Ducks, blues and Graceland
Most of what Memphis offers the night before a cruise is downtown, and Beale Street Landing is downtown too. We chose five by how close they put you to it.
How we chose
Position first. Beale Street Landing, the Peabody, the National Civil Rights Museum and the blues clubs are all downtown, so we favoured hotels there.
We can't give you a Forbes or MICHELIN rating for any of these, so none carries an award tag. They're chosen on location, not on a score.
Price didn't decide the order. Whether you want the ducks or a quiet room did.
The hotels
Quick picks
| Hotel | Style | Rating | Position | Pick it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Peabody Memphis | Grand | — | Downtown Memphis | The daily duck march |
| Central Station Memphis, Curio Collection by Hilton | Grand | — | Downtown hotel district | Close to the museums |
| The Guest House at Graceland | Design | — | 10 minutes from downtown | Next door to Graceland |
| The Westin Memphis Beale Street | Grand | — | Downtown hotel district; near Beale Street by name | Named for Beale Street |
| Hu Hotel Memphis | Quiet | — | — | A smaller choice, 79 Madison |
GrandThe daily duck march
Home of the daily Duck March at 11 am and 5 pm in the Grand Lobby.
The grand name downtown, and the one with the ducks. Book it when the evening march is half the point.
See rates on Booking.comGrandClose to the museums
In the downtown hotel district.
A downtown option close to the museums. We chose it on location, so ask about room types when you book.
See rates on Booking.comDesignNext door to Graceland
Next to Graceland, ten minutes from downtown.
The Elvis fan's pick. Only if Graceland is the point of the night before, because you give up the downtown evening.
See rates on Booking.comGrandNamed for Beale Street
In the downtown hotel district, named for Beale Street.
The Beale Street name, in the downtown hotel district. Ask us for the walk to the clubs and to the landing when you book.
See rates on Booking.comQuietA smaller choice, 79 Madison
At 79 Madison Avenue.
The smaller, quieter pick of the five. Ask about the rooms, and check the distance to the landing.
See rates on Booking.comHotel links go to Booking.com; Seabound Journeys may earn a commission at no cost to you, and the rate you see is Booking.com’s. Affiliate disclosure. Ratings are as of October 22, 2026, or the hotel’s own classification where no guide rates it.
Embarkation day
The National Civil Rights Museum is closed Tuesdays and the Stax museum on Mondays. A day-before plan depends on which weekday you land.
The Peabody's march is at 11 am and 5 pm. A morning arrival can catch the first one.
Both lines build a hotel night into some products. Ask which night is covered, and for the boarding time at Beale Street Landing, before you add one.
Why trust this page
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 22, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
Have us plan it
We book the night before with the sailing, so the transfer, the all-aboard time and the flight all line up. Tell us the dates and which of these you liked.
Your river brief
Seabound Journeys will come back within one business day with sailings and cabins that fit.
Want to talk sooner? Book a free 30-minute call.
Journey further.
Prefer to browse fares yourself? Compare river cruise fares Via CruiseDirect · Affiliate link
Quick answers
The Peabody. The five mallards march through the Grand Lobby at 11 am and 5 pm daily.
The Westin Memphis Beale Street, in the downtown hotel district. Ask us for the walk to the clubs when you book.
The Guest House at Graceland, next door. Downtown is ten minutes away.
Not one of our five promises a river view. They're chosen for the walk to downtown and the landing; if a river-facing room matters, tell us and we'll ask the hotel before we book.
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 22, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
