Graduate Hotels’ latest venture, Graduate Princeton, is scheduled to open its doors this June. The 34th addition to the company’s portfolio, the 180-key property in Princeton, New Jersey features nearly 6,000 square feet of public space thoughtfully designed with the brand’s signature maximalist aesthetic.
Situated on Nassau Street, directly across from the Princeton University campus, Graduate Princeton will double the town’s accommodations. “We’ve had our eyes on Princeton since the very beginning,” says Ben Weprin, founder and CEO of Graduate Hotels. “This historic, idyllic town is the perfect backdrop for a Graduate.”
A hybrid of adaptive reuse and new construction, the hotel transforms and expands a 1918 building that once stood as a university dormitory. The design narrative weaves together rich textures, colors, and nods to the building’s original Gothic architecture, creating an environment for exploration and immersion. The approach was to “emulate as many of the original details as possible, and pay homage to the incredible heritage of the place with interesting and subtle design details—like our custom lamps inspired by revolutionary-war era cannons that were found buried behind the university’s Nassau Hall,” Weprin explains.
Subtle elements also recall the Princeton student experience, including a two-story library lounge that serves as a focal point. The space features a collection of colorfully embroidered senior jackets—a token received by students upon graduating—and a 30-foot-long carved wooden communal table.
Meanwhile, the hotel’s community-focused eatery, the Varsity Club, offers a menu of seasonal, traditional, and comfort food, evoking the classic American college experience.
“The walls of this building are bursting with history, and soon our guests will be able to experience that for themselves,” adds Weprin.
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