Stayed at the Downtown Memphis Marriott for a short Saturday night getaway. As others have said, please be aware that the hotel is located on the FAR northern edge of downtown. Most of the key downtown attractions (restaurants, Beale Street, FedEx Forum, Autozone Park, Peabody Place, etc.) are quite a long walk south. There are plenty of hotels closer to the heart of downtown if proximity to the action is important to you.

On the plus side, the hotel is adjacent to the convention center (if you're a convention-goer) and a just a block from Mud Island. Also, the trolly systems runs right by the hotel for a ride to the heart of downtown.

Parking is $12 for self and $18 for valet. I saved the money entirely
by parking in a metered spot (no money required on weekends) in plain
sight of the hotel.

Inside, it's a pretty typical Marriott convention hotel. Large, luxurious lobby, gift shop, restaurant, bar, etc. Check-in a 5pm was fast and the desk staff was friendly. Check-out was frustrating because the in-room TV checkout didn't work and the front desk line was long. It seemed like several people were arguing over their bill charges, though I had no problem with mine ($179 for the night...
more than I like to pay, but the best I could find downtown given that there was a major "Memphis in May" event going on.

The rooms were standard Marriott fare: large in size with a large TV and very comfortable beds with nice linens. However, the bathroom fixtures were old and a bit creaky; not up to par with modern upscale hotels and in need of renovation.

The indoor pool was large and inviting...plenty of towels available, too. The hot tub, however, wasn't much warmer than the pool...a big disappointment. The indoor pool and outdoor sundeck, sit about five stories up and we were able to sit out on the deck and watch airshow going on down by the riverfront, which was cool.

I can't speak for the restaurant or bar because we didn't make it to either. The good news is that there are no shortage of great restaurants downtown but the bad news is that they are all a long hike from the Marriott.

All in all, I wasn't bitterly disappointed but you can find better accomodations in a more central downtown location in the $150-$200 a night range, such as the Peabody, the Madison, or the new Westin I would consider staying at the Marriott again if the rate was lower.

If you're attending a convention, you won't beat the Marriott's location. If you're looking to hang out on Beale Street or do more sightseeing, I'd recommend a hotel closer to the Union Ave. or Beale.

After our early morning flight landed we went right to the hotel, a little nervous since we were going to check in at 11am. We arrived and was greeted by the front desk and to our surprise the room was all set! We went up the 18th floor and had a look around the room. The room is alright for the price we paid. (I had booked through priceline). The room was spacious and clean from what i could tell. The furniture was a bit dated and had some wear to it. The bathroom on the other hand was not clean. The floor was white tiles and I could see dirty footprints on the floor.
Other than that I would have to say it is an average hotel. Nothing about the lobby or rooms really stuck out to be above average. The location was fine for us as we didnt mind the walk to Beale street and the staff was always helpful and friendly in giving directions. All in all i would recommend this hotel for people who dont care about staying at a average hotel.

I booked the Memphis Marriott Downtown for a last minute business trip, where there were no other hotels available in the actual "downtown." Although the trolley is right outside, it is about 1 mile walk to the downtown area/Beale street. This can be a kind of long walk in the Memphis heat, and while it's not terrible, the name "Downtown" is king of deceptive as this hotel is really on the very edge of the city.

I used the room service, which was fine. A colleague's room was near the trolley side of the hotel, which was apparently very loud with the trolley running by. Additionally, I heard complaints that the fitness center was not operating well.

The bellmen and concierge are incredibly nice and helpful. The gift shop and reception area are ok - nothing special, but you can buy trolley tickets at the gift shop when it is open.

From March 19th-23rd I stayed at the Marriot and I must say its a very very nice hotel. There are Bell men there to get your luggage as soon as you arrive and they are very nice. I stayed in the north tower on the third floor and it was a very clean room. I didnt do much at the hotel and spent most of my time at beale st. so I really cant tell you much about the room service. Everything was top notch and with an iron in your room it saves the hastle of calling for one. Located right on the path of the trolly that takes you close to all Memphis's attractions. Beware of all the hustlers on the streets pretending to be nice and then asking for money a few steps down the way, they're all over Beale st.. I'm from Denver and even though its not a real buisy city, its alot buisier than Memphis. It is very difficult to find fast food joints any where near downtown so be prepared to spend some cash on food. I recommed going to Rondevous for some RIbs for about $17, definitely one of the best ribs I've ever had. Bigfoot has a 4lb burger for $20 and if you can finish it within 1 hour you get it free. Gus's fried chicken was ranked as one of the best by GQ magazine and it did turn out to be good but if your not a fried chicken fan then it'll just take like spicy chicken(meals are $5-10).
Overall I enjoyed Memphis but it does seem to be more of a place for an older crowd, couples, and families. There are definitely plenty of bands to see but I would recommend the dempsees. Its not just a band playing music, its a show. Hope this review helps someone.