Graduate Hotels Adds Evanston Location

Graduate Hotels has unveiled its latest outpost, Graduate Evanston, just steps away from Northwestern University’s campus in the eponymous Chicago suburb. Designed in homage to Evanston literary figures both past and present, the 119-key concept is outfitted with a refined, residential-style ambiance firmly entrenched in the storied setting. Graduate Evanston occupies a former Homestead property first opened in 1928 that has been thoughtfully restored by the hotel brand in collaboration with Chicago-based DMAC Architecture. Custom artwork, including lake and landscape portraits and 16 caricatures by illustrator Ken Fallin, weaves a narrative of local legacy across the interior. Fallin’s whimsical portraits depict notable Nortwestern alumni like Meghan Markle and musician Eddie Vedder. Graduate’s F&B signature, the Trophy Room, is also housed on the ground floor. Guestrooms are ripe with university pride, adorned with subtle shades of Northwestern purple and references to the site’s architectural character in the form of vintage furniture and Persian-inspired rugs. Craftsman-style floor lamps and chess tables echo the residential-inspired theme, while framed needlepoints pay homage to North Shore architecture, including nearby suburban homes featured in films like Home Alone and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Bedside lamps are detailed with apple accents inspired by the Illinois state fruit and handpainted vistas of Lake Michigan are installed above each headboard to instill an artful sense of place.