Memphis and Nashville Hotels
 

What are the best areas to stay in in both of these cities?

The hotel/motel should just be a home base within easy driving or walking distance to major daytime tourist attractions.

Thank you.

laurieb,
I'm going to the Opryland hotel this weekend for my 5th stay. While not convenient to downtown Nashville, the place is an event all to itself. The hotel is huge, has waterfalls, gardens,a small city, every amenity imaginable and has a pedestrian walk to the Opry Mills Mall. From there you can board the General Jackson showboat. At least stay one night here...it's the largest hotel in Eastern America and better than most in Vegas!

Hi Laurieb,

The most famous hotel in Memphis is the Peabody located "downtown" near Beale St. and the jazz clubs. It's got the famous Peabody ducks that parade through the lobby twice a day, a tourist attraction in and of itself. I think there are a few other hotels in the area but don't know how good they are. The Rendezvous restaurant, famous for their dry ribs is downtown. (I think it may even be in a hotel but not, as I recall, a very nice one.)

Graceland is the other major tourist attraction and I don't recall which, if any hotels are near there. You will need a car in Memphis IMO.

Overton Square is an area with lots of restaurants and not too far from downtown. There is a French Quarter Inn there.

The attractions in both these cities are kind of spread out so there's not really one "must stay" area. Memphis also has a good Holiday Inn but as I recall, it's in an office park.

Several people on this board have been or are going to Memphis and have posted. You might want to do a text search.

I go to Memphis about once a year to see family. They suggest the newly renovated Madison Hotel which is in the downtown area and close to the River. I suggest that you use the Trolley downtown to see the newly growing area around S. Main Street -- art galleries and the Civil Rights Museum (the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King was killed is part of the museum). The recently installed river walk downtown is great for strolling. It sits on a bluff overlooking the riverfront and parks. There is also development around downtown (Peabody Place, Autozone Ball Park) . Worth seeing are also the Botanic Gardens, Dixon Gardens and the Brooks Museum in Overton Park. Also, there are some restaurants and shops around Cooper Street in mid-town Memphis (especially the Beautry Shop restaurant!) that are worth the stop.

Have a good trip.

The Peabody and the Madison are both at the upper end of hotel pricing. Other downtown options:
- Hampton Inn at Peabody Place (nicer than your average Hampton)
- Radisson (on Union)
- Holiday Inn Express (on Union)
- Springhill Suites (on Court Square)
- Sleep Inn (on Court Square)

There is also a small (9 or so rooms) boutique hotel, the Talbot Heirs Guesthouse, located across 2nd St. from the Peabody. Good luck!

I stongly suggest staying downtown in Memphis....good choice there include the aforementioned Peabody, but some don't like it.

There is a Holiday Inn downntown on Union right across from the Peabody it's always been reliable...Right beside it is a Days Inn...DO NOT STAY THERE. I've had bad experiences....in between the two is the Rendezvous that the above poster refers to.

There's a new Hampton Inn that is a part of the Peabody Place complex. I've been in the lobby, but have never stayed there. It looks nice though.

In NashVegas..the best hotel is the Loews Vanderbilt Plaza which is about a mile from downtown

There are several "nice" hotels in downtown Nashville.....Among them..the Maxwell House (the coffee started there)...the Hermitage....a nice Sheraton...Union Station. Do some research on the Internet and find which one best suits your needs.

Don't stay at the Opryland Hotel..it's just raw excess....if you want to see it....go shopping at Opry Mills and do a walkthrough of the hotel. There are river taxis that will take you from downtown to Opryland.

BTW...you will need a car in both these cities for a good trip