Hu. — Memphis, USA

Since Chicago-based hospitality group Aparium launched in 2011, it’s been involved in opening some of the most interesting projects in the most unexpected American destinations like Detroit and Milwaukee. Its latest enterprise — the 11th in the portfolio — Hu. hotel has just opened in the city of Memphis, known for Blues music and barbecue.
Hu. hotel's home – in a Beaux Arts building from 1905 – provides the style foundation for Brooklyn-based designers HOME Studios, who layered local references (from the modernism prevalent in the city in the 1950s and 1960s to the neon signages you’d find outside Memphis bars) to create a truly textured look.
The lobby’s double-height ceiling, sheer, barely-there drapery, brass-trimmed sculptural chandelier, and low-slung leather chairs immediately deliver on this medley of inspirations. The 110 guest rooms follow suit but with a few more elevated touches like pink upholstery, Carrara marble, custom mix-media headboards, and framed photos of places around town. For aesthetes, there is plenty to look at (or post on Instagram) but the sharp design ethos means no corner ever feels cluttered or overdone.
A big part of Aparium’s MO is to weave in the local experience into the hotels they open. At Hu. (named after Hugh ‘Hu.' Lawson White Brinkley, a historic Memphis figure) this means a restaurant that evokes the iconic diners of the American South; an in-room cocktail – the Memphis Toddy – crafted by nearby Old Dominick Distillery, and, if you’ve really forgotten where you are, head up to the year-round rooftop, a spectacular perch from which to look at the city and the Mississippi River.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
79 Madison Avenue
-
The Sialia 45 cruiser is a welcome addition to the new generation of electric boats
Polish shipbuilder Sialia Yachts has launched the Sialia 45, a 14m all-electric cruiser for silent running
By Jonathan Bell
-
Tokyo design studio We+ transforms microalgae into colours
Could microalgae be the sustainable pigment of the future? A Japanese research project investigates
By Danielle Demetriou
-
What to see at London Craft Week 2025
With London Craft Week just around the corner, Wallpaper* rounds up the must-see moments from this year’s programme
By Francesca Perry
-
Fancy a matcha-beer cocktail? Visit this dashing new LA restaurant
Café 2001 channels the spirit of an American diner with the flow of a European bistro and the artistry of Japanese cuisine
By Carole Dixon
-
Visit this Michelin-star New York restaurant that doubles as an art gallery
Artist Mr.StarCity is exhibiting his emotionally charged yet optimistic ‘Bloomers’ portrait series at Frevo, a Greenwich Village hidden haunt
By Adrian Madlener
-
With glowing honeycomb-shaped booths, this futuristic Japanese restaurant is ramen heaven
After a successful U.S. expansion, Kyuramen touches down in Los Angeles.
By Carole Dixon
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the world
Celebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
By Léa Teuscher
-
Seven things not to miss on your sunny escape to Palm Springs
It’s a prime time for Angelenos, and others, to head out to Palm Springs; here’s where to have fun on your getaway
By Carole Dixon
-
At Linden Los Angeles, classic New York comfort food gets its due
The restaurant, inspired by a stretch of boulevard bridging Brooklyn and Queens, honors legacy, community and pleasure
By Carole Dixon
-
This atmospheric New York restaurant was designed to be a ‘beautiful ruin’
At Leon’s, classic Italian fare comes with a North African accent and with a side of family history
By Anna Fixsen
-
Is a tiny tattoo the best holiday souvenir? Kimpton Hotels think so
In partnership with Tiny Zaps, Kimpton Hotels is bringing city-inspired tattoo pop-ups to five U.S. locations
By Sofia de la Cruz