Hilton Worldwide, a hospitality company that owns luxury and full-service hotels and resorts, agreed to acquire Graduate Hotels, a collection of hotels that reside in dynamic university-anchored towns in the US, from AJ Capital, a private equity firm focusing on hospitality and real estate investments, for $210m. “Adding Graduate Hotels to our portfolio of award-winning brands accelerates our expansion in the lifestyle space by pairing an existing much-loved brand with the power of Hilton’s strong commercial engine to drive growth. We have long had a high bar for adding brands to our portfolio, whether organically or through acquisition, and Graduate will be another driver of growth for us, presenting a unique opportunity to serve more guests in more sought-after destinations. With thousands of colleges and universities around the world, we believe the addressable market for the Graduate brand is 400-500 hotels globally,” Chris Nassetta, Hilton President and CEO.