These New Hotels Take Some Stress Out of the College TourDropping the kids off for college or showing up for a reunion? These hotels, built near major college campuses, think they know exactly what you need.

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The Graduate Hotel chain, which launched in 2014 in Athens, Ga., home to University of Georgia, follows a similar formula: The hotels are walking distance to campus, have a lively restaurant and bar scene and are designed with touches of school spirit. Acquired last year by Hilton Hotels & Resorts for $210 million, the chain has grown to include 35 properties, including two in England (in Oxford and Cambridge). 

Founder Ben Weprin considers college campuses akin to national parks: destinations with exceptional experiences that were historically lackluster when it came to hospitality. People want to see the school’s soul reflected in where they’re staying, he says. To court alumni, Graduate hotels organize tailgates and parties timed for reunions or big games.“People are emotionally connected to these university towns,” Weprin said. “Walk through an airport and see how many people are wearing their university logos. It’s such a passionate, prideful tribe.”

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