Boutique Group Graduate Hotels Finds Its Niche in University Towns

Graduate Hotels opened its first two properties in 2014 in Tempe, Arizona, and Athens, Georgia, and since then, the boutique hotel chain known for its proximity to centers of higher learning has expanded to six properties across the U.S., and it continues to grow. Two years from now, a new Graduate Hotel will open on New York City's Roosevelt Island, on the same site where the Cornell Tech campus from Cornell University is being built. It will be the only hotel on the entire island, and is slated to have 196 rooms. Skift recently spoke to Graduate Hotels principal and president Tim Franzen about what it's like to grow a boutique brand that specializes in secondary and tertiary markets, and the challenges that also come with further consolidation and competition in the hospitality industry. Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Skift: How did Graduate Hotels get started? Tim Franzen: Ben Weprin, the founder and CEO of AJ Capital Partners, w