A hotel aimed at traveling minimalists, where the room is second to the adventure, is proposed for downtown.
Marriott wants to introduce its Moxy Hotel brand to the Tucson market.
The brand started in Europe as a sort of βyouth hostel,β according to Marriott officials.
The proposed Moxy Hotel proposed for downtown Tucson will have 134 rooms in 6 stories.
Developers Scott Stiteler and Rudy Dabdoub own the vacant lot next door to the MLK Apartments on Fifth Avenue and immediately above the Depot Plaza parking garage.
The duo brought the first new hotel to downtown in over 40 years when they developed the AC Marriott at 151 E. Broadway, which opened in 2017.
They believe the micro-hotel concept of Moxy will be a good complement to some of the hotels that have opened downtown since that time.
The Moxy Hotel by Marriott will be built on an empty lot downtown next to MLK apartments, 55 N. Fifth Ave.Β
While Moxy is not considered a hostel, it does take the hotel room down to the basics. The average room size is about 185 square feet, sans dressers and closets.
Pegs on the wall serve to hang clothes and the bed frames have cutout cubbies underneath to stash a suitcase, for example.
Some of the rooms in the Tucson development will include additional bunk beds for group travel.
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βBecause theyβre really small rooms, our demographic does tend to go younger,β said Melissa Gonzalez, with Marriott Hotels. βThey want a home base, but theyβre there to explore the city.β
The check-in counter will be located at the bar, where guests will be offered a welcome cocktail or mocktail.
The Moxy Hotel will be located on vacant downtown Tucson lot next door to the MLK Apartments on Fifth Avenue and immediately above the Depot Plaza parking garage downtown.Β
Gonzalez said the interior is designed with many βInstagrammable moments,β such as elevator paintings that serve as βselfie spots.β
Stiteler said the hotel will be six stories tall with 134 rooms. It will have a snack station, but there wonβt be a restaurant, as the amenity is its location.
The $33 million project is expected to take 18 months to construct and developers hope to break ground in early 2026.
Parking for guests will be available in the Depot Plaza, with 100 of the existing 290 parking spaces dedicated to the hotel.
The garage was built with the infrastructure to support a future 10-story building, Stiteler said.
At the Rio Nuevo boardβs recent meeting, the concept was presented, and the board was asked for help to develop it as it has with other downtown hotel projects.
Stiteler said his team has secured a $19.8 million loan, developers will put up $8.4 million and have requested $4.8 million in assistance from Rio Nuevo.
The board listened to the presentation and, per its new protocol of not voting on a proposal on the same day it is presented, deferred the vote to a future meeting.
Rio Nuevoβs next regular board meeting is scheduled for June 10 at 1 p.m. at the Tucson Convention Center.
Visit rionuevo.org for more information on the agenda, which will be posted 24 hours before the meeting.
