Graduate by Hilton Ann Arbor

The Graduate has a charming and creative concept that I enjoyed. It fully leans into the college town theme in a fun and thoughtful way. From the moment you check in, it feels like you’re stepping into a stylish grad school fantasy. Room key cards look like old-school student IDs, and the lobby is filled with chalkboards covered in equations, vintage study lounges, and cozy plaid furniture that captures the academic vibe perfectly. The room itself was clean, comfortable, and tastefully decorated with collegiate charm. Great bed, solid furnishings, and lots of character. However, the bathroom was a bit of a letdown—on the smaller side, rather dimly lit, and it felt older compared to the rest of the room. The lobby café and bar area is a great space to hang out or work, with big windows, comfy seating, and a creative menu. The location is also very convenient, you can walk to all the great restaurants nearby. Overall, The Graduate is a great place to stay.

As others mentioned, the rooms have paper-thin walls and doors. Someone was sneezing next door and it felt like they were in the room. Same with water running. We could also hear a tapping sound like a woodpecker was in the walls. Difficult to sleep. And the shower was like standing in ankle deep water when you showered. And the air vent needed cleaning. Yuck. The room is dark, which I suppose is a cool vibe, but just makes the room feel small. Wedding & birthday event the same night and the valet wasn’t prepared. The front desk was fantastic and gave great restaurant recommendations. Good location.

The pros: the bedding was comfortable and the location is great The cons: the sounds, smells, cleaning and cost for what you get. Our first impression getting to our room was that it smelled. It was musty but a general lack of deep cleaning smell. We opened our fridge to discover the previous guests leftovers still there which was very concerning for the thoroughness of the cleaning. There was also a concerning amount of water under the sink in the bathroom, which the hotel address as soon as we mentioned it. They also fixed our fire alarm when it started to beep the next day. The hotel lobby was cute, but the rest felt overall very rundown, especially when asking prices north of 300/night. There is clear water damage on our ceiling, a huge amount of dust in the vent in the bathroom and the tops of the body products were covered in buildup/mold. We also got a towel that had clearly not been washed well and had something stuck to it. The worst part was the lack of any sound proofing in the hotel. We could hear every door slam, dog bark, and conversation at any end of the hallway at any hour. On a Saturday when the hotel was the housing a wedding group it was nearly impossible to sleep more than 30 minutes between 10pm and 4am. And I’m not a light sleeper. It became comical. The amenities were also severely lacking for a 4-store hotel, including only instant coffee, lack of a robe, and just overall budget hotel vibes..