The Westin Memphis Beale Street

The Westin was an easy five stars for me. Its location makes downtown attractions accessible, with Beale, the Rock and Soul Museum, and FedEx Arena each a block away. Sun Studio, STAX Records, and the Lorraine are a five minute drive or even walkable. Our tour supplied our own concierge, and the staff were friendly and efficient. Breakfast was hot and filling, if not exotic. The room had a strange Starbucks coffee maker that took some figuring out. The rooms were spacious and nicely equipped, with a tub and walk in shower in the bathroom. Huge windows looked out over Silky O'Sullivan's patio and Beal St. You can see the Peabody ducks if you stare hard. The hotel ATM had a distorted screen and was unusable. I’d seen some negative reviews in my Pretoria research, but after our 2 nights/3 days, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the hotel or return.

The staff were excellent, but the rooms don’t meet the standard for the price. The Westin is usually one of the better hotel chains, and this location is so close to fedex forum that it deserves an update and a complete renovation.

My husband planned every detail of a Valentine’s weekend getaway and booked us a king size bed. When we arrived, we were given two queen beds instead. At the front desk, they said they didn’t have a king available, even though that’s what we booked. No one apologized, and they told us this happens all the time. The woman compared it to seeing something online at Walmart that might not be available in the store. This was a hotel room that cost hundreds of dollars for a romantic getaway, not a Walmart order. If we’d known there wouldn’t be a king, we would have booked somewhere else. They offered us nothing, not even an apology or complimentary breakfast, and there was no manager available to speak with.

The hotel is in a great location, but its overall quality felt average for the nightly price. I’ve stayed at better Westin hotels around the country, and I won’t stay here again. I’ve just received an invoice from the garage parking company, even though the hotel valet parked my vehicle and that was covered. Apparently, though, it wasn’t.