CHICAGO, June 2, 2026 —The Hilton hotel chain is pushing deeper into the college-and-university hospitality market with the launch of a new lodging brand targeted specifically at campus visitors.
Each Undergraduate by Hilton property will feature a grab-and-go all-day market built around a menu of barista-prepared coffee drinks. The cafe-like facilities are intended to serve as an off-campus “hangout” for students and their visitors from beyond the local market. A mockup indicates the menu will include such quick-service staples as burgers, along with “weird snacks” and items sporting “unhinged toppings.”
In addition, some of the hotels will feature cocktails developed for the new brand by Authentic Hospitality, the operator of themed lounges in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago. Its holdings include Ray’s, a group of watering holes designed to look like classic dive bars.
The menus “playfully elevate campus classics,” according to Hilton.
The Undergraduate by Hilton properties will be marked to visiting sports teams; alumni or student relatives attending a big game; conference attendees; and travelers doing business with the school.
Hilton said that it believes the brand could eventually grow to as many as 500 locations. The first is scheduled to open next year.
The company described the market position of Undergraduate by Hilton as “upper mid-market.”
One of the venture’s advantages, according to Hilton management, is the opportunity to introduce tomorrow’s frequent travelers to the company’s broad lodging array.
The new chain is intended to be a complement to Graduate by Hilton, a chain that also targets visitors to college campuses as its core clientele.
“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,” Chris Silcock, president of Hilton’s global brands and commercial services, said in a statement.