Rivalries Between Boutique Hotels Heat Up in College Towns

Ben Weprin, founder of the boutique Graduate Hotels chain that launched in college towns in 2014, had a specific number of properties he wanted to have waving the brand flag by 2020. That number was 20.

Graduate Hotels has achieved that, even in the midst of growing competition from other boutique brands and even larger hotel conglomerates such as Marriott International and Hilton that realize the value of appealing to a college campus’ captive audience.

The first Graduate Hotel opened in Athens, Georgia near the University of Georgia. Subsequent properties have been introduced in college towns such as Oxford in Mississippi, Lincoln in Nebraska, and Tempe in Arizona. Weprin’s AJ Capital Partners develops Graduate Hotels.

So what’s next for Graduate Hotels? The plan for the independent brand is to graduate to larger cities where they can appeal to not just prospective students, visiting parents, alumni, professors, and patients at on-campus medical facilities.

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Source: Skift