I had a one night stay with my family at the Hyatt Centric Beale Street and it was both exactly why I lean into World of Hyatt, which is that it’s hardly seamless or perfect and can even be a bit frustrating but provides outstanding value so it’s the best overall choice.
Hyatt Centric Beale Street is a good downtown Memphis property. It’s not luxury, but perfectly fine and a place I’d return to for the elite value and good river views.
- This was an award stay. For just one night I didn’t want to confirm a suite – that would have felt like a waste of a certificate – so I rolled the dice. The property has plenty of suites and is generally pretty good about offering them as upgrades. And on a one night stay midweek I figured I had a pretty good shot.
- Indeed, at check-in I was upgraded to a river view suite which was great for the four of us. Their standard rooms are small at just over 300 square feet.
- The front desk proactively offered 4 p.m. late checkout. I really like that with most (non-resort) properties I don’t even have to ask, it’s part of the check-in script, although in this case I didn’t need it.
- They confirmed that since this was an award stay, my valet parking (normally $35++) would be covered.
- And that the breakfast in their restaurant was complimentary, with each guest receiving a $25 credit. I noted that there were four of us, the front desk agent typed into the computer and sold me that was all set up (4x$25).
The hotel is modern, Memphis-themed, and industrial. There’s apparently a strong rooftop scene but I did not check that out.
Reaching the room was through social spaces, past the meeting rooms, to reach the elevator.
The river suite is reportedly 786 square feet with a separate living area and bedroom, as well as a balcony.
The living room features a bar, desk, refrigerator, and sofa bed.
Here’s the bedroom:
There were two things about the room that I didn’t love.
- The living room was a bit dark and spartan. It was functional and fine but light from the balcony didn’t really come all the way into the room. The living room was also quite narrow.
- And the bathroom, while otherwise nice enough, could use a bit of work in the shower.
The hotel has a nice pool area, and a gym though I didn’t have a chance to use the equipment. There’s also a coffee shop in the lobby.
This property is actually in a pretty good location – it’s at the quieter west end of Beale Street so away from the late night problems. It’s downtown Memphis, but safer than some parts nearby.
Breakfast is very good at Cimas, but service is slow. In fact, I find that service is slow everywhere in Memphis and there’s nothing you can do about it. It took about 15 minutes to get our order taken. It took a surprisingly long time for our food to come out. I enjoyed the fried green tomatos benedict.
Flagging down someone to get the check was an effort, and then they didn’t bring it right away either (I got the check after finally asking someone else).
A $25 credit isn’t going to quite cover choice of entree and coffee or tea plus tax and tip, so the way the credit was explained doesn’t actually comply with World of Hyatt terms. When I got my folio only $50 (breakfast for two) was taken off, not the full $100.
Valet parking wasn’t removed, either. I emailed my Globalist concierge who contacted the property, and let me know I’d receive an updated folio with the charges reversed. I’m still waiting for that, so need to follow up again. I’ve seen other reports of breakfast credits not coming off property (and also food and beverage credits booked through travel agency programs as well).
@Gary: Actually, not everything is slow in Memphis. The menu prices got uprated within nanoseconds of the cost of ingredients going up. $22 for sad Benedict. You can buy a house for that in some parts of town.
Also, how many times were you murdered?
Looks like you stayed in the side of the hotel that used to be a sister concept by hyatt that i forget the name of ( kind of inline with the Moxy concept). The suites and rooms in the main Hyatt Centric building ( where you check in) are a lot brighter and more “luxurious” ( as luxury as the Centric brand can be i guess) . I would recommend the primary Centric building and rooms over the side you stayed in.
Hope you had a good visit overall, Gary! There are certainly places here that have fast service, but most of them aren’t downtown.
@Alex, that was the first Caption by Hyatt location.
The hotel looks more like a Marriott Moxy or Aloft than what you would expect at Hyatt Centric, which is supposed to be more like a Marritot Tribute Portfolio.
And $25 for breakfast? Is that even compliant for a Hyatt breakfast benefit? At most hotels, it would be impossible to get a sit-down breakfast in the hotel restaurant for $25, inclusive of tip and tax.
What’s weird is your room doesn’t look like any of the rooms or suites shown on the Hyatt Centric Memphis website. It’s like a completely different hotel.
@ Alex McClain is correct. I stayed several times previously at both the Caption & Centric (connected by a hallway). The Centric side is beautiful, the old Caption side cheap. I stayed once at the Captiin for a new Badge & it mighta been the smallest room I have ever stayed at in the US (outside NYC).
It’s disingenuous that Hyatt doesn’t disclose that this is effectively two formerly separate hotels of different and unequal operating standards that is now operating at one hotel.
I was so confused looking at this because it looked familiar. Turns out that the Caption next door is very similar haha.
@Kyle Burbank – Caption next door closed as a separate hotel last summer
For whatever it’s worth, this is a franchised Hyatt Centric that is owned by Carlisle and operated under a management agreement by Avion Hospitality. Avion also operates the Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown. The rest of their properties with Hyatt are Hyatt Place or Hyatt House.
https://www.hospitalityonline.com/avion-hospitality/locations
Welp, that’s one way to burn a Cat 1-4 certificate… (this can’t be higher than a 4, right? Oof.)
I understand why, with a family, a suite is attractive. But, then there’s me. I needed an near airport hotel for one night before an early flight check in the next morning. Two easy to walk to hotels, both Accor, the Novotel and Pullman were available at US$150 and $160, respectively. I have a free one-night suite upgrade with Accor that expires a few days after the stay. The Pullman has a lounge I could access with my status. So, Novotel with a standard room and no lounge. Or, Pullman with a confirmed-at-booking suite upgrade and lounge access for $10 more. I saved $10!
I regularly stay at the Hyatt Centric brand in both Philly and Memphis (other locations like Honolulu are garbage and don’t provide Globalist breakfast), both are decent and in areas walkable to some nice food places. Always get a suite assigned in the Memphis location without having to burn a cert. GM used to be at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Drive – nice guy and always around in the lobby to chat up guests.
No issues with breakfast credits.