Trip GrapevineTop places, picked by travellers

Tempe · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels in the city centre, Tempe

Tobias Lang

Tobias Lang Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Updated 1 September 2026 · 19 Tempe hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Tempe, out of the 19 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.3 down to 3.9.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $78.

Motel 6 Tempe, AZ - Scottsdale South

Highest rated of the five

Motel 6 Tempe, AZ - Scottsdale South

★★★★★4.3 from 3,141 reviews

Motel 6 Tempe, AZ - Scottsdale South comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.3 from 3,141 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property, found under city centre and around $78 a night on the dates we checked.

19 hotels in Tempe qualified for this list and five made it. Sonesta Select Phoenix Chandler is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in
  • Dogs allowedno kennel to arrange before you fly

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Motel 6 Tempe, AZ - Scottsdale South1

    Motel 6 Tempe, AZ - Scottsdale South

    ★★★★★4.3 from 3,141 reviews

    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Sonesta Select Phoenix Chandler2

    Sonesta Select Phoenix Chandler

    ★★★★★4.1 from 758 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

    Check rates Read more

  3. Metro Chandler Extended Stay3

    Metro Chandler Extended Stay

    ★★★★★3.9 from 248 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  4. Motel 6 Tempe, AZ - Elliot Road4

    Motel 6 Tempe, AZ - Elliot Road

    ★★★★★4.2 from 256 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  5. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Tempe University / Phoenix5

    La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Tempe University / Phoenix

    ★★★★★4.3 from 85 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

19 Tempe hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Tobias Lang

Tobias Lang Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Touring already moves him around Europe nine months a year, so he stays on three or four extra days at his own cost whenever a tour hits somewhere new. He calls it stealing time.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.