Hotel Review: Spring Hill Suites in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee

The Spring Hill Suites is a part of the Marriott hotel chain. This hotel however is much different from others in the chain. The rooms are larger than a standard hotel room, and the suite divided into sections; one area for working and social time, and another area for sleeping. The room also comes with two televisions, one in the sleep area and one in the work area. It is also great for longer stays because it comes standard with a small refrigerator, coffee maker and a microwave oven. Complimentary breakfast is also served each morning in the hotel dining room. Guests can enjoy homemade waffles, eggs, bacon, oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit and an assortment of juices and pastries. Business travelers can also benefit from free high-speed internet access in each guest room.

The Location
Located in the heart of downtown Memphis, the Spring Hill Suites is an excellent place to stay for those visiting Memphis for either business or leisure. The hotel is within walking distance of Mud Island Park, Cook Convention Center, the Court Square (where most of the governmental offices are housed), and Peabody Place Shopping Center. If you're not up for a walk, you can catch the trolley (it goes all around downtown Memphis) just outside of the hotel's front door. Across the street from the hotel is a Walgreen's and a tiny grocery store, and within a few blocks there are several eateries like Quizno's Sub Shop, Lenny's Sub Shop and The Bluefin (a well known sushi lounge).

The Facility
The hotel is very clean and well maintained. It is decorated in somewhat of a Tuscan style with rich reds, tans, gold and shades of orange. The large lobby houses the reception area, a sitting room and gift shop. In the gift shop you can purchase everything from laundry detergent to microwaveable meals. The prices in the store are extremely reasonable. You can purchase an individual box of Tide for $1. This is necessary in that the facility offers free use of a washer and dryer, a great benefit for those long vacations. There are seven floors, and over 140 guest rooms. There are also meeting rooms, a ball room and a business center for guests. Some of the meeting rooms are housed in the old Kress Building which is connected to the hotel. It's easy to get lost trying to get to the Kress Building and although it is very clean, there still seems to be an "old" smell as if the building had been closed up for quite a while. Nevertheless, the meeting facilities are very nice as well as the business center. Although most business travelers will probably take a laptop, the business center has everything one would need while away from the office - computers, printers, fax machines, scanner and more. Hotel guests can also enjoy swimming or just lounging around the pool outdoors.

Service
The staff at The Spring Hill Suites in Memphis are very helpful, courteous and personable. They are typically quite busy in the summer; nevertheless, they do a very good job in trying to accommodate and meet the needs of all of their guests.

The next time you visit Memphis, consider staying at the Spring Hill Suites. The cost in comparison to other downtown hotels is very reasonable. You may be able to find a deal for as low as $100 per night.