Alum, a new luxury hospitality concept, launched Tuesday, aiming to bring high-end condo-hotels and year-round programming to college towns nationwide. The brand will debut in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, near the University of Alabama, with a new expected in the coming weeks.
The concept, founded by a team of hospitality, real estate, and sports industry veterans, is backed by Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter. Alum properties will be “deeply rooted in the local college traditions and culture where they will come to life,” catering to passionate sports fans, alumni, and others in the community.
College-Town Focus
The Alum concept comes as hospitality players, including Hilton and Travel + Leisure Co., bet on college markets due to their stable demand patterns. According to the report, every college town has tens of thousands of people showing up on a Saturday, but the hospitality industry has been slow to adapt to this demand.
Paul Brenneke, co-founder of Alum, stated that “what’s changed is that the capital finally sees college towns as year-round markets instead of six home games.” This shift in perspective has led to increased investment in college-town hospitality.
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Development Plans
The forthcoming Alum Tuscaloosa will be a 116,000-square-foot development with 68 luxury condo-hotel units, a private members’ club, a rooftop lounge, dining, meetings and events space, and a pool. Alum also owns a site at the University of Oregon and is in active talks with several other universities, including Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Notre Dame.
The brand plans to scale to 30 to 40 developments in the coming years. A hotel partner for Alum is yet to be announced, but the brand has partnered with Legends Global, a sports and live events company, to operate its private clubs and drive relationships with university and athletic leadership across markets.
Industry Context
The announcement comes after Hilton launched Undergraduate by Hilton in June, a conversion-friendly brand geared toward secondary and tertiary college towns. Meanwhile, in 2023, Travel + Leisure Co. acquired the rights to bring Sports Illustrated Resorts to U.S. college towns.
