The best budget hotel in the Phoenix metro for those wanting energy, walkability, and easy airport access — a Marriott Moxy property adjacent to Arizona State University in Tempe with a social bar, rooftop terrace, and the Mill Avenue restaurant and nightlife scene walkable from the front door.
Why We Chose It
MOXY Phoenix Tempe delivers the budget-conscious social hotel formula with the advantages of the Tempe location: ASU's campus energy, Mill Avenue's dense restaurant and bar scene, Tempe Town Lake within biking distance, and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport 10 minutes away. The Moxy brand's design playfulness (smaller rooms by choice, common areas as the social focus, a bar-forward lobby culture) translates well to a university-adjacent market where the majority of guests want to be out rather than in their rooms. For visitors attending an ASU event, a concert at Ak-Chin Pavilion, or a Suns/Diamondbacks game (25 minutes downtown by light rail), this is the most practical base. The rooftop terrace adds an outdoor amenity that earns its keep given Phoenix's climate.
What Stands Out
- Best budget hotel in the metro for energy and location — ASU campus adjacent, Mill Avenue walkable
- Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: 10 minutes — best quick-turnaround base in the metro
- Light rail access downtown: Suns and Diamondbacks games without a taxi
- Moxy social design: bar-forward lobby, rooftop terrace — the right approach for the Tempe market
- Mill Avenue's restaurant and bar scene walkable from the door