Novus Innovation Corridor — the multi-phase, mixed-use development integrated with Arizona State University’s Tempe campus — will add an upscale hotel to its main street entertainment district, developers announced Friday. The property will be part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Tribute Portfolio, a collection of upper-upscale independent hotels, and is planned at the intersection of University Drive and Rural Road.
Project specifics and amenities
The hotel is designed as a seven-story building totaling 116,855 square feet. It will offer 168 guest rooms, a rooftop pool and bar and a 2,700-square-foot meeting space, according to the announcement. Exterior design plans call for a combination of contrasting finishes and textures that still include subtle references to ASU’s campus identity.
- Seven stories, 116,855 sq ft
- 168 guest rooms
- Rooftop pool and bar
- 2,700 sq ft meeting space
- Part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Tribute Portfolio
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stories | 7 |
| Square footage | 116,855 sq ft |
| Guest rooms | 168 |
| Meeting space | 2,700 sq ft |
Developers and construction
Okland Construction has been named to lead planning, design and construction management for the hotel. The company noted its previous work on projects such as The Global Ambassador Hotel, the Phoenix Police Department Headquarters and ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management global headquarters.
“ASU continues to lead in every way,” Okland Construction CEO Bill Okland said. “We are grateful to partner with the university and Banbury Development to take Novus to an even higher level.”
ASU and its development partners have framed Novus as a destination that blends academic, research and commercial activity. The addition of a Tribute Portfolio hotel is presented as the next step in that strategy, aiming to serve prospective students and families, partner companies, visitors and sports fans on game days.
Context within ASU’s broader investment
The announcement comes as ASU is investing heavily in sports-related facilities within the Novus development. That work includes more than $150 million directed to sports venues at the mixed-use site — highlighted by a $55 million indoor football practice facility and $100 million planned for modernization of Desert Financial Arena. Novus is one of ASU’s 10 designated Innovation Zones intended to connect research, talent and industry.
In a news release, ASU executive vice president and treasurer Dr. Morgan Olsen framed the hotel as part of a broader vision for Novus.
“The hotel is the next step in realizing our vision of making Novus a destination for residents, visitors and sports fans on game days,” Olsen said. “Prospective students, their families, companies partnered with ASU and locations in Novus and the ASU community all will benefit from the hotel’s amenities and its location on the ASU Tempe campus.”
Local implications
For Tempe, the project continues a multi-year trend of campus-focused development intended to link university activity with downtown economic growth. A Tribute Portfolio hotel on-site could increase lodging capacity for conference activity, athletic events and campus recruiting, and may encourage more hospitality, retail and entertainment services in the adjacent Novus main street district.
Construction management by an experienced firm like Okland positions the project to align with other large-scale developments in the city, though project timelines and detailed community impacts were not disclosed in the release. The announcement did not specify a construction start date, projected completion or the developer financial structure beyond naming Okland Construction and the Marriott Tribute affiliation.
As Novus advances, Tempe officials, ASU stakeholders and neighborhood residents will be watching how the hotel and related investments shape traffic, parking, local business activity and the character of the campus edge. The development reinforces ASU’s role in shaping economic activity in Tempe and highlights the continuing interplay between higher education and urban development in the city.
