Artisan Hotel Memphis

Its closed

Stayed here one night this past summer. I will let you be the judge based on a few observations. As I walked to the room, the hallway inside was hot and humid, no air condition on the floor to the rooms. When I entered my room and turn on the light in the bathroom I noticed the toilet was backed-​up and no towels. I also noticed the smoke detector on the wall did not have a cover and no battery. I would not stay here again.

So pretty much every picture advertising this hotel is big lie. We stayed here for 3 nights and it was acceptable. It was the closest hotel to the bars we were going to go watch shows at and it was cheap. If my boyfriend would have booked it when I told him to, it would have been $ 52 a night. The pool seemed clean, but I’m scared of most public pools. The elevators are a little frightening, but they never trapped us. I’ve read a lot of complaints about the parking garage, but it wasn’t all that bad. The staff was nice and seemed very indifferent to drunken people stumbling in at 3AM.

If you do choose to stay here, make sure there is no event going on. After coming up through the scary parking lot, we arrive in the lobby to a hundred people milling about. We check in and go to the elevators, which had a huge line. When the doors finally opened, the elevator jumped up and down a foot in each direction, so we waited for the other one which did the same! We got to our room which was 1970s non modernized ramada feeling dread. I was going to get us out of that hotel right then, but the «free wi fi» didn’t work, even though we were on the 2^nd floor right near the lobby. We should have called the cops to have them shut down the death trap elevators.

Man, I liked this Hotel. The lobby IS weird. The rooms were somewhat crumby, but not enough to bother me.
I lived in Memphis briefly, more than 10 years ago, and the Artisan Hotel is near all the places I used to like to go — the (now-​defunkt) Antenna Club, Shangrila Records, that antique place with the red sign. It was still the part of the city I wanted to be in when I visited last summer, so I was super pleased with the location and couldn’t find any other hotels around there that weren’t too bland or too expensive. (Especially sad, since I believe there once was a nice, cheap Admiral Benbow motel on the corner of Union and the beginning of what becomes Elvis Presley Blvd, which I believe is now a very terrible incarnation of a Red Roof Inn, or something.)

This is where we stayed for 3 days in Memphis. The lobby was a trip. Dark, weird, paintings on the ceiling. We didnt get in there until about 1am and there was a dude with us on the elevator up to our floor and he even said… the lobby is creepy huh? We laughed becuase it was true. The room itself was decent. The beds were kind of lopsided and not the most comfortable. The room was big though and it did have a fridge to store some beers in. Would I stay there again? Meh… maybe…it is what it is… it was the cheapest hotel around at about 70 a night.

Known to Memphians as the ex-​Ramada, I seem to call this place home more often than not when I am in town.
Much to my surprise, between visits this went from The Ramada to the Artisan Hotel. And wow, did they make one hell of a change!
The rooms are still run down (except for a choice few renovated for website picture purposes) but the lobby is so bizarre and gaudy you can’t help but to look around in amazement! They even have paintings on the ceiling!
I have no beef with the ex-​Ramada, the old manager hated us (I didn’t see him after the turn into Artisan) so that was a plus. We usually threw hotel parties that ended up having the police involved.
The rooms are good enough to sleep and shower in, but one thing that irked me is that they charge you something like $ 12 a day just to park your car in their underground, non-​surveillanced lot. The Ramada never did that! So what is the point of the fee if I have no guarantee that my car will be safe?
This is not a great location for people wanting to do the whole Beale Street thing, I stay here because all of my friends live and hang out in midtown.
I plan on going to Memphis in two weeks, so I guess you’ll find me sleeping here again.

The lobby of this hotel is hilarious. Paintings on the ceiling! The staff were freindly, the rooms were clean and quiet. It’s certainly not downtown, so you’ll want a car, but it’s centrally located with access to some fun neighborhoods nearby (a longish but pleasant walk).
Beware of Memphis hotel taxes — somewhere close to 20%.

Stayed here when I attended the National Conference on Media Reform in Memphis. I decided to go to the conference late, so this location was one of the few available.
A decent property and good value, with excellent service from staff. I understand it used to be a Holiday Inn.
If your business is in downtown Memphis. If you’re in the city for pleasure, give the Artisan your consideration.