Aloft Tempe flying high with independent spirit

Aloft Tempe (Credit: Jeremiah Toller/Special for Metromix)

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Every so often people make the joke that such-and-such place is the new Scottsdale, much in the same way a fashionista jokes that navy is the new black.

But just as nothing is ever really the new black, few, if any, restaurants, bars, clubs or shopping centers have succeeded in propelling a region of the Valley into Scottdale-ness.

So it is with the new Aloft Tempe, a kind of kid-sister property to the W Scottsdale Hotel and Residences. The property feels similar to Scottsdale's W in spirit, but is designed to be its own thing. So in that case, it's the perfect Tempe-based destination for a Scottsdale night out.

The $25-million hotel has 136 rooms and is modern and chic, but designed for business travelers and on-the-go guests. It's the hotel version of a fast-casual restaurant. And its bar, the W XYZ bar, works in much the same way as an actual fast-casual establishment: just enough design flair to make you feel special, but reasonable prices, quick service and excellent, but not exceptional drinks.

So if the W in Scottsdale is a little old, a little expensive, or a little high-maintenance for you, just head south on Scottsdale Road for a similar, but notably younger, cheaper and more casual night out. Also, a bonus, it is adjacent to an In-N-Out Burger, which, according to management, drives more bar traffic than you might expect.

Bar supervisor Patrick Murphy says his crowd is mostly business travelers and Arizona State University students or recent graduates looking for a more sophisticated night out close to home.

As such, the signature cocktails are only $8 (a bargain at a W-related property) candy-sweet and appeal to young, female drinkers; and the beers are Bud Light, Guinness, Fat Tire and Sunshine, all $3 all day, and appeal to everyone, most notably, however, businessmen. It's a match made in marketing heaven.

To appeal to this casual crowd, the bar has smoked almonds sitting out, as well as wasabi peanuts (they are not green peanut M&Ms), and it serves tiny to-go boxes of snacks including pita chips and hummus, tater tots with organic ketchup (really) and veggie spring rolls with sauce, most about $2 to $6. The tater tots are charming and the ketchup tastes even fancier than regular “fancy” ketchup.

The bar serves nine signature drinks, all of which are common to Aloft properties, including a mojito, a “filthy” martini and a watermelon martini that tastes exactly like a Jolly Rancher candy.

The most popular one is the Brown Eyed Girl, made with pear-infused white rum, brown sugar and pineapple juice, finished with chunks of candied pineapple and a rock candy stirrer. You can hardly taste the alcohol, which makes it an ideal drink for those new to mixed drinks, perhaps fresh off the keg-stand team. That said, I liked it.

The Fiji Lychee Martini is made with muddled lychees, Soho Lychee liqueur and Grey Goose vodka, finished with two lychee fruits skewered across the top of the glass.

“That's the one that makes them want to dance,” commented Murphy.

The pale, cloudy drink was strong, with a light tropical taste, but it did not have that effect on me. However, I imagine iPod Tuesdays will get people off their barstools, as guests are invited to hand over their iPods to play DJ for at least 20 minutes at a time.

The bar is off to the side of “Re:Mix,” the hotel's self-consciously hip communal lounge-style lobby. There, guests can make new friends over games of Jenga, which sit out at all times, or over pool on the pink-felt table.

The colorful space is decorated to appear hip and modern in an Ikea way without actually using products from Ikea. There is exposed ductwork, views of the patio and the pool and an oversized TV made of four flat-screen ones. The room is done in orange, lime and plum, with tall-backed couches, low tables and an indoor-outdoor fireplace.