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Marriott wants to introduce its brand to the Tucson market.

The brand started in Europe as a sort of “youth hostel,� according to Marriott officials.

Developers Scott Stiteler and Rudy Dabdoub own the vacant lot next door to the on Fifth Avenue and immediately above the 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.

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.

“Because they’re really small rooms, our demographic does tend to go younger,� said Melissa Gonzalez, with Marriott Hotels. “They want a home base, but they’re there to explore the city.�

The check-in counter will be located at the bar, where guests will be offered a welcome cocktail or mocktail.

Gonzalez said the interior is designed with many “Instagrammable moments,� such as elevator paintings that serve as “selfie spots.�

Stiteler said the hotel will be six stories tall with 134 rooms. It will have a snack station, but there won’t 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 board’s 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 Nuevo’s next regular board meeting is scheduled for at the Tucson Convention Center.

Visit for more information on the agenda, which will be posted 24 hours before the meeting.