More about Madison Hotel
A real treat!
by A TripAdvisor Member
A wonderful Art Deco boutique hotel. Don't let any review discourage you from staying here. Of course, there may be problems from time to time, but ususally it is a wonderful hotel. The rooftop view is magnificent. The bar is a classy hot spot in Memphis. Drinks are pricey, but are very stout. Get drinks in the bar and go to the roof for a delightful afternoon or evening. The rooftop bar is open on Thursday nights (with buffet) and on weekends. Grill 83 restaurant, on the first floor, is a small, but very popular restaurant and serves excellent food. The hotel rooms have CD players with Memphis music CDs. Get discount prices on rooms on Travelocity, etc. The Hampton Inn at Peabody Place is rated #1, but it is plain. For about the same price, you can stay at this wonderful boutique hotel which is listed as one of the 50 best in the US. Hint: we get a room and fix our own drinks and go to the rooftop, saving lots of $$$. Beale Street is near + many wonderful restaurants. We love Felica Suzanne's restaurant which is around the corner.
reservations in writing, confirmed day of arrival for late arrival, don't matter
by A TripAdvisor Member
Reservations were made 1 month in advance and on the day of arrival a phone call was made at 4:30 in the afternoon to advise we would be late because of dinner plans prior to arrival. The phone call took more than 10 minutes due to being put on hold twice, but we were assured the room would be held. When we arrived at around 10 pm, and after our car had been unloaded and the keys given to the valet, we were told at the desk that there was "bad news." No room was available, but the "good news" was we had a room at a nearby hotel of the Madison's choosing. That's it, no offer for a free stay at the Madison in the future, no offer of any kind just "sorry."
Beautiful Boutique hotel with the service to match!
by A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and I stayed at the Madison Hotel for a weekend get-a-way. We chose one of their king suites. The ambience and decor of the hotel are fantastic paying their respects to Memphis' musical heritage. The room was great, classy and hip, with a jacuzzi bathtub. The roses, strawberries and wine were placed in the room obviously just prior to our arrival based how neat and fresh it looked. The staff was friendly and attentive. Valet parking was a pleasant surprise with everyone very professional and kind. Grill 83 was amazing. I think the overwhelming trend was how proud the staff seemed to be of the hotel. My wife loved it....we will be back!!
Amazing... but consider the Peabody first
by A TripAdvisor Member
We arrived at the Madison and were in for a treat right away - they upgraded our room to a suite for free! And we never requested it! We were blown away by this service. The room was top notch. Beautifully laid out and simply gorgeous. 5 star quality to be sure. Absolutely no complaints with the room at all.
The hotel's location is so-so. Not far from Beale street, but not ideal. The Peabody's location is superior.
And be warned -- DO NOT ask the Madison doormen to call a cab for you. They have a DEAL with a local private car service and will only call them -- even if you ask them NOT TO!!! The private car service works well enough -- if you don't mind paying at least 5 dollars extra and waiting at least an extra half hour for them to show up! It's basically a scam. Do yourself a favour and call cabs yourself - there are two good local city cab services - City Wide is the better of the two.
If you ask the locals, they'll tell you that the Madison is THE hotel in Memphis. It's were the Memphis Grizzlies live, and where visiting celebrities will stay. Certainly, having cocktails on the roof of the Madison at sunset is a MUST-DO.
But I must be honest. As AMAZING as this hotel is, consider its rival the Peabody. The Peabody is the CENTER of everything in the city. It's lobby is amongst the most beautiful I have ever seen, featuring real live ducks in the fountain! It's to be seen to be believed. The Peabody has amazing shops in the lobby and an incredible resttaurant. It is across the street from the best restaurants in Memphis (including Automatic Slim Tonga's) and even has its own mall connected to it!!! Perhaps best of all, in a town where taxicabs are almost impossible to find, there is a permanent cabstand outside the Peabody which is UNBELIEVABLY convenient.
Anyway, there's no doubt that the Madison is an incredible hotel, and considered the ne plus ultra in the city. But I'd STRONGLY recommend the Peabody over it for all the reasons I cited above. Having said that, I haven't seen the Peabody's rooms so I can't comment on that.
A fabulous choice in Memphis
by TripAdvisor Member Sunman239
This hotel really has got things right. On arrival, we were delighted to be upgraded to a King Suite at no extra charge. Soft lighting and a cd playing some of the great soul classics from Memphis greeted us on arrival in the room, which had a great view out across the Mississippi. Elegant, contemporary furnishings, and a large bathroom with seperate shower stall. Very comfortable bed.
The Madison has the advantage of being situated in one of the quieter downtown streets, but is less than 10 minutes walk to Beale Street. A few steps from the hotel is the Main St historic trolley, which takes you anywhere for 60c. Hotel has a fabulous roof patio with views of the city (and barbeques in season apparently).
Continental breakfast is usually served in a cosy lounge on the mezzanine, with pictures and books of the great blues artists displayed around it. Efficient valet parking service, and staff very attentive. The building is a converted bank, with solid internal walls, and we never heard anything from adjoining rooms.
I would definitely choose the Madison again - it's a cut above the norm.
Outstanding Atmoshpere
by TripAdvisor Member Hotelguru
Love this hotel. It is as hip as any "star" New York hotel - but the rooms are larger and the hospitality is purely Southern. The restaurant is amazing. Even if you choose not to stay at this hotel (which would be a mistake) you must try Grill 83. Very good vibe in this cool place. Be sure to reserve a suite....try to get one facing the river on a high floor if possible. The Madison is an excellent addition to Memphis.
A very nice place to stay but $350 a night?
by TripAdvisor Member SummerA
My husband and I stayed at the Madison the Saturday night before Easter 2005.
This hotel is certainly an upscale, boutique hotel designed for a discrimanting business traveler.
The lobby and the rooms are well decorated in a modern style.
The staff was friendly and tried to be helpful - although, for your safey, please do not trust the valet's driving directions.
The room was nicely decorated and for the most part clean. There were some marks on the wall and the bench at the end of the bed was stained.
The bed was also pretty comfortable.
The nicest tough was the CD player alarm clock and the Memphis music CD. I particularly enjoyed the 2 lesser known Elvis tracks.
I also liked the fact that there are very few rooms on each floor (maybe 6 or 8).
Be prepared to hear the jacuzzi tub being used on the floor above you - the sound is unbelievably loud.
What the hotel is not is worth $350 a night (in my opinion).
For that price range, I expect spotless rooms, knowledgeable staff, a wider variety of amenities and, in general, a more remarkable experience.
Would I stay there again?
Absolutely - as long as somebody else was paying for it.
Clean and modern hotel
by A TripAdvisor Member
I stayed here for one night and yes it was clean and modern but it wasen't out of this world, it was just an above average hotel. The gym was really small and so was the pool but there is a gym across the road if you wish to use. The room was really nice, big confortable bed and the bathroom was lovely (no bath) just a huge shower that would fit about 4 people!
Solid 4 star hotel
by TripAdvisor Member jeremyj1234
Some people will give a Hampton Inn 5 stars on this site if the service was good and the room was nice and clean. Obviously this overrating is unhelpful. While there were no problems at the Madison, and the hotel is beautiful and service great, very few hotels are actually 5 star hotels (Penninsula, Park Hyatt Chicago, etc) thus my 4 star rating. Very attractive comfortable rooms, some of which are small, bathrooms have windows, small common areas, 3.5 star restaurant, excellent rooftop view, fun bar. Not as close to the action as the Peabody but not too far (walking distance.) While the Peabody has better restaurants and bars and a better lobby and rooftop, the Madsion rooms are far superior. Stay at the Madison and visit the Peabody for drinks.
A mini Ritz
by TripAdvisor Member jennnifer
At the recommendation of a friend, we booked a king room at the Madison at expedia for 165.00 a night. We were so pleased. The staff was so friendly and the bed was comfortable... feather pillows and duvet. The location was great... not on beale street with all the noise. It is downtown and yet close to everything and is on the trolley line.
My only problem was that they deliver ice to the rooms from 4-6 pm. Don't get me wrong.. I love having ice delivered, but since we were in the room much of the day, it was a pain to have to call room service to order ice. There are no ice machines on the floors.
My husband worked out in the gym and found the facility to be in good working order. We ate at Grill 83, and it was wonderful.... highly recommend the wedding cake martini.
We lived in Memphis for 5 years and have stayed at other hotels in the area, as we have been back each year for 5 years since we moved. We are sold on The Madison and will definitely stay there again next year. Can't wait!
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