Four Points Sheraton, Memphis, TN

Overview: An economy-sized hotel striving to provide a luxury experience...and doing a decent job of it.

Location: 5877 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Lovely hotel lobby.
Camera: Nokia Lumia 920

Hotel's Official Website

The Upsides: 

The interior of this hotel is lovely.  The lobby has a relaxing, accommodating feel, and, as do many hotels in Memphis, both rooms and hallways are adorned with photos from the Memphis music scene. My room was clean and had none of that old, musty smell I so dread on my first visit to a new hotel.

Food and Beverages.  A complimentary coffee and tea station is available 24/7, and each room is equipped with a coffee station, mini fridge, and two complimentary bottles of water. There is also a convenience store of sorts in the main lobby, where guests can purchase beverages, snacks, refrigerated sandwiches, and personal items. While breakfast is not complimentary, there is a restaurant area adjacent to the lobby that provides room service and seated dining. Additionally, the River Oaks Restaurant is located in the parking lot of the hotel. The restaurant is a "modern French-American bistro" that provides additional room service for the hotel. The prices are pretty, though--most entrees ranged from $20-30.

Complimentary bottled water always wins me over,
as does the cute little burlap bag that the coffee was stored in.
Camera: Nokia Lumia 920

Amenities. I am always impressed when a hotel leaves a little extra something for you in your room.  In addition to the usual bathroom accouterments, mouth wash, cotton balls and swabs, and an emery board were provided. The room had a personal safe, unusual for hotels in this price range. Wi-fi is free with no password. And the fitness center is larger than average, doesn't reek of sweat, and is complete with a hydration station and complimentary "disposable" earbuds to use with the treadmill-mounted televisions--just in case you forgot yours.

The bathroom was small but
well-stocked with little extras.
Camera: Nokia Lumia 920

The Downsides: This hotel is located on a difficult stretch of road. There is only one entrance, and the road splits around the hotel. So, if you're coming in the direction that puts you on the backside of the property, you might have to go around the block.  With a reliable GPS, however, I experienced no navigational frustrations.

As mentioned above, I got the impression that this is an economy-sized hotel trying to provide a resort atmosphere--which is not in itself a bad thing. However, the one annoyance I found in this was the size of the closet. I had a very wrinkly dress that I wanted to hang, and the closet (built into the entertainment center), was too short.  The bar was lower than most, and a safe took up room at the bottom.  Still, this was not much of a problem, as a coat rack was available on the adjacent wall.

An average Memphis-themed room.
Camera: Nokia Lumia 920

The Humor: The Honest Traveler prefers stairs to elevators.  However, when I took the stairs down from my room on the 4th floor to the ground floor level, I ended up in the janitor's closet.  Yes, the stairwell ended in the janitor's closet.  Surrounded by mops and brooms and the personal items of the housekeeping staff, I wondered, "Should I be in here?" I crept out the door into the hallway, and looked back to see the words "Housekeeping Office" posted on the door from which I had emerged.



Read the hotel management's response to this review.