Pull into the historic Central Station Hotel for vinyl, views, and vibes.
There ’s something beguiling about train travel . sure as shooting , it could be the chance to sit down andwatch the humanity go by , but it ’s unvoiced to drop the way each railroad journeying invoke that bygone era before car became ubiquitous . If you wish to look for out vestiges of gearing ride by , you’re able to hop aboard an Americanscenic railroad train lineor look forold - fashioned passenger carslike those on theOrient Express . Or you may choose to simply stay at the train station — specifically , at Memphis ’s historicCentral Station Hotel , a fashionable accommodation locate inside a former rail hub where you may still get a train .
While the train station , which first opened in 1914 as theGrand Central Memphis , has n’t served as a regional hub since railing traveling declined in the ‘ 60s , passengers on theCity of New Orleans Amtrak linestill load and disembark there twice a Clarence Day . The geartrain barricade by each morning as it heads to New Orleans , and again in the evening on its way to Chicago . Alongside the gearing platform , Central Station Hotel guests sip and chat in the outdoor seating area for the hotel ’s cocktail loungeEight & Sand . It ’s been this way since theHilton Curio Collectionproperty opened in 2019 — simultaneously a train station and a goal in its own right .
If you care to delay at the station , you could prefer to arrive by train , or via the old-fashioned trolley that barricade out front . However , coming by cable car is also an option ( I exact a advanced vanguard from the airdrome ) . No matter how you get there , first impressions of the hotel are — in honest Memphis vogue — surprisingly musical . A monolithic bulwark of vintage speakers put together by local speaker companyEgglestonWorksgraces the foyer , telling enough to make it one of the most Instagrammed spots in Memphis . The sword designed all of the speakers in the hotel , from the individual hearing waiting room behind the lobby bar to the talker located in each guest way that can be used to shell a curated daily play list . A hulk bulwark of vinyl radical anchors the hotel ’s waiting room country as local disc jockey spin a custom mix of Memphis artist .
The hotel has restored some of the train station’s original neon signs.|Photo courtesy of The Central Station
But it ’s not all line and funky pattern . The hotel is housed in one of the old buildings in the city , a historically designated home that topical anesthetic call a “ Memphis Original , ” and its excogitation aims to showcase its past . The converted post ’s original atomic number 10 sign have been reconstruct to aim guests to the train platform or the former taxi standstill . The monolithic hall that once held dustup of flowery wooden bench for look passengers is now an consequence space , but it still displays the post ’s original reaching / departure board . The hall was filmed for the miniseriesWomen of the Movement , stand in for the Chicago caravan station where Emmett Till said goodby to his mother for the last prison term , and the circuit board still expose the stations through which he made his final journeying .
The guest rooms at Central Station ( which start at $ 185 per Nox ) also hold something of their past times . When the building was renovated , it asseverate the original footprint of the elbow room that once host all-night rail guests , which means most of the Edgar Guest rooms are still on the smaller side . This does n’t mean things feel cramped , though . Each room makes efficient use of the succinct place , from the open closet to the built - in workspace below the television receiver and EgglestonWorks speaker . The magnanimous picture windows give things up a second , too , offering sweeping views of either the Mississippi River or Memphis ’s South Main neighbourhood , count on your specific location .
As far as bedding and decor go , everything from the local art to the woollen throws and easygoing mattresses makes the room feel cozy and sumptuous . It ’s the perfect spot to order breakfast in bottom from the onsite restaurantBishopwhile watching Memphis wake up through the window . The whole breakfast menu is delicious , but commit me — the croque madame is a can’t - misfire way of life to start your solar day .
Speaking of Bishop , a repast at the French eating house is an rank must when you come to remain at the hotel . In a metropolis of barbecue and megrims , the brasserie ’s elevated menu is a unparalleled experience . Guests wait for their tabular array on repurposed train post benches . The classically prepared beef bourguignon is a popular choice , according to James Beard - name brain chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman . Bishop also boasts an impressive card of tinned seafood ; the octopus in olive petroleum and sardines in maize and pimento pair perfectly with the all-encompassing wine list .
When you ’re ready to venture forth from the French nutrient , music , and informal bed , there ’s also a wad to explore just outside the hotel ’s wall . “ Our localization in the South Main District puts us just steps aside from many must - visit floater , ” explicate worldwide manager Troy Dixon . It ’s a short , level stroll toCentral BBQ , atop - rated barbeque spot , for some real Memphis cuisine . you’re able to also walk to theNational Civil Rights Museum , which is locate at the motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinate . The nearbyStax Museum of American Soul MusicandMemphis Rock ‘ n ’ Soul Museumimmerse visitors in the rich melodic account of the urban center . And of class , no sojourn to Memphis is concluded without hearing some of that music live on the historicBeale Street .
After all , as Dixon puts it , “ We ’re in the heart of the birthplace of the blues , barbecue , and rock ‘ n ’ scroll , surrounded by historic Memphis sites . There truly is something for everyone here . "
The wall of vintage speakers in the lobby was assembled by local speaker company EgglestonWorks.|Photo courtesy of The Central Station
A wall of vinyl anchors the hotel lounge, where DJs spin tunes by Memphis artists.|Photo courtesy of The Central Station
The Central Station is housed in one of the oldest buildings in Memphis.|Photo courtesy of The Central Station
The rooms are cozy and cleverly designed.|Photo courtesy of The Central Station
The hotel is near tons of historic Memphis sites, including the vibrant Beale Street.|f11photo/Shutterstock
