The renovated guest rooms at The Peabody Memphis in downtown Memphis, Tenn., welcome guests with filtered light and a new, soft look based on a color scheme of sunshiny pale gold touched with white and a bit of coral-orange. Outside the hotel, Beale Street awaits — with some of the tastiest barbecued ribs and coolest blues around.

When I sat in the lobby of the newly spruced-up hotel, it was apparent just how comfortable this “living room of the South” is, with its overstuffed armchairs and couches to slouch into. The Peabody lobby is elegant, too. The art is beautifully displayed and gorgeous to look at, but nothing is more appealing than the five ducks swimming in the center fountain. People linger there in groups of two or three, or even just by themselves with a book. The side tables and coffee tables hold drinks or cocoa from a bar so unobtrusive you only notice it if you're looking for it. And at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., the lobby fills up entirely, and the “Duckmaster” calls the kids to come down front, close to the fountain, to watch the ducks parade. Like old pros, they ride the elevator from the Duck Palace on the roof and tread the red carpet to the tune of “King Cotton March.”

And the meeting space? It adds up to 80,000 square feet. The grand ballroom alone can accommodate more than 2,000 people. The third floor is a self-contained executive conference center with 12 meeting rooms, and there are 15 opulent conference rooms, some named for historic Southerners and notable historic events. A major renovation of the Continental, Venetian, Louis XVI, Forrest rooms, and the boardroom was completed in 2005 — but not to modernize the design. Never! The crystal chandeliers, carved woodwork, gilt moldings, and marble are part of what makes The Peabody the grande dame of the South. All the updates, technology-wise, are invisible, but they're definitely there. Your laptop will reach the Web almost anywhere in the hotel, and all the meeting rooms are set for PowerPoint presentations or other electronic wizardry. Find out more about this Southern legend at www.peabodymemphis.com.