The Peabody Memphis

The hotel offers a unique and fun stay in Memphis. The staff was great and the amenities were wonderful.

We booked the Thanksgiving buffet in advance for two for a total of $295. We don't mind paying for a nice experience. It all started off well enough when we got to the Peabody and saw how beautifully it was decorated (and the ducks were cute!). Our "reservation" was for noon, so after wandering around and shopping, we asked where to go and headed up to the mezzanine around 11:45. When we got to the top of the stairs, we were surprised to see a HUGE line of people (see the photos) all standing there waiting to get in. We waited in the excruciatingly long line for 35 minutes and got to the host/hostess station. The people there seemed confused, slow, and honestly, a bit shell shocked. I wanted to complain about the wait, but I didn't have the heart because they seemed to be as much victims to this process as we were. When we were finally taken into the dining room, the woman brought us to a table that was still dirty from the last users. She said something in Spanish to another person there and they had a short conversation that I didn't understand, and then she pointed to another table and said "You sit" and walked away. We didn't know if that meant we should sit temporarily while the table situation was worked out or if this was now our table. So we didn't really settle in, and then a very nice man came over who also didn't speak English. He said, "Drink? Mimosa? Cranberry?" and I asked if this was going to be our table. He didn't understand what I was saying, so a very nice server came over and tried to mediate. We came to understand this would be our table. so we settled in. We didn't know what the drinks situation was (I didn't see on the website that mimosas were included, or what was included alcohol-wise). I asked him what was included and he didn't understand what I said, so again the other nice lady came over and explained to us that bottomless mimosas were included (very nice!). After one mimosa, though, I really only wanted the bubbly stuff without the juice, so I asked our server if I could just have champagne or prosecco or whatever it was, pointing to my class. I thought he understood as he nodded, but then returned with another mimosa. Yes, we called our new friend over and asked her and she told us that yes we could have just champagne and she went and got us some. We though the server would come give us some information or instructions, like over here is the breakfast stuff, here are the desserts, etc. and sat there sipping on our first drink waiting for something like that to happen. So when he did come back, I asked him do we just go start getting food, or are there any instructions? He didn't know what I was asking, so called the nice lady over again, who explained to us that it was time to go whenever we wanted to go. The food itself was lovely, although there were varying degrees of friendliness from those managing the food stations. Most of them were extremely nice, although the man cutting the prime rib was surly at best. But overall, the food itself was delightful. As we were having dessert, our server came over and put two bags on our table and walked away. We were confused about that, so guess what - we called over the nice lady again (we felt really bad for imposing on her, so we tipped both of them really well). She explained that this is a peabody tradition on Thanksgiving, that guests are sent home with a turkey sandwich. We thought that was really sweet, and such a shame that our server didn't explain it. We enjoyed those sandwiches at our hotel later that evening - the sauce was fantastic! Our theory is that the Peabody overbooked and was short-staffed and so they had people serving who really couldn't speak or understand English (not a huge deal honestly, but not a high end experience) just to cover all the people. I can imagine that our servers were both frustrated with the situation as well. We wouldn't go back for the Thanksgiving brunch, but next time we are in Memphis, I might like to try to the high end restaurant, once I confirm that the people who organized the brunch don't have anything to do with the operations of Chez Phillippe!

Wonderful staff, wonderful food, great drinks, and amazing friendliness from the Memphis local folks! Would highly recommend. It was a fun place to have kids there, plenty of food and activities all around the location, and decoration in the lobby that makes us not want to leave. Highly recommend the restaurants on site too. Did a 7-course meal at Chez Phillipe and ate the best lobster dish ever at Capriccio. All the staff is actually happy to be there. The ducks are a cute addition to experience, and the rooms are nice, cozy and clean.

I absolutely loved every little touch from the embroidered linens to the magnificent lobby. I would definitely recommend this hotel for business and pleasure.

I recently had the pleasure of spending 3 nights at the Peabody for a business meeting. I found my stay both peaceful and inspiring. The atmosphere and decor blended the best of the past with the best of the present. The service was first class, the amenities unique, varied and accommodating and the environment festive and comforting. I highly recommend a visit for business or pleasure especially over the holidays! I will be back with my entire family.