Memphis has many amenities catering to adults – a booming culinary scene, fantastic live music and rockin’ clubs. The truth, though, is that Memphis also is a perfect family-friendly vacation destination. While every hotel, motel and extended-stay property will welcome your brood, here are a few with a little something extra that will have your family feeling right at home.
Memphis has many amenities catering to adults – a booming culinary scene, fantastic live music and rockin’ clubs. The truth, though, is that Memphis also is a perfect family-friendly vacation destination. While every hotel, motel and extended-stay property will welcome your brood, here are a few with a little something extra that will have your family feeling right at home.
Downtown Memphis Hotels
Big Cypress Lodge
Inside the 535,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid, this rustic yet luxury modern hotel offers sweeping views of the Mississippi River. Beyond the allure of rooms that look like cabins and treehouses, families will enjoy a range of activities at Big Cypress Lodge. Go bowling, feed fish, see live alligators, learn about birds in the Ducks Unlimited Waterfowling Heritage Center and ride inside a 28-story glass-walled elevator to reach the observation deck. It’s safe for young guests to accompany adults and step atop a glass-bottom terrace to peer at Downtown Memphis sights below. What's more, on-site dining options are kid-approved, including Wahlburgers Wild.
The Central Station Memphis
The Central Station Memphis hotel on South Main Street is a stylish choice for parents (the property is part of Hilton's chic Curio Collection). But the story of this building holds a surprise for any child who loves trains: More than a century ago, the building started its life as a train station, and remains a working trolley and Amtrak station today. Just outside, walk just a few steps to see a movie on the 60-foot screen at the Malco Powerhouse Cinema.
The Peabody Memphis
Be part of a 90-year-old tradition and get “ducky” at this award-winning historic hotel. The twice-daily (11 a.m. and 5 p.m.) march by five Peabody Ducks is a tourist attraction in and of itself, so make sure to put it on your itinerary. The Peabody Memphis even offers a special package where your family can be honorary Peabody Duckmasters for the day. You’ll enjoy every moment exploring the elegant Peabody, known as the “South’s Grand Hotel,” at Union and Second Street. Bonus: The hotel's pastry team makes its own ice cream and other desserts . . . ensuring that a family stay at The Peabody is a treat through and through.
Residence Inn Memphis Downtown
Get all the comforts of home right in the heart of Downtown Memphis. Every room in the 1930s art deco-style Residence Inn Memphis Downtown, a Marriott hotel, gives your family plenty of space to spread out and comes with a fully equipped kitchen, including refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave and all the tools you’ll need to cook a family meal. The Residence Inn, which is on Monroe Avenue, is within walking distance of some of our youngest visitors' favorite attractions, including the Fire Museum and the Cotton Museum (don't miss the interactive exhibits here, designed with kids in mind). To reach attractions slightly farther away in downtown, just hop on the trolley, which stops at the hotel's front door.
Hampton Inn & Suites on Beale Street
It’s easy to see why TripAdvisor awarded this recently renovated Hampton Inn & Suites on Beale Street its Certificate of Excellence: a state-of-the-art fitness center, swimming pool and free high-speed internet access are just the beginning. Bringing along your youngest? No worries; cribs and high chairs are provided. This Hampton Inn on Peabody Place is famous for complimentary hot breakfasts, and they’ll even give you bagged breakfasts to go, just in case your family is in a hurry to get out and explore the Beale Street Entertainment District. You can walk to the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum and the Memphis Queen riverboat, too.
SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown
Location, location, location! It doesn’t get much better than this. With Court Square park views, SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown is a stone’s throw from Beale Street and FedExForum (keep in mind all of the kid-friendly ways to enjoy Beale Street and the volume of kid-friendly shows hosted at FedExForum). It’s easy to board the Main Street Trolley and head to the National Civil Rights Museum, too. With a pool and spa, complimentary hot breakfast, and refrigerators and microwaves in each suite, you never have to leave this Marriott property, but you’ll definitely want to explore more of Memphis.
Stay Near East Memphis Attractions
Holiday Inn University of Memphis
Sometimes it feels like kids are bottomless pits. They’re always hungry, but that’s not a problem at Holiday Inn University of Memphis. The Medallion Lounge restaurant in this all-suite hotel offers an extensive kids menu, and no matter what time of day, children under 12 can enjoy these offerings for free. Once you’ve gotten your strength up, enjoy the Children’s Museum of Memphis or the Museum of Science & History (MoSH), with its planetarium and giant-screen theater. (Both the Children's Museum and MoSH are less than a 10-minute drive from this Central Avenue hotel.) Other must-see attractions nearby include Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis Zoo and Shelby Farms Park.
