Style: A historic converted warehouse, renovated into a modern, stylish hotel
Perfect for: Having a comfortable base that feels like home, while exploring all Memphis has to offer
First impressions: We arrived at 10pm after more than 20 hours travelling from New Zealand, and Arrive’s lobby — set up like a large, comfortable living room — was a welcome sight. The woman at the check-in desk was friendly and welcoming, getting us sorted quickly and offering us complimentary soft drinks (flavoured sparkling waters or seltzers, which are available at all times of the day and night), and giving us some quick info about the hotel.
The former warehouse building is more than 100 years old and once housed an industrial supply parts manufacturer and distributor, then became the Memphis College of Art gradaute school. It was bought by the Arrive group in 2016, undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation, before opening as a hotel in 2018. Much of the building’s character has been retained — exposed brick walls, high-stud ceilings, concrete floors, large sash windows — but the decor, design and furnishings feel thoroughly contemporary.
Rooms: There are 68 rooms in the hotel across five floors. My fifth-floor, north-facing room was like a loft-style studio apartment and was a fantastic base for a five-night stay. Three large windows set into an exposed brick wall looked south over the South Main district, and from this vantage point I could see over to the famous Arcade restaurant, the Central Station hotel, and beyond. A high-quality bed with high-thread-count white linen was cosy and comfortable, and the feature wall behind the bed with blue patterned wallpaper gave a nice focal point to the room.
Food and drink options include Hustle and Dough, a popular coffee shop on the ground floor, and Long Shot, a basement bar with shuffleboard and sports viewing.
Coffee table books about Memphis’ history were a thoughtful touch, as was the Bluetooth speaker that looked like a replica Marshall amp.
The space can be divided by moving the sliding closet door — keep it closed and you can see into the bathroom, almost like a bar counter. Slide it along to hide the bathroom and feel like two separate rooms.
Some slight bugbears — only five coat hangers were provided, which is not enough for one person to unpack fully. If you were a couple staying together you’d absolutely have to request more. There was no iron, but that was available on request from the front desk. And no kettle or tea/coffee maker, but you can order drinks from the coffee shop in reception. The pull-down fabric blinds let light escape either side, so if you’re sensitive to light you’ll definitely need to bring an eye-mask. And the airconditioning was pretty loud, so bring earplugs.
Other than that, I loved my room and had a very comfortable stay. It felt more like staying in an Airbnb apartment than a bland corporate hotel.
Bathroom: The huge walk-in shower was stylish and spacious with geometric black-and-white tile design. It wasn’t particularly powerful, but it did the job. The toilet can be closed off with a sliding door. In a nod to the building’s heritage, the taps are made from old pipes and washers. Grown Alchemist toiletries in wall-mounted refillable dispensers.
Food & drink: The ground-floor lobby is home to Hustle and Dough, a coffee shop with breakfast menu and bakery items available for purchase. It’s a popular spot, with many local Memphians hanging out here during the day to work. There’s a range of comfortable seats, from sinky leather sofas to dining tables and formal wing-back armchairs.
The lobby bar is beautifully designed, but closed at present; however, there’s a basement bar called Long Shot where you can get food and drinks, play shuffleboard and watch sports.
Food can be ordered via QR code to be delivered to your room.
There’s also an in-room mini-bar, although everything in it comes at a charge.
The hotel embraces Memphis' history with thoughtful touches such as coffee table books about the city's past and a Bluetooth speaker designed like a Marshall amp.
Facilities: Free Wi-Fi, valet parking, meeting rooms, and gym. A tip — don’t go to the gym with a headache or sore eyes; the red paisley patterned carpet print is replicated on the walls and ceiling, so it feels like you’re in a 70s cave.
In the neighbourhood: You’re just a few minutes’ walk from the incredible National Civil Rights Museum, on the site of the former Lorraine Motel where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in 1968. If you do only one thing in Memphis, make sure it’s to visit this enlightening and educational museum.
Beale St is about a 15-minute walk away, but it’s not recommended to do the walk after dark — although I never felt unsafe in my five days in the city, many residents warned us to be wary.
Other neighbourhood highlights include the Blues Museum, and many dining and drinking establishments — Good Fortune for Asian fusion, The Slider Inn for mini-burgers, Wiseacre for craft beer, Gus’s for fried chicken, and Central BBQ for ribs.
Facilities include free Wi-Fi, valet parking, meeting rooms, and a gym.
Family friendly: Twin rooms are available, but rollaway beds and cribs are not. This is a hotel better suited to couples and friends rather than family holidays. If you’re missing your furry family members from home, you’ll probably be able to give a dog a pat during your stay — dogs are welcome at the hotel.
Accessibility: Arrive Hotels have many features suitable for guests with accessibility needs, including rooms with roll-in showers, lowered cupboards and shelving, visual alarms, bathroom grab bars and accessible public areas.
Sustainability: Bathroom amenities from Grown Alchemist were in reusable wall-mounted containers, and there was no single-use plastic in the mini-bar.
