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I’m still not sure if Big Cypress Lodge is real or if I dreamed the whole thing up. A rustic, southwestern-style hotel, you’ll find it inside the ninth wonder of the world; the Memphis Pyramid. Built in 1991 as a concert and sports arena, this beast of a building was turned into a massive branch of Bass Pro Shops in 2015, and is now a one-stop-shop for all things hunting, shooting and fishing. Kind of like Disneyland for alligator tour guides, it comes complete with an indoor swamp, aquatic-themed bowling alley and some 1,800 living fish.
The deeply unique hotel sits halfway up the 535,000-square-foot store, with some rooms boasting ‘outdoor’ balconies and porches that overlook the shop floor—a particularly strange experience late at night, when everyone, apart from the in-house gators, has left the store. Big Cypress Lodge is almost as bonkers as California’s ultra-camp Madonna Inn. We loved it.
What are the rooms like at Big Cypress Lodge?
There are 103 rooms and suites at Big Cypress Lodge, including five stand-alone cabin suites with rustic wood paneled frontages, which appear to float halfway up the inside of the pyramid, looking not unlike the moment in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy’s house takes flight mid-tornado. Wild. The Governor’s Suite is the biggest, complete with a boardroom area, full kitchen, leather couches, fireplace and space for six. There are also treehouses. Because of course there are.
Much like the rest of the pyramid, there is taxidermy everywhere there’s space to squeeze a stuffed mammal. Our double queen room is cozy and sizable and looked over by a massive deer’s head, with Pendleton-esque throws, plenty of room, a shower and jet-tub. Our only gripe? The interior rooms do suffer from a lack of natural light, which is not an issue with the rooms on the outside of the space. For a stay of one night, we don’t really mind, but it might be a bother for an extended visit.
What are the facilities like at Big Cypress Lodge?
Hotel guests have fast-track and free access to the top of the pyramid. Skip the line and take the country’s tallest freestanding elevator to an open-air viewpoint where you can take in all of Memphis and the Mississippi River from 32 stories up. There’s a 24-hour gym but if you’re after some slightly less exhausting fun, then the Fishbowl down on the shop floor comprises 13 bowling lanes with an underwater theme, bar snacks and drinks.
What is the food and restaurant like at Big Cypress Lodge?
Grab fast food at Wahlburgers Wild—a one-off adventure-themed outpost of the Wahlburgers chain, which is also open at breakfast for hotel guests only. For something a little more refined, try the towering Lookout at The Pyramid up at the top of the building. Specializing in southern cuisine and Tennessee classics, the vibe is lovely when we visit, with big, multi-generational groups celebrating birthdays and date nights. The views are, naturally, impressive. There’s also a bar inside the hotel, accessible until 11pm after Wahlburgers Wild and The Lookout have closed.
What’s the area like around Big Cypress Lodge?
There’s enough inside the pyramid to entertain you for days, but should you wish to leave, there’s a free shuttle service that will take you anywhere in Downtown Memphis and pick you up again when it’s time to go back to the hotel. The buzzing blues hub of Beale Street should be your first stop. You’ll have to drive yourself to Elvis’s home of Graceland, but it’s not far away at all.
DETAILS
Address: 1 Bass Pro Drive, Memphis, TN 38105, U.S.A.
Price: From $279 per night.
Transport: Memphis International Airport is approximately a 20-minute drive away.
Book: via Booking.com
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