The Central Station Memphis, Curio Collection by Hilton

Why it is interesting

The Central Station opened as Memphis’s main railway terminal in 1914 and has been restored as a hotel that preserves the full scale of the original Art Deco arrival hall - vaulted ceilings, ironwork, original tilework. The hotel occupies the South Main Arts District, Memphis’s best neighbourhood for independent restaurants and galleries, and functions as a cultural venue: the bar hosts live music several nights a week.

Why it is good value

The only hotel on this list where the building itself is the story - a film-set level of American architectural history that costs less per night than a budget hotel in any European capital.

Price notes

USD $128-$190/night shoulder season; live music in the bar most evenings at no extra cost.

Location and nearby sights

Stax Museum of American Soul Music - 15 minutes by rideshare; built on the exact site of the original Stax Records studio, with original recording equipment and gold records in situ.

National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel - 15 minutes; built around the room where Dr. King was assassinated; the most important civil rights memorial in the United States.

Sun Studio - 20 minutes; where Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and BB King all recorded; still a functioning studio and one of the best-value tours in the country.

Food and things to do nearby

The hotel occupies the South Main Arts District, Memphis’s best neighbourhood for independent restaurants and galleries, and functions as a cultural venue: the bar hosts live music several nights a week.

Best time to book

Check shoulder-season dates in the USD $128-$190/night range.

Watch out for

Booking.com score of 8.2 is the lowest on this list; WiFi quality has been a recurring complaint. The hotel is not in the tourist core - South Main is walkable to Beale Street (1.5km) but not immediate.

Verdict

Strong value. Memphis’s Art Deco train terminal, converted into a hotel where the bar is also the blues club.