Luxurious downtown hotels form a home base for a vacation to Memphis, Tennessee. Beale Street’s bars and live music venues provide entertainment, and visitors can tour a variety of historic homes and museums or wander around the riverfront. Wherever in the world they travel, vacationers like to engage in fine dining and shopping, and Memphis is no exception.
The Peabody Ducks have marched through the Grand Lobby of the Peabody Hotel to their Italian marble fountain twice a day since 1933, led by the Duckmaster clad in a fine red jacket and cane. The deluxe guest rooms feature fine décor, and numerous suites are available.
Downtown’s Madison Hotel welcomes guests to its distinctive public spaces, rooftop garden, and fine Grill 83 restaurant. Guest rooms and suites come equipped with fine Italian linens and pure Egyptian cotton duvets, deep bathtubs and bathrobes. Many rooms have panoramic views of the Mississippi River. Complimentary gourmet continental breakfast, an indoor lap pool, dedicated concierge service and a full business center complete the array of hotel services.
European style blends with Southern charm at the River Inn of Harbor Town. Gas-lit lanterns, a crystal chandelier and wrought iron window boxes accentuate the hotel’s architecture. Currents Fine Dining restaurant and the on-site River Inn Culinary School make the hotel a good choice for food lovers.
Chez Philippe restaurant, inside the Peabody Hotel, serves classical French cuisine on its white linen tablecloths in the elegant dining room. Wednesday through Saturday afternoons the restaurant hosts the English style Peabody Afternoon tea. Tea sandwiches, pastries and scones authenticate the tea experience.
Fresh ingredients in the French tradition define the culinary table at Erling Jensen. The restaurant’s Friday wine dinners pair innovative meals with fine wines and cocktails. Erling’s bar provides an extensive selection of wine and drinks and a special bar menu.
Wine lovers also enjoy the extensive selection at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, which has more than 100 wines by the glass. Prime cuts of steak and seafood are menu favorites, along with innovative side dishes and tempting desserts. Even the burgers are made with highest quality meat.
Upscale shopping awaits visitors to the Laurelwood Shopping Center. Shoppers can take in a variety of apparel, book, specialty food, interior design, jewelry, housewares and gift shops and boutiques. The David Lusk Gallery, specializing in fine art, also makes its home at Laurelwood.
Chicasaw Oaks Village is another of the city’s upscale shopping centers, with many unique clothing boutiques, an art gallery, beauty salons and a day spa.
No vacation to Memphis would be complete without a tour of Elvis Presley’s Graceland. The King of Rock and Roll lived in luxury himself, and guests can tour his mansion and see his expensive furniture and flashy clothing, jewelry and accessories. The VIP tour grants front-of-the line admission and access to exhibits such as Elvis’ custom airplanes and automobile collection, including his pink Cadillac and 1975 Dino Ferrari. Vacationers who want to tour the entire city of Memphis in style can contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau for a list of transportation and tour operators who can provide a private tour guide and a comfortable ride in a traditional limousine, party bus or a horse drawn carriage.
