called The Moonstone, provides sweeping views of the surrounding Tucson Mountains and a bar made of bricks, with dozens of dream catchers hanging above.

You can also take a break from the desert heat in the rooftop pool.

Hilton doesn’t publish an award chart for Hilton Honors point redemptions and the number of points you’ll need for a free stay can fluctuate based on demand. However, a survey of award availability across different Graduate Hotel properties shows you can generally find rooms for between 50,000 and 70,000 points for a standard room award, depending on the date.

NerdWallet values Hilton points at 0.6 cent each. During low-traffic weekdays when rooms are cheaper, you may not get much more value than that. But over high-traffic periods, like football game weekends, you can find some incredible value.

For example, when Auburn plays rival Georgia in October 2025, standard rooms cost $1,400 or 70,000 points per night. At that price, you’d be getting 2 cents per point in value, making for an outstanding redemption that keeps a lot of money in your pocket.

The easiest way to earn a slug of Hilton points for award stays is through a Hilton credit card. You’ll earn a big welcome bonus offer and the ability to earn even more Hilton points through spending on the card. Hilton is also a transfer partner of American Express and Bilt, so you can transfer AmEx Membership Rewards and Bilt Rewards to Hilton for free stays.

The Graduate by Hilton brand offers a boutique experience within Hilton’s larger hotel portfolio. Each property is different and offers a gateway into the culture and history of the surrounding area. If that speaks to you, then absolutely book a Graduate stay. However, if you prefer standardization and less outspoken character in a hotel, you might consider staying elsewhere.

Top photo by Craig Joseph.