Top 15 Cool and Unusual Hotels in Memphis 2023

The quirky and fun southwest Tennessee city is known for being the birthplace of Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll as well as having strong connections to gospel, jazz, R&B, rap and soul.

Home to world-famous attractions such as Elvis Presley’s Graceland and an incredible live music scene (every night of the week), the city is a hub of creativity, culture/museums, entertainment, and dining.

If you’re thinking of staying in this wonderfully quirky city there are plenty of choices that reflect its awesome vibe. From gorgeous intimate boutiques to grand and lavish accommodations, here are our most cool and unusual hotels in Memphis, Tennessee (in no particular order, they’re all awesome)...

1. Big Cypress Lodge – a fun and Instaworthy rustic-chic-themed hotel located within the iconic Memphis Pyramid

When it comes to quirky, Big Cypress Lodge, next to Wolf River Harbor on the banks of the Mississippi River, appears to have taken a significant overdose.

Suspended inside the roof of an enormous pyramid looking down on a central atrium of waterparks, shopping, restaurants and leisure activities, it appears to be constructed purely of chunky wood and stuffed with hunting trophies.

Rooms and suites are decked out in a pioneer-style mix of native patterns intertwined with swathes of wood panelling and hefty furniture – presumably made from the big cypress trees chopped down before plonking a massive glass pyramid on the site.

There’s a giant glass elevator (not for the faint-hearted) running through the centre of the pyramid to a bar with amazing views in the pinnacle and all the other amenities you’d expect including a spa and pistol range. All-in-all, a gobsmacking example of an unusual, Instagrammable, and simply unforgettable experience.

• To book, check prices or availability for Big Cypress Lodge

2. MOXY Memphis Downtown – a fun, funky and trendy hotel perfect for Millennials and Gen Zs

Located on the pedestrianised Main Street, serviced by a tram-stop right outside and surrounded by a few parks, the MOXY Memphis Downtown is a perfect, simple crash-pad for exploring the best of Memphis with FedEx Forum, Autozone Park, Orpheum Theatre and the Beale Street District just a short distance.

It’s simply and cleverly furnished in a contemporary style to make the best use of space with a few funky tweaks.

There’s a good little 24-hour bar that does snacks, but the emphasis here is to get out and enjoy what the surrounding streets have to offer, then come back to sleep and refresh for tomorrow. MOXY does cool perfectly.

• To book, check prices or availability for MOXY Memphis Downtown

3. The Guest House at Graceland – a Graceland-inspired complex perfect for Instagrammers and music fans

On the southern side of Memphis in the Hickory Hills is Graceland, once home to Elvis Presley, now a museum complex and world-famous destination themed around the famous singer.

The Guest House at Graceland resort is a huge 450-room hotel servicing the site with a choice of pleasant rooms and beautifully styled suites in over-the-top 1970s glam.

It has two restaurants, bars, a coffee shop and its own cinema and sound stage with live music and entertainment shows all year round – and not just Elvis shows, there’s a full programme of arts and music.

If you want an unusual, unique experience there is only one Graceland in the world and it’s right here in Memphis.

• To book, check prices or availability for The Guest House at Graceland

4. ARRIVE Memphis – a bright, hip and colorful design hotel in a redbrick building vibrant South Main Arts District

At the southern end of Main Street, literally a few strides from a tram stop, is ARRIVE Memphis. Perfectly located close enough to the fun of Downtown, but far enough away to enjoy the tranquillity of this more historic quarter.

Just two hundred yards from the Riverwalk at Butler Park and surrounded by small bars and businesses, this small hotel is jaw-droppingly styled inside an old commercial property, using a dense, quirky mix of fabulous furnishings and cunning design.

Rooms and studios are filled with colour and joy – choice pieces of furniture and fabrics that should never be placed together work brilliantly here, creating a feel of comfortable unpretentious luxury. There’s an equally quirky café on site, a coffee shop, cocktail bar and retro pub all seemingly created with passion.

• To book, check prices or availability for ARRIVE Memphis

5. Hu Hotel Memphis - a cool, modern and informal hotel set in the heart of downtown Memphis that offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River

Right in the heart of it all, Hu. Hotel on the banks of the Mississippi River, within walking distance of Beale Street, is the place for blues lovers, theatregoers and other fans of this quirky and musical city.

Named for the famous 19th-century philanthropist Hugh Lawson White Brinkley (known as Hu.), the 1905 Beaux Arts building has been renovated by Brooklyn-based designers HOME Studio for a look that is pure vintage luxury.

You’ll find old-school luxury in the lobby and guest rooms, and plenty of natural light and water views from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Plush headboards, muted neutral furnishings and stunning views of the river make the spacious rooms and suites a quiet retreat. For an unforgettable sense of place, visit the Hu.Roof bar which has cocktails, snacks and views of the river, the Hernando DeSoto Bridge and the city. 

• To book, check prices or availability for Hu Hotel Memphis 

6. The Memphian, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel – a chic, creative and trendy midtown boutique hotel

Close to Overton Square and the theatres in Midtown is The Memphian, an imposing new hotel built in the grand art deco American city style. Inside it’s very cleverly designed using quality modern furnishings and striking colours with plenty of eccentric details to add a feeling of fun and art.

The guest rooms and suites are especially striking with a real sense of flair. There’s a good restaurant, elegant rooftop cocktail bar with stunning wide views, and fitness centre.

Outside there’s a small buzzing community of artists and performers, with plenty of shops and restaurants and the beautiful Overton Park, or just a 10-minute taxi into Downtown when you’re ready to explore further afield.

• To book, check prices or availability for The Memphian, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

7. Canopy by Hilton Memphis Downtown – a trendy and modern upscale hotel close to iconic music attractions

Centrally located Downtown close to Main Street, a ball’s throw from Autozone Baseball Park and less than half a mile from the FedEx Forum Arena, is the good-looking Canopy by Hilton hotel.

Big, bright guestrooms are tastefully furnished with clean lines, fresh tones and the occasional nod to the art and music that makes Memphis famous.

There’s a very good restaurant-bar on-site with a mixed Spanish, Italian, American menu and a small fitness centre.

Beyond the walls are streets and boulevards buzzing with local cuisine, the entertainment on Beale Street and Mud Island, and the museums and galleries of Downtown. A good, honest hotel in a great location.

• To book, check prices or availability for Canopy by Hilton Memphis Downtown

8. Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis – an upscale hotel once named “Best New Hotel” 

Close to the banks of the Mississippi River at the western end of Beale Street, home to blues clubs, restaurants and the famous Memphis May Festival, is Hyatt Centric.

Well placed for the peaceful Riverwalk in one direction or lively entertainment in the other, this new-build hotel has beautifully crafted suites and rooms, some with amazing river views – get a corner suite if you can – at one end the hotel has converted old warehouse space into stylish function rooms, if you’re after something a little bigger.

There’s a very good restaurant on the ground floor with a nice bar, outdoor terrace and small plunge-pool and garden. Then, for the evening, a stunning, spacious rooftop bar to sip bourbon and watch the sunset across the river. A very clever hotel thoughtfully, yet not overwhelmingly, presented.

• To book, check prices or availability for Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis

9. The Peabody Memphis – a chic landmark 13-story downtown hotel is known for its grand lobby and resident ducks

Every city has one, and The Peabody is Memphis’ version of that old grand dowager hotel with its traditions and eccentricities, dating back to 1869.

High-ceilinged public spaces with marbled pillars and uncomfortable chairs, to make you sit straight for high tea, filled with heavy carpets huge chandeliers and even an enormous fountain in the lobby.

Every morning, since 1933, a family of ducks (mallards to be precise) cross the lobby of The Peabody Memphisto play in the fountain and return to their quarters in the evening – presumably as far away from the kitchens as possible – giving rise to the Peabody Duck branding which appears everywhere; even as butter pats or bobbing around in cocktails.

In 1975 the hotel was bought and refurbished, with the rooms styled in the heavy wood fashion of the time. Unfortunately, much of this remains creating a contrast between the dazzling public spaces and mildly claustrophobic guest rooms.

• To book, check prices or availability for The Peabody Memphis

10. The Central Station Memphis, Curio Collection by Hilton – a unique and striking design hotel with industrial-chic decor

Conveniently close to the railway station, because it really is the railway station, and well connected by tram to Downtown is Central Station Hotel built in 1914 when railways were the heart of travel across the USA.

As railway travel declined so did this beautiful old building, until major renovations and refurbishment programmes at the start of the millennium converted it into somewhere very special.

This now vibrant, buzzing hotel is a centre for music with a listening room with daily curated playlists and podcasts, a record wall with 3,500 vinyl albums, an in-house DJ, and room speakers that transmit the music.

Rooms and suites at The Central Station Memphis are modern, comfortable spaces with quality, unpretentious furnishings and there’s a very good bar and French restaurant on the ground floor.

Hilton have done an excellent job converting this semi-derelict, forgotten building into an exciting space hugging the great traditions of Memphis music.

• To book, check prices or availability for The Central Station Memphis

11. Hotel Indigo Memphis Downtown, an IHG Hotel – a funky relaxed hotel set in Downtown Memphis with a fun, youthful vibe

Oddly positioned atop a multi-storey car park. Don’t let the exterior fool you because this is a very comfortable, clean, neatly designed hotel around a central courtyard with a decent-sized open-air swimming pool – a rare amenity in Memphis.

It’s more reminiscent of an out-of-town motel than a city centre crash pad. Both the 118 guest rooms and public spaces at Hotel Indigo Memphis Downtown are cheerfully designed with clever splurges of bright colour, and local art and memorabilia from regional blues, rock and soul legends.

The hotel surprisingly dates to 1963 and somehow manages to retain a retro heart without feeling fake. At ground level is a charming seasonal restaurant and cocktail lounge, the perfect springboard into the very heart of Memphis. This is a job well done.

• To book, check prices or availability for Hotel Indigo Memphis Downtown

12. Hotel Napoleon, Ascend Hotel Collection – a chic and polished boutique-style hotel set in a historic building dating from 1902

An impressive building located on a corner plot close to Beale Street, AutoZone Park, FedEx Forum and other central attractions.

Built in 1902 with high ceilings and intricate detail on the outside, it’s sad that nothing remains on the inside of what must have once been a remarkable interior; instead, there’s a simple, but bland, attempt to give a contemporary look by using white or grey at every opportunity.

Rooms are a little smaller than you might expect in such a grand-looking hotel and, although comfortable, could do with updating to break away from the grey and add a little cheer.

There’s a bar-restaurant place on the ground floor but this is such a great location you can easily find better in the neighbouring streets.

• To book, check prices or availability for Hotel Napoleon Memphis

13. Hilton Memphis – an ultra-chic, lavish and contemporary hotel located in the heart of  East Memphis which is within close proximity to Graceland the home of Elvis Presley

Located in the tallest building in Memphis, the Hilton Memphis has airy interiors with a feeling of space and light. Sleek modern decor with occasional rustic touches like reclaimed barnwood doors and paneling provides a sophisticated setting for all the 5-star luxury. 

A calm palette of white, beige and grey with soft lighting, ergonomic work spaces and windows looking out over garden and city views make for a comfortable stay that can be as relaxing or productive as you need.

There are plenty of dining options nearby and the Ridgelake restaurant serves breakfast and dinner, and the Lobby Bar has martinis and other drinks all day. There’s a Provisions Market with Starbucks coffee and snacks, and a super gym and outdoor swimming pool. 

The location near the I-240 loop is convenient to shopping and major Memphis attractions like Beale Street, Graceland and the FedEx Forum.

• To book, check prices or availability for Hilton Memphis

14. River Inn of Harbor Town – a cute and charming boutique-style guest house with vintage chic decor

If you fancy something a little different the River Inn of Harbor Town is exactly that. Just across the bridge from Downtown is the small neighbourhood of Harbor Town with the feeling of a remote, traditional community away from the city noise.

River Inn is genuinely boutique with a selection of rooms and suites, many with fabulous views of the river, bedecked in colonial style with four-poster beds and huge windows that complement the building and surrounding streets.

There are no less than three restaurants on-site with the stunning Terrace at River Inn opening its vast windows as a cool rooftop venue in the summer months. A beautiful location for a unique experience.

• To book, check prices or availability for River Inn of Harbor Town

15. The Westin Memphis Beale Street – an upscale downtown hotel that is steps away from the iconic Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum and major restaurants and clubs

The Beale Street location puts you in the heart of the sights and sounds of Memphis, including the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, the FedEx forum.

The interiors are full of natural light reflected off the river that floods in through the large windows. The clean, simple lines of modern design make this a restful base to explore Memphis.

The spacious rooms and suites have soothing neutral furnishings, luxury bedding, a workstation, complimentary Starbucks coffee, flat-screen TV and views of the river, bridge and city. 

Don’t miss the southern cooking at Penny’s Nitty Gritty where Chef Elizabeth Rodgers serves up comfort food made with fresh local ingredients. There’s also a Starbucks with outdoor patio seating and a well equipped fitness center. 

• To book, check prices or availability for The Westin Memphis Beale Street

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