Now that I have your attention…

Where have you been sleeping lately?

I’m on the road a lot and I’ve had the opportunity recently to stay at both the Hilton and the Marriott’s newest brands targeted at, well hipsters. I’ll just say those of us with hipster kids can better afford it and you’ll find plenty of us encroaching on the intended audience’s turf.

I prefer the Marriott’s Moxy over Hilton’s Tru as the Moxy brand is just a bit more grown up, less kid’s playroom and more adult, but still with the smaller rooms and shared common spaces for working, relaxing, and hanging out.

If you have not visited Chattanooga or have not visited lately, get it on your list. So much to do and all easily accessible. Moxy is in downtown in the rapidly revitalizing Southside neighborhood. If you know the town, this is near the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel which I have stayed at in a caboose when my boys were young, and yes, the train car hotel rooms were awesome (when you’re 5) and the area sketchy. Now even that hotel and the surrounding area appear to have been totally re-made!

So, the Southside is still an area to be situationally aware in but honestly, you don’t even have to leave the hotel, unless you want a real dinner, in which case you have plenty of options a short walk away. I prefer the hotel’s huge outdoor area with a beverage.

Check-in is at the end of the bar and then you will find all kinds of common areas to hang-out in or work in. From game areas to private work spaces. You get a free drink chip when you check in.

• 

• 

• 

This hotel is extremely well thought out but in a way that seems like it came together over years. I kept trying to re-imagine what the adult version of this type of hotel would look like, what it would have different to cater to me as the target audience.

• 

• 

The hotel room doors kinda remind you of an old school house. If you are old enough to remember when they looked like this, either way they look retro and cool. A hallmark of this type of hotel is smaller rooms, encouraging you to spend more time in common areas, and to make it efficient to clean and turn the rooms, all the sundries like soap and shampoo are in big shareable containers so they aren’t changed out every day. They also impart creativity and whimsy throughout.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Another thing about the brand is, these are the hotels that don’t sleep. The common areas are open 24×7, including the fitness rooms. Presumably people are in said common areas 24×7 which makes you wonder why rent the room, which may be why they have lockers available to rent but I did not confirm that assumption?

• 

• 

So, looking to stay somewhere a little different on your next trip, check to see if your destination has either a Moxy or Tru hotel yet. They seem to be located just slightly outside of the main touristy areas of a town, which makes them convenient and still affordable. Also, I did not mention this but I saw plenty of children at both properties too. Bon voyage!