Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the hotel's opening.

When the Caption by Hyatt opened in Downtown Memphis in June, it became the hotel chain's first location for its new brand hopes it will not only give visitors a taste of Memphis but also give locals a new favorite haunt.

“The idea behind the brand is not to only be inspired by our community but to be part of our community," Nicholas Janysek, director of sales, marketing and events for the hotel, said before the opening.

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At a grand opening party in July, dozens of Memphians poured into the new hotel to take in the ambiance, sample the cuisine that will be available and sip on a new signature beer that has been created specifically for the Caption by local brewery Grind City.

From the food to the guests to the music, the party was a celebration of what the hotel hopes to share with the world: the spirit of Memphis.

The hotel will offer food and drink from local brands including Grit Girls Grits, Bluff City Mushrooms, Joyce Chicken, Home Place Pastures and Grind City Brewing. And through a special partnership with Grind City, there will be a new brew specifically for the hotel.

Those snacks and beers can be enjoyed in Talk Shop, which functions as both the lobby space and an all-day coffee shop and bar — cocktails are available at any time without judgment, Janysek said — which also offers grab-and-go snacks and flatbreads.

Patrons can also take those offerings out to the open-air beer garden facing Front Street, which features fire pits for the colder months and a made-for-Instagram living plant wall. There’s also a courtyard space tucked into a nook on the south side of the building that will have small music events and a big screen for movie nights or an intimate Grizzlies watch party.

“There are a lot of opportunities to grab a coffee in the morning and get a little work done or come on out in the afternoon with a couple of buddies, head out to the beer garden and have a couple of beers,” Janysek said.

There has also been a focus on hiring local employees at the hotel.

The 136-key hotel at 245 S. Front St. will be the second of three Hyatt-brand hotels to open at the One Beale development. The Hyatt Centric opened in 2021, and the Grand Hyatt is projected to open in the third quarter of 2024. Preliminary work has begun on that project.

Caption has been described as a "lifestyle, responsibly engaged brand." The focus of each Caption hotel is to provide a local experience to guests as well as modern amenities like self-check-in kiosks and digital room keys that sync with your Apple wallet or watch. Traditional plastic key cards will also be available.

Interior and exterior walls will feature colorful murals by Memphis artists. Hallways on room floors feature exposed ceilings, and the façade of the old William C. Ellis & Sons Ironworks and Machine Shop was preserved.

“It's really wanting to keep that kind of industrial feel as well as a little bit of that that urban twist,” Janyesk said. Rooms and common areas were “purpose-designed to kind of give you the feel of urban street art.”

The lobby space and a side room that can function as a conference room or a billiards room thanks to a removable topper on the pool table occupy the first floor. The second floor is devoted to the gym space, which features multiple machines, free weights and a studio, which could host Pilates or yoga classes.

Eight corner suites feature larger living spaces and balconies with Mississippi River views. The king bed and two double bedrooms also feature smaller sitting areas. All rooms have safes, mini-fridges and irons as well as wall-mounted TVs. All rooms have either Downtown or river views.

Bathrooms feature walk-in showers and wallpaper unique to each city.

However, the hotel won’t have all the in-room frills as other hotel rooms, which allows the Caption to offer more competitive room rates than other Downtown hotels, Janysek said. Room prices on various booking sites for the July 4th weekend show prices ranging from $144 to $212 per night.

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The Caption connects to the Centric through the meeting and events space. The hotels also offer guests the opportunity to charge any food or drink purchased in the Centric to their room even if they’re staying at the Caption, and vice-versa.

The Memphis location is the launch of Hyatt’s Caption brand. Following the Memphis debut, Caption locations are expected to open in Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai and Saigon. Reservations for rooms are being taken from July 1 onward.

“We’re really excited to debut this,” Janysek said.

Corinne S Kennedy covers economic development and healthcare for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.Kennedy@CommercialAppeal.com 

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Caption by Hyatt in Memphis: A look inside One Beale's hotel