DIRTY, CRAMPED, OLD!
THE BAD…
I'm a bit baffled by the other posted reviews... For my family, $160.00 per night included: unwashed sheets, cigarette burned comforters, sticky floors, broken amenities and dark, cramped and dingy rooms (see the pictures).
I can imagine when it was new this hotel was probably quite a gem. The atrium-style design and glass elevators were very popular in the 80s and 90s, but now it just seems DATED AND DIRTY. You can tell that they've attempted to “update” the actual rooms with darker wood, granite counter tops and newer furniture, but they missed the mark entirely by choosing pieces that were cheap, over-sized and ill-suited for travelers. And then, they FAILED to properly clean or maintain those updates (more on that later)…
FURNITURE--To be honest, I felt like I was in a furniture liquidation warehouse our entire stay- squeezing around unnecessary chairs, tables, stools, etc…There were THREE large sinks in the suite -one in the bathroom, one for the bar, and another randomly taking up space in the cramped bedroom. This was ironic because the lone tiny closet had four hangers and could probably only hold ten at most, (because when traveling, having multiple hand-washing options is more important than a place to put your clothes?)…
When the hideaway sofa was pulled out, there was barely enough room to squeeze your legs through to walk around to put the (dirty) sheets on it… There was a large desk/table with a desk chair on one side and two "waiting room" style chairs on the other. This would be convenient for families to eat a quick snack or meal- that is, if there were room to sit down! We had to actually climb over and INTO the chairs to sit at the table squeezed between the wall and TV...Okay, okay, so you get it. The suites are either too small or just crammed with too much furniture. Either way, we were uncomfortable and tripping over everything and everyone the whole time. By the way, we (my husband, 14 yr old daughter and I) are not large people. Overall, the suite was dark. The ceilings felt low. Blah!
MAINTENANCE—although you could tell that there were “updates”, the entire hotel and room needed a good scrubbing, carpet shampooing and general maintenance. The laminate wood floor near the bar area in our suite crackled and creaked when you walked on it. The carpets were sticky. I only dared to walk barefoot once! The floor near the elevator was sticky enough to make our shoes stick. (I told the front desk and they eventually mopped it. WHY would I have to report this?) The windows in our suite were SO dirty that you could not see out- see the pictures!
BATHROOMS—when I stay at a hotel, I expect the bathroom to be pristine. (Who doesn’t? I don’t want to touch other people’s funk!) The vanity shelving where they put the “clean” towels was dusty and dirty, and the finish was worn and peeling. The toilet paper holder was improperly installed, so that the roll would fall off every time you tried to unroll the tissue. The exhaust fan (six inches above your head when showering) was COVERED in clumps of dirty and dust- see the pictures! The multiple-stream massaging shower head could not be adjusted. I assume this is because it had not been cleaned-ever!
BEDDING—another thing I expect when checking into any hotel (especially for $160.00 per night) is CLEAN bedding… We arrived late in the evening, unpacked, and climbed into bed to find DIRTY SHEETS, covered in someone else’s makeup-see the pictures! ACK! (I called to the front desk any they apologized and politely brought me a pile of replacement bedding.) Imagine my surprise to unfold the new bedspread and find not one, not two, but THREE giant cigarette burns- see the pictures! It was close to midnight, so in desperation, I pulled the extra bedding from the top of the closet (3rd time’s a charm?) and found a nasty, cheap, flame-retardant blanket that was so sticky and stiff, it made NOISE when I tried to unfold it...Fortunately, we had brought an extra blanket along on our trip and used that to sleep that night. INSANE, UNNECESSARY, INEXCUSEABLE! At this point, I was ready to change hotels, but we had friends staying there as well and decided to stick it out. Who hasn’t stayed in a fleabag hotel at one time or another? We survived, but will NEVER return! 
OTHER IRRITATIONS TO NOTE—when we travel, we tend to have tons of electronics to charge- laptops, cell phones, camera batteries, etc. I attempted to slide the TV over on the bedroom credenza to reach one of the few plugs, and found that it was bolted down like a cheap motel. Ironically, the bedside lamps were NOT bolted down, so when we wanted to turn the light off before bed, I had to use two hands to push the sticky button and keep the lamp from sliding off the night table. Yes, I’m being picky now, but who wants to get IN bed and then realize you have to get OUT of bed to turn off the lamp? -just another example of thoughtless design…
THE GOOD?—
Unfortunately, there isn’t much good to report, other than the made to order breakfast was good, and the dining hostesses were polite. However, the largest cup available for drinks was a coffee cup. If you wanted juice or soda, you were stuck with a 6-oz Dixie-style cup. This is pretty standard for hotels that include breakfast, but I’d imagine three wasted tiny cups would cost MORE than one larger cup for juice. (I’m being picky again. I probably wouldn’t be if everything else were in order. It wasn’t and I’m a contributor on Tripadvisor. Soo…)
The desk clerk that checked us in was also very polite. The hotel was booked, but he still remembered to offer us the bottles of water afforded by our Silver Club Member status. (See? We stay in enough Hilton hotels to know when things are sub-par!)
Finally, the hotel is close to a Target, multiple dining options and highways, but there are many other options nearby. The flaws at this Embassy are MANY, but easily remedied. I think that’s why I was soo disappointed! We’re not talking about million-dollar fixes, just SOAP and EFFORT. Shame on Embassy Suites Memphis. $160.00 X 2 night for an experience worse than Motel 6! Booo!