Graduate Hotels Enters Short-Term Rentals With Eye on College Football Fans
Photo Credit: The interior of a Graduate Homes rental in Oxford, Mississippi. Finn Properties
Skift Take
Expect other hotel brands to watch the Graduate Hotels' experiment. Professionally managing vacation rentals may be a path for hotels to expand their reach while minimizing some risks.
Fans of college football teams such as the Ole Miss Rebels and Michigan Wolverines are about to find that booking accommodations for home games has gotten a bit easier — if they're willing to stay in a house instead of a hotel.
Graduate Hotels has just launched Graduate Homes, a short-term rental program that targets major college football markets while adding crucial inventory during busy periods. It's the Nashville-based global hotel chain's first non-hotel product. While hotel companies such as Marriott are promoting stays in vacation rentals, Graduate Hotels is taking a more hands-on approach.
"Ben Weprin, our founder and CEO, had this idea to expand the brand without actually expanding our physical footprint," Graduate President Kevin Osterhaus said, referring to the company's 32 university-themed hotels.
"Given our collegiate markets, our (room) occupancy is maxed out for home games, graduation,
