Graduate Tempe

You wouldn’t know it from looking at our hotel listings, but Tempe is part of the Phoenix metro area. East of Phoenix proper, south of Scottsdale, it’s the home of Arizona State University, which is both a reputable school and one of the easy-living capitals of the American higher education system. Thus it’s particularly fertile ground for a Graduate hotel, and indeed the Graduate Tempe is both a serious hotel and an enormous amount of fun.

We’ve seen Southwest kitsch before, and rarely is it executed in a manner that’s both familiar and fresh. There’s ample Seventies atmosphere as well, including vintage reproduction furniture, which is fitting given that decade’s reputation for hedonism. But underneath it all these are very modern boutique hotel rooms, right down to the free wi-fi and the Malin + Goetz bath products.

There’s a 24-hour fitness center and an outdoor pool as well, which is sensible, given that it’s almost always swimsuit season here. And Graduate Food Hall, the hotel’s restaurant and bar, is a versatile all-day venue serving breakfast, dinner, and drinks for any occasion from pre-game and on through to late-night.