Graduate by Hilton announced the opening of Graduate Princeton. Located on Nassau Street in downtown directly opposite campus, Graduate Princeton has 180 guestrooms and a signature restaurant, Ye Tavern. Paying homage to the town’s history, architecture, and design, the opening marks the first new hotel to open in Princeton in nearly 90 years—and only the second hotel in its downtown, nearly doubling the number of available hotel rooms in town.
“When we started Graduate ten years ago, Princeton was at the top of our list,” said Ben Weprin, founder, Graduate Hotels, and founder and chief executive officer, AJ Capital Partners. “The history, the heritage, the backdrop, the charm, the sophistication—it’s just the idea of what somebody envisions college looks like in America.”
AJ Capital Partners has restored, modernized, and expanded the 1918-era, Colonial Revival-style former university dormitory in partnership with architecture firm Stonehill Taylor. Graduate Princeton is a contemporary collegiate-inspired hotel with 6,000 square feet of public space, 180 guestrooms, and a signature bar and restaurant.
“Graduate Princeton provides a welcoming environment for guests to discover the traditions, history, and hidden gems that make it one of the most popular university towns in the country,” said Kevin Osterhaus, president, Global Lifestyle Brands, Hilton. “Continuing our reputation for delivering top-tier hospitality, Graduate Princeton is a stellar example of how the brand honors the unique stories of these neighborhoods and celebrates the passion and nostalgia that guests and fans feel when stepping through the doors of our hotels.”
Graduate Princeton’s interior design shows local culture, lore, and traditions, including references to the university and the town’s 275-year history throughout the hotel’s public spaces and guestrooms. Nods to alumni, local architecture, and traditions synonymous with the Princeton student experience inform details of the Graduate Princeton’s design.
Upon entering Graduate Princeton’s Gothic-inspired lobby, guests are greeted by a hand-carved wooden reception desk flanked by four wooden statues of the school’s mascot, the Tiger. Floor tiles rendered in Princeton’s orange and black anchor the two-story library-like lobby, lined with books and a collection of embroidered vintage Reunions Jackets, a token received by alumni at their 25th Reunion. A 30-foot carved wooden study table, a staple in every Graduate, is reminiscent of the historic libraries on campus. The names of Princeton’s eating clubs are painted in gold leaf on the library bookcases that frame the space.
On the opposite end of the lobby is Ye Tavern, Graduate Princeton’s signature bar and restaurant, named after a 1930s-era bar that once occupied the site. Ye Tavern takes design cues from its namesake: a carved wooden bar—recalling the windows found throughout campus—is a focal point of the space. Ye Tavern will serve pre-prohibition era cocktails, American entrees, regional fare, and grab-and-go offerings throughout the day.
In the guestrooms, references to the university’s color palette are carried through, with orange-and-white seersucker drapes complemented by an apricot-hued carpet. Bedside lamps inspired by the Revolutionary War-era cannon buried behind Nassau Hall sit beside a wood-carved bed frame with illustrations referencing the University’s annual Cane Spree—Princeton’s first organized intramural event dating back to the 1860s. Framed artwork above the desk in every guestroom references the traditions of the university. Guest bathrooms have wallpaper inspired by the campus’ arboretum, paired with a framed sketch by Albert Einstein, a reference to his time working for Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study.
