Joe McConnell
Hilton’s recently acquired lifestyle brand, aimed at cities and towns with a college vibe, now has a location near Princeton University.
Graduate Princeton officially opened this week on the Ivy League campus. The 180-room hotel is the first new hotel to open in Princeton, New Jersey, in nearly 90 years, the Graduate Princeton team boasts. The arrival of Graduate Princeton also nearly doubles the number of available rooms in the city.
“When we founded Graduate 10 years ago, Princeton was at the top of our list,” Ben Weprin, founder of Graduate Hotels and CEO of AJ Capital Partners (which sold Graduate to Hilton earlier this year for $210 million), said in a prepared statement. “The history, the legacy, the backdrop, the charm, the sophistication—it’s just the idea of what some people imagine college in America to be like.”
The Graduate Princeton is housed in a renovated Colonial Revival-style former dormitory. In addition to guest rooms, the hotel features Ye Tavern restaurant and 6,000 square feet of public space.
Like other Graduate Hotels, the property pays homage to the nearby university’s influential alumni. You’ll also find nods to Princeton itself in the decor, like a hand-carved wooden front desk flanked by four wooden tiger statues (a nod to the Princeton Tiger mascot). The orange and black floor tiles in the two-story lobby are in keeping with Princeton’s colors, and you’ll even find a collection of Reunion Jackets, which alumni receive at their 25th reunion, dotting the well-stocked bookshelves.
In the guest rooms, travelers will notice that the orange and black color scheme continues in the draperies and area rugs. Framed artwork also depicts scenes from the university, and the campus arboretum inspires the bathroom wallpaper.
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“Graduate Princeton offers guests a welcoming environment in which to discover the traditions, history and hidden treasures that make it one of the most popular college towns in the country,” Kevin Osterhaus, president of Hilton’s global lifestyle brands, said in the statement.
Hilton Honors members will be able to earn and redeem points at the hotel and earn 1,000 Hilton Honors bonus points for stays through February 1, 2025. Rates at the Graduate Princeton start at $273, or 50,000 Hilton Honors points, per night.
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