Recommended hotels in Downtown Memphis

If your trip to Downtown Memphis coincides with one of these weeks or weekends, you'd be well-advised to book a room as early as possible. Every hotel in the area tends to fill up well in advance of these dates.

The first weekend in May is Memphis in May Music Fest, which draws over 150,000 party-goers to the Downtown area from Friday to Sunday.

The second week in August through August 16 is Elvis Week, the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. People come from all over the world to honor the King and book up every hotel room in the city.

The second week in November is when COGIC (Church of God in Christ), a very large Pentecostal church, holds their annual convention. It's common to see 40,000 or more come to town for this, and the hotel rooms sell out quickly.

If you plan to come to Downtown Memphis on one of these weekends and all the rooms are booked, your best bet is to call the hotel(s) of your choice on a daily basis and ask if any reservations have been canceled.

A little more about the Peabody Hotel: It's conveniently located in the core of Downtown Memphis. Famous rib restaurant The Rendezvous is across the street, and AAA baseball team The Memphis Redbirds play in AutoZone Park cat-a-corner to the hotel. Fine dining restaurant and Italian steakhouse within the hotel; Rio Loco (Mexican), Sawaddii (Thai), Huey's (burgers), Automatic Slim's (Pacific cuisine), Cafe 61 (Cajun), Big Foot Lodge (American and Canadian food), Texas de Brazil (Brazilian steakhouse), Flying Fish (seafood) less than a block away. Walking distance to Beale Street, the Orpheum Theatre, and the FedExForum where the Memphis Grizzlies play. If your stay is on a Thursday night between April and July, check out the rooftop party.

The Westin Hotel is another good choice. Opened in 2007, the Westin features special rooms for extra-tall guests. This is partly due to its location right across the street from the FedExForum. American restaurant The Daily Grill (huge portions) and steakhouse The Grill Room are inside. Right down the street you have Ground Zero (blues club) and Red Rooster (rock/dance club). A jazz club is supposed to open up soon too; this area is being positioned as "the Beale Street for adults." If you want the real Beale, though, it's only a block away.

The Madison Hotel is a 16-story luxury boutique hotel in the Downtown core. Great rooftop view; pool and workout facility in the basement. In addition to a fantastic restaurant within the hotel itself (Grill 83), the Madison is a 1-block walk from some of the finest restaurants in the city (Felicia Suzanne's, Stella, McEwen's, and LoLo's Table). Half a block from the trolley line. Half a block to a Walgreens drug store. Like the Peabody, the Madison has Thursday night rooftop parties; theirs attract an older crowd and run from April through October.

The Hampton Inn is only steps from the party on Beale Street, and the Memphis Grizzlies' home the FedExForum is only steps beyond that. A couple of blocks in the other direction you'll find AutoZone Park, home of the AAA baseball Memphis Redbirds. In addition to the bars on Beale, it's a short walk to the Daily Grill (American food) and Grill Room (steakhouse) inside the Westin, as well as to South Philly (sub shop), Hooters (wings and bar food), and the Flying Saucer (70 beers on tap). If you're here to party this hotel will put you right in the middle of the action. Business travelers wanting peace and quiet, on the other hand, may want to look at some of the other recommendations below.

Here are some other picks for mid-range hotels (generally $100-200 a night):

The Holiday Inn is across the street from the Peabody, and is as convenient to sports, entertainment, and dining as the Peabody is, but without the Peabody's luxury price tag.

Residence Inn by Marriott offers suites for business travelers who plan to be in town for a week or more, but they also have per-night rates. Right in the heart of restaurant row with Stella, McEwen's, and LoLo's Table only steps away. AutoZone Park baseball stadium is a two-block walk. Right on the trolley line. A block from the downtown Walgreens.

Springhill Suites is another mid-ranged suite hotel. Rooms overlook Court Square park and some have balconies. Right on the trolley line. 3 blocks to AutoZone Park, 5 blocks to Beale. Walgreens is a block south; Jack's Food Store, a small grocery selling food and beer, is a block north.

The Sleep Inn is located next to Springhill Suites and also overlooks Court Square Park. This location has consistently won awards for being among the best in the Sleep Inn chain. If I were traveling to Memphis, this is where I would stay. On the trolley line, a block from Walgreens (drug store) and Jack's (food/beer). About a 5 block stumble home from Beale if you're here to party.

A little farther up the street is Comfort Inn. Also highly rated within its chain. It's also a block from Jack's Food (but the opposite direction) and a block from the trolley line. Check out Leonard's BBQ Buffet around the corner for lunch (only open weekdays). A 7 block stumble home from Beale.

There are hotels on the outskirts of Downtown offering rooms for extremely cheap rates (under $40 a night). Stay away! You get what you pay for, and in this case you get prostitutes and drug dealers wandering around the premises. Avoid at all costs.

If you are in need of a cheap motel, best bet is to stay in West Memphis, Arkansas and drive across the I-40 or I-55 bridge to get to Downtown Memphis.

Once you've booked a room, be sure to check out my restaurant recommendations for Downtown Memphis to find great places to eat. The great thing about Downtown is that you have dozens of quality restaurants only footsteps away.

If you scroll up to the top of this lens, you'll see a "Contact Me" link next to my picture. If there's anything you want to know about Downtown Memphis, you can ask me there. You can also reach me through my blog, which is all about my life in Downtown Memphis, and which is updated on a daily or near-daily basis. Thanks for stopping by!

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