Chicago-based Graduate Hotels has opened its 23rd property, Graduate Chapel Hill, just beyond the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus in the city’s Cameron-McCauley Historic District.
Graduate’s in-house design team crafted the hotel’s public areas with distinctive textures and hues reminiscent of the state’s oceans and mountains, in addition to eclectic wallpaper and mismatched prints that instill a creative flair. In the lobby, Carolina Blue ceilings recall blue skies and a suspended model airplane that pays homage to North Carolina’s denomination as “First in Flight.” Additionally, the space recalls the university’s 1982 NCAA basketball championship victory against Georgetown, with a scoreboard installed behind reception that displays 17 seconds left on the clock in celebration of Michael Jordan’s game-winning shot.
The hotel’s 69 accommodations draw inspiration from the Neoclassical architecture highlighted across the campus with vintage-style light fixtures and other subtle touches. Bold plaids and a variety of blue tones are layered in each room to further incorporate the iconic school colors.
