Stayed at the Downtown Memphis Marriott for a short Saturday night getaway. As others have said, please be aware that the hotel is located on the FAR northern edge of downtown. Most of the key downtown attractions (restaurants, Beale Street, FedEx Forum, Autozone Park, Peabody Place, etc.) are quite a long walk south. There are plenty of hotels closer to the heart of downtown if proximity to the action is important to you.
On the plus side, the hotel is adjacent to the convention center (if you're a convention-goer) and a just a block from Mud Island. Also, the trolly systems runs right by the hotel for a ride to the heart of downtown.
Parking is $12 for self and $18 for valet. I saved the money entirely
by parking in a metered spot (no money required on weekends) in plain
sight of the hotel.
Inside, it's a pretty typical Marriott convention hotel. Large, luxurious lobby, gift shop, restaurant, bar, etc. Check-in a 5pm was fast and the desk staff was friendly. Check-out was frustrating because the in-room TV checkout didn't work and the front desk line was long. It seemed like several people were arguing over their bill charges, though I had no problem with mine ($179 for the night...
more than I like to pay, but the best I could find downtown given that there was a major "Memphis in May" event going on.
The rooms were standard Marriott fare: large in size with a large TV and very comfortable beds with nice linens. However, the bathroom fixtures were old and a bit creaky; not up to par with modern upscale hotels and in need of renovation.
The indoor pool was large and inviting...plenty of towels available, too. The hot tub, however, wasn't much warmer than the pool...a big disappointment. The indoor pool and outdoor sundeck, sit about five stories up and we were able to sit out on the deck and watch airshow going on down by the riverfront, which was cool.
I can't speak for the restaurant or bar because we didn't make it to either. The good news is that there are no shortage of great restaurants downtown but the bad news is that they are all a long hike from the Marriott.
All in all, I wasn't bitterly disappointed but you can find better accomodations in a more central downtown location in the $150-$200 a night range, such as the Peabody, the Madison, or the new Westin I would consider staying at the Marriott again if the rate was lower.
If you're attending a convention, you won't beat the Marriott's location. If you're looking to hang out on Beale Street or do more sightseeing, I'd recommend a hotel closer to the Union Ave. or Beale.
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