My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful evening at The Moxy in Tempe Arizona. A great anniversary “staycation”. The first night we were at the hotel we enjoyed an evening of exceptional Italian food, drinks, company, and beautiful fashion. This night was ours to savor and enjoy. This boutique hotel brings a place for the modern travel that is relaxing, peaceful, and fun.
Grand Opening
The Moxy owned by Marriott managed by 24/7 opened the first Moxy in Milan Italy. The Tempe place opened with a traditional Italian dinner and fashion show. They now have 7 opened throughout the United States and Europe. The hotel concept is about an independent that wants to make the rules.
Moxy Hotel
When we arrived check-in takes place at the bar. The lobby looks a lot different from the first night. There is no runway, but a look and feel of entering your home. The check-in takes place at the bar. The staff is young and casually dressed. The room comes with a complimentary cocktail called “The Moxy.” This is a light refreshing lime-aide with a little kick.
The lobby fills with travelers listening to records, playing pool, enjoying books, computer, 1980 video games, board games, and more. There is a nice pool that is heated for cooler winters. It is like being at home. A long table to sit and enjoy your meal with new friends. Commissioned artwork fills the lobby. This selection took place through an online process.
We enter a room with casual styling. The decor is from Ikea and a LoveSack for relaxing. It is a decent sized room with an old-fashioned phone with a number of bedtime stories. The bathroom is close quarters, but a great shower with dual nozzles. You need extra towel or ironing they have an “ironing room” on each floor. Here you can get clean towels, linens, and iron a shirt. There was a very small patio and small is the keyword. You can stand on the patio, but that is all it is super small. There was a great place to hang my hat and scarf. The hotel room is exceptionally clean.
The decor was fun and spirited. All doors have “disturb” painted on them. The Do Not Disturb sign has a nice looking half-dressed man laying on a bed. The wall decor is thematic with great sayings on some pictures. The floors are wood with throw rugs. Loved this idea. Living in Phoenix there is very little need for the warmth of carpeting. The one downside in the room was the pillows.
There is a long mirror perfect for getting ready for the evening. I did make the evening fun by dressing as a 1950 wife. Styling for the evening included: a dress purchased through Amazon. This was a first for me purchasing clothing online. The dress was a knit black dress with a doll collar, hung just below the knee, and fit the theme for the evening very well, short black gloves with a pearl ring over the top, hair L’Oréal Techni Art Dual Styler, Jazzy eyeshadow, YBF lipstick, and Revlon powder. Completing the styling was my wedding veil and a set of pearls from my husband.
The ride down the elevator to the lobby included the ride a moment for a selfie. The elevator is equipped with selfie props and a couple of backdrops. Attach your photos with #AtTheMoxy and they show up on Instagram. This made for a wonderful memory and some fun photos.
Anniversary Dinner
The hotel restaurant is a self-service collection. You help yourself to a wide choice of beverages, snacks, and quick meals. The kick is you “do it yourself.” There are many great local restaurants in the are to enjoy. We enjoyed sushi at Kobe. This was the place our first date. We enjoyed a nice glass of wine. We sat in the bar area just like our first date.
Moxy Bar
The evening closed out at the bar enjoying “The Moxy”Bacardi Cherry Rum infused cocktail with our traditional anniversary cake from Variations Bakery. It is a white cake (best sponge cake, banana filling, and whipped cream icing). The staff very helpful and they enjoyed our cake with us. The bar has a floating ceiling that comes from a reclaimed Kentucky horse barn/fence. It was great enjoying the bar after hearing the story from the architect who designed the hotel at the opening night party.
Moxy Amenities
As we checked out of the hotel we left our names on the large chalkboard wall in the back of the lobby. Each section of the lobby is themed for the entertainment surrounding the area. There is a large working area with MAC computers. Towards the front of the lobby a large choice of records and a record player. The best of the lobby for me was the bikes you can take out for biking. This is a great place for bike riding with Tempe Town Lake and the college campus nearby. My husband was thrilled about the pool table in the lobby.
The hotel that brings a new wave of travel experiences. It was a great accommodating hotel with a ton of independence to experience our adventures. This hotel has been called a hostel type with an upgrade. This hotel is not a hostel with an upgrade, but a nice affordable boutique providing the independent traveler with a beautiful stay.
Harlow’s Cafe
We stopped on the way home to Harlow’s Cafe for breakfast. This local restaurant is near the hotel. They offer a very straightforward traditional breakfast. The service was spot on, food that is tradition American Cafe menu. Conversations carried through the air with the smells of eggs, syrup, and coffee.
The weekend was such a great time away.
