Graduate Hotels officially joins Hilton Honors
There's officially a new lifestyle hotel member of the Hilton Honors family, and it's all about the collegiate life — well, without the stress of midterms and awkward roommates.
Graduate Hotels — now known as Graduate by Hilton — joined Hilton Honors this week. Members can now earn and redeem points at the brand just as they would any of the 24 brands that comprise the Hilton orbit. Graduate, which Hilton acquired earlier this year, is a lifestyle hotel brand in cities and towns with significant ties to colleges or universities.
"Graduate by Hilton gives guests a chance to dive into the traditions and culture that make university towns so special," Kevin Osterhaus, Hilton's president of global lifestyle brands, said in a statement. "With Graduate now officially part of Hilton's portfolio of brands, we're staying true to what makes these places unique while offering all the perks that come with Hilton Honors. It's about keeping that nostalgic feel while enhancing the overall experience for our guests."
There are 34 Graduate hotels in the U.S. and the U.K., and Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta indicated earlier this year that the brand could eventually expand to as many as 500 hotels. The brand's latest property, Graduate by Hilton Princeton, opened in recent weeks, and Graduate by Hilton Auburn AL, the brand's first property in Alabama, is slated to open this month near Auburn University.
While earning Hilton Honors points at Graduate might be the prize for some, the brand is also offering one-of-a-kind experiences where travelers can bid to redeem their points at a Graduate property. The first offering at Graduate Auburn will include an exclusive rooftop party, complete with a concert by a "surprise artist," at the hotel's War Eagle Supper Club on Sept. 27. This VIP college football weekend package includes a two-night stay at the new hotel and two tickets to the sold-out Sept. 28 home football game between Auburn and The University of Oklahoma.
Hilton Honors members can head to the Hilton Honors Experiences platform to bid on the VIP college football package. As of Tuesday afternoon, the current bid price was 420,000 Hilton Honors points, with a little more than two days left in the auction.
Given how popular college football is in the U.S., this appears to be a lifestyle hotel brand acquisition touchdown for Hilton.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month