I didn’t have a lot of fun in college — blame bad housing, a lousy financial situation, a fluctuating major and one toxic relationship. Joining the college newspaper my senior year and jumpstarting my writing career my was a saving grace.
But as an alumnus, I’ve learned to love college. Visiting my old stomping grounds and watching college sports as an adult (with no college debt) reminds me of all the good things about campus life.
That’s the kind of collegiate spirit Graduate by Hilton wants to foster. Launched in 2014 and acquired by Hilton in 2024, Graduate is a group of 30+ hotels across the U.S. and U.K. that are inspired by university traditions and based in favorable locations in college towns. And thanks to that corporate tie-in, it’s now part of Hilton Honors, something you’re probably more likely to use as an adult. The brand calls it “newstalgia,” and while I won’t use that term ever again, it gives you an idea of what to expect during your stay.
A Hotel We Love: The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery
This charming New Orleans property is also home to one of the best restaurants in the cityI was invited to experience Graduate firsthand during Thanksgiving weekend in Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan (class of ‘95). While I was there, I attended the Michigan-OSU game in the Big House, hit up a few college bar and diner standbys, and, most importantly, saw what Graduate was all about.
Because my visit was tied to a game, I need to note what is going on with the Michigan athletics department. I can support my school and my team while acknowledging there needs to be a serious reevaluation and recalibration of how the school is handling its football program, its coaches and staff. None of the current events are connected to the hotel, however. Also, our basketball team is awesome.
At a Glance:
- Located on E. Huron Street, the Graduate is literally steps away from local mainstays like the Michigan Theater, Gandy Dancer restaurant and Zingerman’s Deli. It’s 30 minutes walking to Michigan Stadium (football) and Crisler Center (basketball), and there are shuttle buses to both, although half the fun is hitting up the tailgating along the way.
- The softly-lit Allen Rumsey Cocktail Lounge serves as your bar, plus it has a breakfast nook, dinner service and a private events space for small parties.
- Suites, mobility-friendly rooms and specific street views are available in the 200+ room Graduate. It’s also a pet-friendly hotel (with a fee).
- Meeting and event capacity covers more than 10,000 square feet with 10 ballrooms, banquets and theaters.
Details of My Stay:
I was worried the Graduate would come across as a cartoonish “themed” hotel, but instead I experienced exceptional service, a comfy bed and some modest college nostalgia, all housed in a desirable location near the town center.
Every Graduate is different and tailored to their school/location, so I can only speak for Ann Arbor. And I attended at a rather odd time, the weekend following Thanksgiving, where the absolutely still campus seemed like it had been raptured when I arrived on Friday morning. But it was teeming with hundreds of thousands of people by the time the Michigan-Ohio State game came about on Saturday.
One constant of Graduate is creating a hyper-local experience. So while that included U-M colors in my guest room, it also meant more subtle and rewarding designs throughout the property, including portraits of famous alumni and framed posters and artwork of local businesses (like the Blind Pig, a wonderful and tiny concert venue that’s also a few minutes’ walk from the hotel).
Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived — I subjected my partner to a football weekend in the Midwest, complete with freezing temperatures — so we hung out in my favorite area of the hotel, the lobby. Besides having access to the Allen Rumsey Cocktail Lounge (which is also the hotel’s main restaurant), the lobby has a nicely-stocked and pretty delicious coffee and breakfast nook called Poindexter.
But it’s also the area that most successfully blends the idea of college, alumni and locality. It features recovered traditional library furnishings, murals by local artists, equations and other school-like graffiti along the walls (most of the Graduate artwork is custom-made, as I’m told). The lobby was populated by several comfy couches, chairs and a long table that attracted guests, visitors and even students with laptops. It reminded me of a collegiate version of Manhattan’s Ace Hotel lobby, which often feels more populated by locals looking for a third space than hotel patrons.
Some Graduate hotels occasionally offer pop culture-themed suites (Home Alone, Stranger Things, etc.), but we stayed in a fairly conventional, one-king setup. We used room keys that looked like student IDs of famous alumni to access our room (ours featured college pics of Madonna and Glen Rice). The room was spacious, clean and featured similarly Michigan-themed colorways and local artist designs. It was comfortable enough, but not really a space we planned to spend long periods of time outside of sleeping. That said, the gift basket full of local treats, the TV stand/dresser made from an old library card catalog and the standalone wooden coat rack were nice touches.
Some thoughts before you go: The fitness center was a bit cramped and warm, but certainly usable. The lack of on-site dining/drinking variety means you’ll want to explore the town, which you absolutely should. And hotel rates on game days can skyrocket to high three- and low-four figures (on non-game nights, I’ve seen rates start at around $197).
What I Liked:
- Location, location, location: The hotel is pretty much walking distance from any centrally-located destination, outside of the sports arenas. There are several bars and restaurants nearby worth a visit, from the Gandy Dancer to Sava’s to Tios, a low-key Mexican joint where I somehow got three drinks for $16 (ah, college town happy hours).
- The bar: The food was fine at Allen Rumsey, but the space is really set up as a cozy, wood-accented speakeasy. I was able to eat and drink in a private space (complete with jukebox) for a Woodson Whiskey tasting, where, unknown to me, Michigan legend, Super Bowl champ, TV personality and budding drinks entrepreneur Charles Woodson stopped by to share a few sips and tasting notes (this will probably not be your experience).
- The staff: It starts when you hit the front desk — each staffer has their own personalized intro card with their name and interests. By the time the weekend ended, I felt like I had a personal conversation (life stories and all) with at least five people at the property, including a few who remembered me days after the introduction.
- The details: Graduate Ann Arbor makes each space (room, restaurant, lobby) full of fun, locally-inspired design that’s tasteful and nostalgic without being aggressive or garish
In Closing:
I’m a homer, so I believe Ann Arbor is worth a visit, even if you’re not headed to a game or are a Michigan alum. That said, Graduate is really built to tug on your university past while acknowledging your current adulthood. It’s not a “luxury” stay, but it’s one that brought back some forgotten good memories and created new ones, too.
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