City: Memphis, TN

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (901) 525-5491, (888) 300-5491

Address: 160 Union Avenue

Description: Its central location across the street from The Peabody is a good reason to select this full-service hotel, which was converted into a Holiday Inn and completely renovated in 1996. The spacious, carpeted lobby features a marble fireplace and marble cornices around the elevators plus a tiny business center with fax machine and computer. The 15-story hotel has 192 rooms, each with big windows and mahogany-finish furniture. Each room includes the usual amenities, and for an extra charge there are in-room Nintendo and movies available. The hotel also has what it calls Executive Edition rooms, which cost $30 extra per night. These slightly larger corner rooms come with a sleeper sofa (in addition to the bed) as well as extras such as a minifridge, a microwave, and terry bathrobes. The hotel’s fourth-floor outdoor pool feels private and relaxed. (Hint for swimmers: Ask for a fourth-floor room with direct access to the pool.) Holiday Inn Select Downtown has three restaurants. The Union Café and Russwood Park Sports Bar & Grill serve a buffet breakfast (not included in room rates) every morning and offer basic American fare for other meals plus a full bar. There’s also Sekisui, a popular Japanese eatery featuring a sushi bar. Parking is $10 a day.