This Popping Hotel in Oakland Invites Guest to "Break the Rules"

This hotel is too sexy for a front desk. Instead you'll check-in to Moxy at the lobby's bar (Moxy Austin's version pictured above) where you'll be offered a complimentary signature cocktail or nonalcoholic beverage of your choice. Once you enter the new Oakland, California, hotel's lobby, you may never want to leave.

The property's policies also make LGBTQ+ travelers welcome. “Moxy Hotels celebrates inclusivity, open-mindedness, and originality above all," a representative tells Out Traveler. "We welcome guests of all backgrounds and orientations to join us in boldly breaking the rules of a conventional hotel stay. We are proud to be a part of Marriott International’s longstanding, ongoing commitment to create a culture of belonging and to welcome all.”

Moxy is located at the gateway to Oakland's Uptown Arts and Entertainment District, and sits at the creative crossroads of award-winning restaurants, historic music venues, art galleries, boutique shops, and theaters. The new hotel is distinctly-Oakland and so much a part of the neighborhood that its very design invites locals in to mingle with out-of-town guests. 

Bar Moxy faces Telegraph Avenue with floor-to-ceiling garage doors that open up for an al fresco experience. Exclusive to Moxy Downtown Oakland is the on-site performance stage in the lobby, which serves as a platform to showcase and celebrate Oakland musicians, dancers, authors, and performing artists. On the opposite end of the lobby a 35-seat Moxy boardroom doubles as an art gallery, with rotating pieces from local artists. It is also a private event space for La Palabra, the on-site restaurant opening this summer from the chef behind Oakland’s popular Cuban parlor and cafe, Caña. 

Moxy Duesseldorf South

The dog-friendly lobby also offers a variety of seating options that encourage people to relax and stay a while (versus some hotel chains that push you through the check-in space as though it was fast-food service). The space is decked out with colorful murals from San Francisco Bay Area street artist Bud Snow, and curated pieces from Creative Growth, which works with disabled artists and exemplifies the city's inclusive environment.

A second-floor terrace overlooking is also accessible to both hotel guests and the public, and offers ping-pong tables and modern lounge furniture.

The building’s façade is graced with a six-story art installation titled, "Shapeshift Oakland," created by world-renowned local artist Thom Faulders. The 12,000-pound aluminum sculpure offers a visual labyrinth to reflect a city known for continuous change. 

“Every detail is adeptly designed for an inspired multi-functional space, providing both a haven of respite
and a destination for creative gatherings.” said Benjamin Graves, president and CEO of Graves Hospitality which developed the property.  “We are excited to deliver an immersive experience for guests and visitors alike, driven by artistic passions and experiences of social revelry and to establish Moxy as the living room of the Uptown Neighborhood.”

Afer all the buzzy energy of Oakland's art district and the popping hotel lobby, you'll want a room to zen out in, and Moxy Oakland Downtown’s 172 bedrooms are designed to maximize comfort with plush, pillow-top beds (most have king-sized). If you're looking to accomodate kids or additional friends, check out one of the six rooms that contain a loft-style bunk bed with a queen bed underneath and a nook with an extra-long twin bed that’s accessible by ladder. 

Or reserve the second-floor suite, the largest of The Moxy Oakland Downtown’s rooms, which opens directly onto the hotel’s outdoor terrace and has a kitchenette. The suite can be booked with other
adjacent rooms, making it ideal for small group gatherings and festivities.

Each room also features artwork featuring an Oakland-inspired poem that guests can take home with them as a souvenir. Guests can hear 60-second Moxy Bedtime Stories via the bedroom phones under the themes “chill out,” “go out,” or “pass out.”