New hotels in Tempe

Tempe sits just east of Phoenix, built around Arizona State University's main campus and the Mill Avenue District. Its hotel supply has stayed thin for a city with a public university this size and a Sky Harbor Airport eleven minutes away — which is what makes the two new-build openings in this guide worth tracking: both landed within a few blocks of each other in downtown Tempe between 2022 and 2023.

What to do

Mill Avenue is the spine of downtown Tempe: a walkable strip of restaurants, bars and retail that has absorbed more than 3 million square feet of new development over the past twenty-five years, largely driven by ASU's student and conference population. North of Mill Avenue, Tempe Town Lake gives the flat desert grid an actual waterfront — more than five miles of paved paths for running and cycling, plus rowing, fishing and a public boat ramp. The lake hosts Ironman Arizona, an annual Fourth of July fireworks show billed as the state's largest, and the Fantasy of Lights boat parade in December. ASU's campus itself, immediately south of downtown, adds museums (the ASU Art Museum), Sun Devil Stadium on football Saturdays, and a constant flow of conference and graduation traffic that keeps hotel demand steadier than a typical leisure market.

For a short trip, downtown Tempe is walkable end to end: Mill Avenue shopping and dining, a stroll along Tempe Town Lake, and the ASU campus are all within about fifteen minutes on foot of each other. A longer stay opens up day trips to Papago Park and the Desert Botanical Garden a few miles north, or the wider Phoenix–Scottsdale hotel and dining scene, a short Valley Metro light-rail or car ride away.

Neighborhoods

Downtown Tempe / Mill Avenue District

Both hotels in this guide sit in downtown Tempe, within a few blocks of each other and of the ASU campus. This is the only district in Tempe with meaningful new hotel supply: it's dense, walkable, served by light rail, and hemmed in by the university to the south and Tempe Town Lake to the north — which is exactly why developers have targeted it. Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU anchors the University Drive and Mill Avenue intersection, effectively downtown's main corner; Vīb Tempe sits a few blocks over at Fifth and Farmer streets, closer to the light-rail line and a short walk from both Mill Avenue and the ASU campus gates.

Tempe Town Lake

The lake district isn't a hotel district yet — no new openings sit directly on the water — but it's the reason downtown Tempe reads as more than a college strip. The paved lakefront paths, Tempe Beach Park, and the events calendar (Ironman, the Independence Day show, the winter boat parade) pull visitors north from Mill Avenue, and both hotels in this guide are a walkable ten to fifteen minutes from the water.

Which hotel for your trip

Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU is the larger, full-service option: 330 rooms, four dining and drinking outlets including a rooftop bar, and nearly 36,000 square feet of meeting space that includes Tempe's largest ballroom — built for conferences, ASU commencement weekends, and travelers who want an on-site restaurant lineup rather than a walk to Mill Avenue. Vīb Tempe is the smaller, design-forward alternative: 102 rooms, a rooftop lounge (Upbar) and lobby bar, and a boutique feel aimed at business travelers and remote workers rather than large groups — it's also notable as one of the only Best Western-branded hotels the company owns and operates itself rather than franchises. Choose the Omni for a conference, a group trip, or if on-site dining matters; choose Vīb for a shorter, lighter-footprint stay a few blocks off Mill Avenue.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel in Tempe, Arizona?

Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU is the more recent of the two new-build openings tracked here, opening April 28, 2023, at University Drive and Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe. Vīb Tempe, a few blocks away, opened in March 2022.

Are the new Tempe hotels within walking distance of ASU?

Yes. Both Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU and Vīb Tempe sit in downtown Tempe immediately adjacent to Arizona State University's main campus — Vīb is roughly two blocks from campus, and the Omni sits at the University Drive and Mill Avenue corner that borders it directly.

Which Tempe hotel has a rooftop bar?

Both do. Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU has Lucero Rooftop Bar, and Vīb Tempe has Upbar, a rooftop lounge serving cocktails and local craft beer. Both are open to hotel guests and the public.

Is downtown Tempe walkable without a car?

Yes. Mill Avenue, Tempe Town Lake's pathways, and the ASU campus are all within about fifteen minutes on foot of each other, and downtown Tempe is served by the Valley Metro light-rail line, which connects to Phoenix and Sky Harbor Airport.

How far is downtown Tempe from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport?

About four miles, roughly a ten-to-fifteen-minute drive depending on traffic, making Tempe one of the closer-to-airport hotel bases in the Phoenix metro area.