Doubletree Hotel Memphis

My work sometimes takes me to some strange cities, like Regina in Canada where it was -60 F. This week I went to Memphis, TN, and although to many people that is not a strange city, to this Northern city girl, it was like traveling to Mars. My one mission on my short trip was to taste as much Memphis BBQ as possible, and I did (see tomorrow's post), but it is also nice to see how a chain hotel does in a popular region and I am happy to say that Southern hospitality is alive and well at the Doubletree on Sanderlin (there are three Doubletree hotels in Memphis, this one is in East Memphis). I was amazed to see a Whole Foods Market and a Bikrim Yoga studio adjacent to the hotel; maybe I was in the mid-South, but I could have been in Southern California. As in all Doubletree Hotels, I was handed a warm cookie upon checking in to this room.

The sheets and towels were soft, there was a flat screen 37" tv in the room, and free Wifi, so all usual mid range ($100 average price per room per night) comforts were provided, including room service (so this did not qualify as camping in my book). It was a spacious room with a desk and sitting area.

A surprise was the small bar/kitchen area with a coffee maker (that was broken) and a fridge (that worked). There were packets of Wolfgang Puck Coffee and organic teas, so I was disappointed that the coffee maker was not functioning.

I was rushed to work nearly as soon as I arrived, so I tried the hotel restaurant, the Lynchburg Legends. I ordered the blackened catfish with Caesar salad ($10) and received this unusually composed dish. I must say it tasted far better than it looked, with a smoky spice to the fish and with real parmesan on the salad. It was a deal for the quality of ingredients and skill of preparation, especially in a chain hotel restaurant.

I was happy to have had a good option for late night dining in the hotel where I was staying, and that was even better than the Happy Hour the restaurant was offering.