I was looking for a place to spend the night the day prior to our grandson's scheduled birth. I wanted to be near midtown, but kept thinking about the potential vandalism to my new car in some of the name brand hotels on the edge of the party/sketchy part of town. I spotted this one online and caught an off season price of $159 for the queen or $179 for the king size bed.
At check in I was offered a glass of wine. There was another taste provided in the room with our chocolate. The area is charming and there was actually an excellent hamburger in the restaurant called Tugs, which was under the same roof. But the best perk was an excellent breakfast the next morning. This was far from the standard grab your own stuff buffet. We were seated and had a very attentive waitress. We had several choices including fabulous pancakes (they were a bit more like crepes) and fried eggs with bacon....with coffee and juice.
The office entrance is on a quaint little street with limited parallel parking, but there is a parking lot around back. This is definitely my go to place in Memphis now. I am willing to pay a bit more for the peace of mind and pampering.
The room was cozy and I liked the fact that the closet was not in the hallway causing a bottle neck. The only negative had to do with some poor choices by the bathroom designer. The faucet in the incredibly small sink has no length to get it out over the middle of the bowl, so every time you wash your hands water gets all around the handle area. I did ,however, enjoy the towel rack they placed inside the tub because I hate to drape a towel over the rod.
Another nice feature was a coffee service starting at 6am just outside our door in a little area that looked like a study. This place is very well suited for the upscale business traveler that wants a place with some of the feeling and luxury of home.

What a charming inn! Feels more like a bed-and-breakfast than a hotel. The staff was gracious and professional. The rooms are beautifully furnished--and spotlessly clean. Great view of the Mississippi river from our room. Dinner on-site at Paulette's is a must. Breakfast at Paulette's was included in our package--fabulous! Nice place for a quiet get away. My wife and I will definitely return. Bob D.

I have been to a number of hotels recently for residency interviews, and without a doubt, The River Inn BLEW ME AWAY. Free glass of wine at check in, beautiful room, turn down service with free glas of port and truffles??? Give me a break! The staff was very friendly, offered to help with bags, and had some good suggestions for places I could eat. I would love to stay here again.

The wine at the front desk would have been a nice touch...if in fact they offered it to me. The front desk was not informative and seemed unable to handle simple requests. The noise level in the hotel is unacceptable. It seems the rooms have paper thin walls. I could hear people on each side of me. This seems from poor construction as everything seemed to be done on the cheep. The restaurant was mediocre, but the service was helpful and if not for my server (His name was Patrick) the whole experience would have been horrific.
The place seems run down and the furnishings seem warn with paint splotches on the walls. It seem unprofessionally taken care of.
It is a lovely location, in my opinion the best area of Memphis. But I was unhappy with my time spent at the River Inn. I will not go back.