Graduate Tucson

Tucson, Arizona, second in size only to Phoenix, is no mere college town — but the Graduate Tucson, just across the road from the University of Arizona campus, is oriented almost entirely towards the collegiate life. Its interiors, in typical Graduate style, make much use of the school colors, in this case navy and cardinal, but here they’re softened by the inclusion of the pastel colors of Southwestern art and design, as well as materials like hardwood and leather.

The rooms are stylish and full of visual interest, their relatively conventional layouts livened by well-chosen details, including a proper analog bedside clock and even a rotary telephone. The bathrooms avoid the white-tile aesthetic that’s everywhere at the moment, in favor of a warm coral-pink Southwestern color scheme.

It’s a handsome contemporary building, finished in the same red brick that marks so much of the local architecture, on campus and off. And it stands taller than its surroundings, a fact you’ll particularly appreciate from the vantage point of Moonstone, the rooftop bar, with its fire pits, its rooftop swimming pool, and its far-ranging views of the campus, the city, and the neighboring Mount Lemmon.