A designated historic monument and Memphis' only grand hotel, The Peabody (149 Union Ave.) offers guests the highest level of service, the city's best restaurant (Chez Philippe), magnificently mahoganied public areas, live mallard ducks who waddle through the lobby each morning to the tune of the "King Cotton March,". Best ambience, too. According to southern author David Cohn, "The Delta begins in the lobby of The Peabody and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg."

The Peabody's ballrooms, Plantation Roof, 1930s-era Skyway Room and lobby fountain evoke a traditional South as alive as ever. If you hear ducks quacking beneath the chandeliers, you're in the right place.