Axel's take on Midtown & Overton Square: #3 of 7 in Memphis, 5.4/10
Stay for local evenings and performing arts; budget for rides Downtown. Midtown offers neighborhood character and better value than the leading Downtown areas, but fewer strong hotel options and separated destinations limit convenience.
Midtown is the choice when you want more than the visitor circuit. Around Madison and Cooper, Overton Square combines restaurants, live music and theaters, including Playhouse on the Square and Hattiloo. Overton Park adds green space and the zoo nearby. The Square's inclusive rainbow crosswalk also reflects Midtown's established LGBTQ community connections.
The catch is that Midtown consists of separate destinations, not one seamless pedestrian district. An address along western Madison feels different from staying beside the Square; Cooper-Young is another outing farther south. Choose this for food, theater and repeat visits, but choose Downtown instead if Beale, riverfront sights and museums dominate your plans.
- Best for: food lovers, families, nightlife, LGBTQ+ travelers
- Skip it if: Most of your itinerary is Downtown; You want every Midtown destination within one easy walk
- Getting around: Bus 2 serves Madison and Overton Square; bus 42 serves Cleveland in western Midtown; walk within individual districts, use rides between them; from MEM, take a taxi/rideshare or buses 28 and 2 via Hudson.
- After dark: The Square has restaurant, theater and live-music activity into the evening; the atmosphere is concentrated around venues rather than spread across all of Midtown.
- Rates: Typical Axel rate $144 a night
Where to stay in Memphis: every neighborhood ranked
Where to look in Midtown & Overton Square
- Cooper Street at Madison Avenue. Stay beside the Square for walkable theater, patio dinners and music; this is Midtown’s concentrated evening destination. Hotels here: The Memphian, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel.
- Union and Madison near Bellevue. A practical Medical District base for hospital visits and drivers, rather than an extension of Overton Square’s evening scene. Hotels here: Holiday Inn Express Memphis Medical Center Midtown by IHG, Best Western Gen X Inn.
- Pauline Street near Union Avenue. Choose for medical-campus access, not a walk-home base for Midtown’s theaters or downtown nightlife. Hotels here: Motel 6 Memphis, TN - Downtown.
How to choose
- Choose The Memphian, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel if walking to Overton Square restaurants and theaters is the reason for your stay.
- Choose Holiday Inn Express Memphis Medical Center Midtown by IHG if you want warm service, included breakfast and free parking for a practical Medical District stay.
- Choose Best Western Gen X Inn if you need a cheaper Medical District room with free parking and can accept uneven service.
What paying more buys
Best Western Gen X Inn is cheaper than most here, with free parking but uneven service and wear. The much pricier Memphian buys distinctive, well-maintained rooms, rooftop drinks and walkable Overton Square evenings. Hospital visitors and travelers driving everywhere have less reason to pay that premium. Typical rates with Axel here run from $64 a night at Motel 6 Memphis, TN - Downtown to $372 at The Memphian, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (last 30 days).
The best hotels in Midtown & Overton Square, ranked by Axel's take
Each hotel scored for what it is by Axel's own review; the rate is one stay Axel priced this week, beside the public rate for the same dates.
- The Memphian, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel 8.7/10, upscale boutique hotel in Midtown’s Overton Square. A strong Midtown pick for distinctive rooms, walkable dining and rooftop drinks. Why it's here: walkable Overton Square evenings with distinctive rooms and rooftop drinks. Accept: a substantial premium, limited paid parking and no pool. $320 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Holiday Inn Express Memphis Medical Center Midtown by IHG 8.5/10, no-frills, limited-service hotel in Memphis’s Medical District. Warm service and a well-liked breakfast make this simple Memphis base a strong pick. Why it's here: warm service, well-liked breakfast and free parking for Medical District visits. Accept: some room wear, inconsistent housekeeping and drives to downtown. $128 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Best Western Gen X Inn 7.2/10, simple budget hotel in Memphis’s Medical District. A practical Medical District base, with comfortable rooms but uneven service. Why it's here: a cheaper Medical District base with spacious rooms, breakfast and free parking. Accept: uneven service, room wear and inconsistent breakfast replenishment. $105 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Motel 6 Memphis, TN - Downtown 4.6/10, bare-bones 2-star motel in Memphis’s Medical District. Free parking and downtown access cannot outweigh recurring cleanliness and maintenance problems. Why it's here: a low-rate, pet-friendly driving stop with free parking. Accept: recurring cockroaches, dirty bedding and broken room equipment. $59 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
