Hotel Review: Graduate Bloomington Indiana by Hilton

Background & Location

I had never stayed at a Graduate Hotel before but I was always curious about them. The company was launched in 2014, and the brand focused on acquiring and remodeling hotels in college towns across the country. Hilton acquired the brand in March of 2024, and there are currently over 30 properties in the United States & United Kingdom. An opportunity to try out the Graduate Bloomington at Indiana University came up as I was attending a preview weekend event at the university. I was excited to give my first Graduate property a try, as I’ve never stayed at one, but I do love visiting the Graduate New York’s rooftop bar.

The Graduate Bloomington is centrally located in the heart of the college town and about a 10-minute walk from the campus itself. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops nearby.

Takeoff Points

Date of Stay: November 2024
Room Type: Graduate King Suite
Pros: Cute college-themed rooms with quirky but upscale decor.
Cons: Showerhead could have had better pressure.

Arrival & Check-In

As the Graduate chain is now part of Hilton, I was excited to earn points and also see how my Hilton Diamond Status would fare. The morning of check-in, I noticed that on the app, most room types were still available during my stay. Given the Taylor Swift concert in Indy and the fact that Indiana University’s football team had an away game, I was assuming that the hotel was probably not super packed this weekend. So, I decided to message on the chat feature in the app to see if there were any Diamond upgrades available to a suite. To my delight, a hotel representative quickly replied and said that they had upgraded me to a King Suite. Woo-hoo!

I arrived around 10 pm and was quickly checked in by a friendly associate. I was handed $15 cards to use at the Poindexter Coffee Shop, as part of the Food & Beverage Credit that Hilton Gold and Diamond Members receive. You can receive $15 per night/person, for up to two guests for a total of $30 a night.

Paying tribute to the state, the front desk features a large mural of the Hickory Huskers, which was a fictional small-town basketball team from the 1986 movie Hoosiers.

To the left of the front desk, there is a large seating area to chat with friends, and I noticed that in the afternoon a good amount of IU students would study here, which makes me reminisce about my college days. I find the decor to be unique, quirky, and cute. I feel like if someone’s grandma ran an upscale school, the hotel decor and furnishings would have her name written all over it.

King Suite

My suite was located on the top floor (6th) at the end of the hall, and as soon as you entered the room, you were welcomed into the living room which featured a nicely upholstered bright red couch, table, as well as and armchair. A TV, ottoman, and desk area also complete the room. And towards the back, there was a dining-style table with three chairs.

Heading left, there was a cute Smeg Fridge, as well as a hot water pot. Both decaf and non-decaf coffee were provided. In going with the college theme, I appreciated how the coffee was called the “Study Blend”. However, I did wish that tea bags were provided as I am not a coffee drinker.

The fridge had two cans of water, which were refilled daily by housekeeping.

Heading towards the bedroom, there was a King bed, TV, and large closet that had a school locker theme. I found the decor’s theme to be super adorable, and it did feel like going to grandma’s home.

The closet featured a safe and iron/board. There were only five hangers in the closet, and for a suite, I wish there were more.

There were also three hooks on the wall for hanging backpacks, etc. The Do Not Disturb sign provided was adorable.

Bathroom

Connected to the bedroom was the bathroom, which was a good size for a standard three-piece.

Toiletries were provided by MALIN+GOETZ which was nice. A bar of soap and single-use lotion was provided, as well as refillable bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body gel in the shower.

While I found the towels to be soft and plush, definitely exceeding my expectations at the 4-star level, I did wish that the showerhead was stronger, or if they installed a rainfall shower.

Overall, I really enjoyed the suite, and the room was quite clean.

Graduate King Room

I also had the chance to tour a friend’s standard King Room, which was decorated very similarly and still a nice room. The bathroom was almost identical to the one in the King Suite.

Amenities

There are two outdoor decks at the Graduate which is kind of cool, and conference space. There is also a fitness center, that is on the smaller side but has everything you need for a workout. I also appreciated the fact that they had 2 Peloton bikes!

Dining

The one on-site dining option is the Poindexter Coffee Shop located on the lobby level. It’s a fast-casual coffee shop serving items such as breakfast burritos, salads, burgers, and baked goods. Current hours of operation are daily from 6:30 am to 8 pm. There are also board games provided and plenty of seating space. I had breakfast here and was able to use my Hilton Diamond daily food & beverage credit (the only venue to use it at).

I found the hot items to be decently tasty. The breakfast burrito was a bit plain, but I got the chicken and waffles the next morning to go and found it to be quite good.

The Verdict

Overall, the Graduate Bloomington was a great place to stay during my visit to Indiana University. The cute rooms and the college theme brought me back to my college days, and it’s nice to reminisce a bit. I loved the theme of the hotel and would like to try another Graduate property in the future.

Have you stayed at the Graduate Bloomington before or a Graduate by Hilton property before? How was your experience? Comment below!