Back in February, Hilton announced that it was buying Graduate Hotels, a relatively small hotel chain with attractive-looking properties in many large university towns and cities.
There’s more good news on that front as Hilton has now incorporated the brand into the Hilton Honors loyalty program which means you can now earn and redeem points on stays at Graduate Hotels properties, receive elite status benefits, etc.
I’ve long been interested in staying at Graduate Hotels properties, but the cash pricing has never worked out in the past versus our other hotel booking options. Now that they’re bookable with Hilton Honors points, there’ll hopefully be some good value opportunities for our future travel to the 34 cities where Graduate has a presence.
Seeing as Hilton Honors uses dynamic pricing on award nights, the number of points required for a stay can vary greatly depending on where and when you’re staying. For example, Graduate Hotels Nashville costs 80,000 points per night on the random midweek dates I checked, with cash prices at ~$500 when including taxes and fees.
As another example, on some dates I searched for Graduate Hotels Iowa City, there were award nights bookable from only 34,000 points per night. However, non-refundable cash rates were also available for as low as $117 before taxes and fees, so redeeming points isn’t necessarily a no-brainer versus paying cash.
Seeing as these properties can be booked with points, you can take advantage of Hilton’s 5th night free benefit on award stays. Some Graduate Hotels locations charge a resort fee, but that’s waived on award stays. For paid stays you’ll earn 10 points per dollar which is in line with the majority of their brands.
Those with status in the Hilton Honors program will also receive their regular benefits on stays at Graduate properties. In the US, that means a food and beverage credit for those with Gold or Diamond status; for their UK properties you’ll get complimentary breakfast. You’ll also be eligible for other status benefits like room upgrades, but it remains to be seen how generous Graduate properties are with those.
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