Hotel ratings sometimes perplex me. Case in point: Hotel Napoleon in Memphis, Tennessee. This property is listed as 3-star, but it had all of the amenities I’m used to getting from a 5-star hotel, including a plush bathrobe and slippers. Most 4-star hotels don’t even include slippers. (Top photo courtesy of the hotel.)
During a recent award ceremony at the National Civil Rights Museum, Gloria Steinem and John Legend stayed at Hotel Napoleon, and I’m sure they didn’t feel remotely deprived.
The lobby is small, but cozy – appropriate for a boutique five-story property with just 58 rooms and two suites. Since it was just opened in late 2016, everything inside is and looks quite new.
The building itself is historic, however. Once the Press Scimitar Building (also known as the Winchester Building) built in 1902, it’s on the list of National Historic Places. So you have the best of both worlds – brand new ultra-modern furniture and fixtures flanked by marble, lions, fleur-de-lis, and iron railings. I’m told some of the rooms even maintain an exposed original brick wall.
The staff was particularly friendly and helpful. I had a good time joking with concierge Rocky Goodwin when I needed to store my bag for a while after checkout. In fact, in 2018, Rocky received a Welcome to Memphis Pick Award as one of the city’s top hospitality industry workers. After having met him, I’m not at all surprised.
In keeping with that spirit of hospitality, free coffee and water are available in the lobby for guests at all hours, and there’s free WiFi, valet service, a business center, and a small fitness center. Hotel Napoleon is also 100% smoke-free, which is appreciated by those of us who are non-smokers.
There’s a restaurant on the premises called Luna that serves breakfast and an eclectic menu at dinner. Besides the usual eggs to order, try Napoleon’s Toast, which is French toast stuffed with cream cheese and topped with maple syrup and blueberries. Or get the breakfast wrap, which is a spinach tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cheddar cheese, and salsa. There’s a vegetarian quiche option, too.
The dinner menu is limited and pricier for most entrees, but you might want to try the Cheesy Shrimp-N-Grits for some southern-style seafood. It’s shrimp with bacon, mushrooms, and cheese grits (of course).
Everything at Hotel Napoleon was nicely designed, comfortable, and in excellent condition. I especially appreciated the amount of storage space in the bedroom, as well as the bathroom. There was a long table with plenty of room for my cosmetics and toiletries with a shelf underneath that contained extra towels, the slippers, and a blow dryer.
I also liked that the combination shower/tub had a little shelf that could be placed across the tub to hold more toiletries, and the tub also had some railings. At the sink were a magnifying mirror and a large lighted mirror. Thank you for enough light!
My bedroom also had a Bluetooth-enabled clock radio docking station and a Keurig coffee-maker. The television included more than 100 channels.
Another advantage of the Napoleon is that it’s just a short walk from Beale Street but enough away from the nightlife that there wasn’t street noise to keep me awake. I enjoyed my stay immensely, so I wouldn’t hesitate to sleep at Hotel Napoleon again or to recommend it to anyone visiting Memphis. In other words, don’t let the 3-star rating fool you – it deserves at least four.
The author received a complimentary stay at this hotel, but as always, we are dedicated to giving you unbiased accounts of our experiences. See our Disclosures page for more information.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and the International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 39 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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