Seven minutes. That's the real distance between downtown Memphis and the largest gaming floor in the Mid-South — one bridge, one exit, and Southland Casino Hotel's 113,000 square feet of 24-hour gaming is right in front of you. The cross-river casino run is a legitimate Memphis night-out tradition, and the only thing that makes it complicated is transportation.
Drive yourself and someone has to stay sober for the midnight return across the Hernando de Soto Bridge. Split into multiple cars and spend twenty minutes regrouping in the parking lot before anyone can agree on when to leave. Or — the move that actually works — book one Memphis charter bus or party bus, set a return time, and let the bridge be someone else's problem while your group focuses on the tables.
Below is everything you need to plan this trip right: exactly where the bus drops off, what Southland's official Bus Groups program pays your group in free play credits (most groups don't know it exists), how the I-40 bridge approach works for oversized vehicles, and how to time the return for a 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. call. Fill out the quick form or call 901-203-3181 — pricing in under a minute, no account needed.
Why Rent a Party Bus or Charter Bus to Southland Casino Hotel?
The casino is genuinely open 24 hours a day — which is rare for the Mid-South market and one of the biggest draws for Memphis groups who want a proper late night. But that all-hours access creates a real coordination problem the moment you add personal cars to the mix. Who's driving home at 2 a.m.?
Who's okay to handle the bridge? Who's standing in the parking lot while three people "just want one more hand"? A Memphis party bus or charter bus rental eliminates every one of those questions at once.
You set a return window, the bus stages on property, and everyone rides home together with a plan already locked in before the first bet is placed.
The parking situation at Southland is manageable — free self-parking and free valet are both available — but the real friction on a casino group night isn't finding a spot. It's the coordination: getting there together, agreeing on departure, and making sure the 1 a.m. rideshare surge from West Memphis to downtown Memphis doesn't catch anyone off guard. One bus covers all of it.
One flat rate, split across the group, that's often cheaper per head than five separate cars, five return rideshares, and one person per vehicle spending the night watching the clock. Partybusmemphis.net connects you to a large network of bus companies serving Memphis — fill out the quick form or call 901-203-3181 any time to compare options and get a quote for your trip.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at Southland Casino Hotel
Southland Casino Hotel sits on a large property at 1550 N. Ingram Blvd. in West Memphis — plenty of room for oversized vehicles, free valet available at the main entrance, and no tight downtown streets to navigate. Drop-off for a charter bus or party bus is at the main entrance, where valet service handles the vehicle while your group heads straight to the gaming floor. The approach from I-40's Exit 279A keeps the bus off surface streets — it's a direct, uncomplicated pull-in.
The key logistical detail every group should know: bus parking at Southland must be coordinated in advance. The Memphis Travel motorcoach guide lists Southland Casino Hotel (under its prior name) and notes that buses may use the lots, but advance arrangements are required. Contact the casino ahead of your visit to confirm where your bus will stage during the stay.
Groups enrolled in Southland's official Bus Groups program — covered in full in the next section — have their arrival coordination handled through the casino's group events team, so that call happens as part of the program setup rather than as a separate last-minute task.
Bus parking at Southland Casino Hotel requires advance coordination. The property has the space and free valet at the main entrance — but arrange it ahead of time so your bus has a confirmed staging area when it arrives. Groups going through the Bus Groups program have this handled as part of the setup process.
The Cross-River Approach: I-40 and the Hernando de Soto Bridge
The route from Memphis to Southland Casino Hotel is about as simple as a group destination gets. Head west on I-40, cross the Hernando de Soto Bridge over the Mississippi River, and take Exit 279A (Ingram Boulevard) on the Arkansas side. Southland Casino Hotel is less than a mile from the exit on Ingram Blvd. Off-peak drive time from downtown Memphis: approximately 7 minutes.
Distance: roughly 8.7 miles. One bridge, one exit — no complicated interchange, no city surface-street navigation.
The Hernando de Soto Bridge carries six lanes of I-40 across the Mississippi. It handles approximately 43,882 vehicles per day and is a fully standard crossing for commercial vehicles including charter buses and motorcoaches. The one thing worth watching for late-night trips is the bridge's periodic maintenance schedule.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) publishes lane closure announcements in advance — alternating single-lane closures are occasionally scheduled during overnight hours, which is exactly when a casino bus run is returning to Memphis. A quick check of the ARDOT site before a late-night trip is always worth the 60 seconds, especially for Thursday nights and holiday-adjacent weekends when overnight work windows are more likely to overlap with your return.
One fact worth putting to rest for your group: this is a Tennessee-to-Arkansas run. Southland Casino Hotel is in Crittenden County, Arkansas — not Shelby County, Tennessee. The Mississippi River is the state line.
That's not a logistical issue at all for a charter bus or party bus, but it's the question guests invariably ask when they see a West Memphis, AR address on a casino that bills itself as a Memphis-area destination. The Hernando de Soto Bridge is the only crossing you need.
Southland Casino Hotel's Official Bus Groups Program
Here's what most Memphis groups arriving by bus don't know: Southland Casino Hotel runs a formal Bus Groups program with real per-guest perks built in. Register your group in advance and every qualifying passenger gets $25 in Free Play upon arrival, plus the group coordinator receives a $20 food credit. For a group of 30, that's $750 walking in the door before anyone's touched a slot machine.
For 45 people, it's $1,125 — not insignificant on a company outing or a birthday run planned around the tables.
The program has specific requirements, all pulled directly from Southland's official Bus Groups page:
- Minimum 20 passengers, all 21 or older, each presenting a valid photo ID at arrival.
- Monday through Thursday only, with arrivals accepted 8am to 2pm. No buses are processed after 2pm. The program does not run on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. A weekend casino night by charter bus is completely fine — the casino is open 24 hours a day — but the free play perk only applies to qualifying weekday windows.
- Stay of at least 4 hours on the property.
- Bus line insurance naming Southland Casino Hotel as certificate holder, submitted to the group events team in advance.
- A typed passenger manifest listing each person's full legal first and last name (no nicknames or shortened names), birthdate, and address — submitted at least 10 business days before the visit date. That's two full calendar weeks. This is the requirement that trips groups up most often.
- Perks cannot be combined with other Southland promotions.
- Contact the group events team: email groupevents@southlandcasino.com.
The 10-business-day manifest deadline is the thing to internalize first. If your company outing or organization trip is on a Wednesday in October, the manifest is due roughly by the Wednesday before last — not the week of the trip. Find your bus through Partybusmemphis.net at the same time you start the group events process.
Call 901-203-3181 and reach out to groupevents@southlandcasino.com on the same day; both processes have lead-time requirements and neither can be started the week of the visit.
$25 in Free Play per guest — but only for Monday–Thursday arrivals before 2pm, with a full typed passenger manifest submitted 10 business days (two calendar weeks) in advance. Start the enrollment process at the same time you request your bus quote. Both have deadlines; both need to move together.
What's at Southland Casino Hotel
Southland Casino Hotel completed a $320 million expansion in December 2022 — a three-year project that transformed the former Southland greyhound racing facility into a full casino resort. Delaware North operates the property, and the finished product is the dominant gaming and hospitality destination in the Mid-South market. Here's what your group walks into when the bus drops at the main entrance.
Gaming floor. 113,000 square feet — roughly two and a half football fields — running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The floor holds 2,400 slot machines, 50 live table games (blackjack, craps, roulette, and more), a High Limit Room, and a sportsbook with simulcast racing capability. The 24-hour schedule is the property's defining feature for late-night groups: the casino's answer to "when do you close?" is simply that it doesn't.
Hotel tower. The 20-story blue-glass high-rise holds 300 rooms — including 60 suites and 12 penthouse suites. The property earned a AAA Four Diamond rating in June 2025, a credential recognizing notable style, comfort, and above-average hospitality.
All rooms include high-thread-count linens, charging stations, mini-fridges, and in-room safes. For groups planning an overnight casino stay rather than a same-night return to Memphis, the hotel is a serious upgrade from the surrounding West Memphis lodging options.
Dining — eight venues. Southland's dining lineup covers the full range of what a casino group actually wants. Ignite Steakhouse handles upscale dinner service Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm (10pm close on weeknights, 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays), with OpenTable reservations available.
The Kitchens is the property's buffet, running Friday through Sunday from 11am. The Fry House, The Grind, and Seasons Café cover quick bites and casual eating. The bar circuit includes Sports Bar & Grill, Chairman's Bar, and Charred Oak Bourbon Bar — which hosts live music every Friday and Saturday from 8pm to midnight.
Check the official Southland Casino promotions calendar for seasonal giveaways and events running on your visit date.
What Size Bus Rental Does Your Group Need for Southland Casino Hotel?
The Southland Casino run draws all kinds of group sizes — a Tuesday company outing of 40, a Saturday bachelorette party of 18, a birthday group of 25. Partybusmemphis.net connects you to a large network of bus companies serving Memphis with a wide range of vehicles, so your group rides at the right size without paying for seats you don't fill. Here's how the full vehicle lineup maps to the most common casino run configurations:
| Vehicle | Capacity | Best casino run use | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to ~14 | Small VIP run, executive group | Premium leather, USB charging, climate control |
| 18- / 20-passenger party bus | 18–20 | Birthday group, bachelorette party, small casino nights | LED lighting, sound system, flat-panel TVs, perimeter seating |
| 25- / 28-passenger party bus | 25–28 | Mid-size birthday or company group | LED lighting, sound system, flat-panel TVs, perimeter seating |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | 15–35 | Corporate outing, church group, organized trip | Reclining seats, powerful A/C, overhead storage |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Large company event, civic organization, big group qualifying for bus program | Undercarriage bays, onboard restroom, WiFi, power outlets, reclining seats |
Most casino groups heading across the bridge land in the 20–35 person range, making the 25-passenger party bus or the minibus the most common request for this run. The 7-minute crossing means the vehicle isn't hauling your group for long — but for birthday and bachelorette runs, party bus amenities (LED lighting, premium sound, flat-panel TVs) make even a short ride feel like the kickoff to a bigger night. For a company group of 45 targeting Southland's Bus Groups program on a weekday, a 56-seat charter bus handles everyone in one vehicle and clears the 20-person minimum for the $25-per-head free play credits in one shot.
The minibus is the clean pick for church groups, civic organizations, and corporate outings that want comfortable transport without the party-bus price point.
Party Bus & Charter Bus Rental Prices for the Southland Casino Hotel Run
Because Southland Casino Hotel is so close to Memphis — under 9 miles each way — the total rental cost on this run is driven mostly by how many hours you need the vehicle available, not by distance. Most groups book a block covering the round trip plus the casino stay, typically 4–6 hours depending on how long they plan to be on the floor. To give you an idea of where planning numbers land for a Southland Casino party bus or charter bus run from Memphis:
| Vehicle | Weekday hourly range | Weekend hourly range |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | $200–$275/hr | $225–$375/hr |
| 18-passenger party bus | $275–$350/hr | $275–$400/hr |
| 20-passenger party bus | $250–$350/hr | $275–$350/hr |
| 25-passenger party bus | $250–$350/hr | $275–$375/hr |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | $200–$250/hr | $200–$275/hr |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | $200–$350/hr | $200–$350/hr |
Actual pricing for your specific date, group size, and itinerary comes from the quote form or a call to 901-203-3181 — the actual number shifts with the date, vehicle availability, and exact hours booked. What the table does is help you size the budget. A 5-hour weekday rental on a 25-passenger party bus at midrange rates might come to $1,250–$1,750 total — roughly $50–$70 per person for a 25-person group covering the whole round-trip evening.
Compare that to five separate cars, five return rideshares at 1 a.m. from West Memphis (late-night surge rates across the bridge are real), and at least one person per vehicle who spent the night watching their phone instead of the blackjack table. Once your group clears 15–20 people, the per-head math almost always tips toward the bus. For a fuller breakdown of how Memphis party bus and charter bus pricing works across vehicle types, see the Memphis party bus prices page — or call 901-203-3181 for a free quote with no obligation.
Late-Night Return Timing from Southland Casino Hotel
The 24-hour gaming floor is the biggest planning question for a Memphis group night at Southland, and it's the one most groups underplan. The casino never closes — so without a pre-set return time, "we're leaving when people are done" turns into a slow attrition of people deciding they're done at different times and sorting out their own way back across the river. With a bus, you set a departure window when you book, everyone knows the time, and the bus is staged on property when the moment arrives.
No scramble, no debate, no trying to coordinate seven different people's "just five more minutes" from different parts of the floor.
Most groups targeting a late-night casino run set a return window somewhere between midnight and 2 a.m. — long enough for a full evening, but with a hard endpoint that keeps the trip from bleeding into a 4 a.m. situation. Some groups book a flexible range ("pick us up anytime between 1 and 2 a.m.") and confirm the final call about an hour before departure. Talk through the timing when you request your quote; the setup is flexible and built into the booking from the start.
One planning note for the late-night return: the Hernando de Soto Bridge occasionally carries alternating single-lane traffic during overnight maintenance windows. ARDOT schedules these closures in advance and publishes them on the ARDOT advisory page. These windows typically run during low-traffic overnight hours — the same window your group is heading back to Memphis.
A quick check on the day of your trip, before you leave the casino, costs 60 seconds and can save you from a surprise backup on I-40 at 1:30 a.m.
Tips for Your Group's Southland Casino Hotel Trip
- Everyone must be 21 or older, with valid photo ID. No exceptions. For groups enrolled in the Bus Groups program, each passenger's ID details are already part of the submitted manifest; for all other groups, ID is required at the casino entrance for every guest.
- The Bus Groups free play window is weekday-only. Monday through Thursday, arrivals before 2pm. Southland's floor is open 24 hours including weekends — a Friday or Saturday night charter bus run is a completely normal booking. The $25 per-guest free play perk simply doesn't apply outside the qualifying weekday windows.
- Start the manifest process early. 10 business days means roughly two calendar weeks. Reach out to groupevents@southlandcasino.com the moment your trip date is confirmed — two to three weeks out, not the week of the visit.
- Coordinate bus parking in advance. Arrange it before your trip to confirm where your bus will stage during the visit. Free valet handles guest drop-off at the main entrance; bus staging is a separate advance coordination with the property.
- Reserve Ignite Steakhouse ahead of time. If your group is planning a pre-gaming dinner, book through OpenTable in advance — Ignite is a popular dinner destination Wednesday through Sunday and walk-in wait times on weekend evenings can be significant.
- Sign up for Ember Rewards before the trip. Southland's loyalty program tracks casino earnings and redeems free play credits. Each guest should have a card ready at arrival rather than spending the first 20 minutes at the rewards desk.
- Check ARDOT before a late-night departure. Bridge maintenance windows occasionally overlap with overnight casino-run return times. The ARDOT advisory page lists scheduled lane closures — 60 seconds of checking is always worth it before your group walks out to the bus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does a charter bus or party bus drop off at Southland Casino Hotel?
Drop-off is at the main entrance of the property at 1550 N. Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR 72301, accessible via Exit 279A off I-40. Free valet service is available at the front entrance for guests. Bus parking on property must be arranged in advance — contact the property to confirm your bus's staging area before arrival.
Groups enrolled in the Bus Groups program have parking coordination handled through the group events team as part of the setup process.
How far is Southland Casino Hotel from Memphis?
About 8.7 miles and 7 minutes off-peak from downtown Memphis. Take I-40 West, cross the Hernando de Soto Bridge, and take Exit 279A (Ingram Blvd.) in West Memphis, Arkansas. Southland Casino Hotel is less than a mile from the exit.
No city surface streets, no complicated interchange — one bridge, one exit.
Is Southland Casino Hotel open 24 hours?
Yes. The gaming floor operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Individual dining venues have their own hours — Ignite Steakhouse runs Wednesday–Sunday starting at 5pm; The Kitchens buffet runs Friday–Sunday from 11am — but the casino floor itself never closes.
That's the primary reason late-night Memphis bus groups target this property specifically.
What does Southland Casino's Bus Groups program pay out?
$25 in Free Play per qualifying guest, plus a $20 food credit for the group coordinator. For a group of 20 (the minimum), that's $500 in free play at arrival. For a group of 40, it's $1,000.
The program runs Monday–Thursday only, arrivals accepted before 2pm, with a typed passenger manifest submitted 10 business days before your visit. Contact groupevents@southlandcasino.com to get enrolled.
Can you run the Bus Groups program on a Friday or Saturday night?
No — the free play perks apply only to Monday–Thursday arrivals before 2pm. A charter bus or party bus run to Southland Casino Hotel on a Friday or Saturday is a completely normal booking; the casino is open 24 hours all week. The organized group perks simply don't apply outside the qualifying weekday window.
What's the minimum group size for the Bus Groups program?
20 passengers, all 21 or older with valid photo ID. A typed manifest — full legal name (no nicknames), birthdate, and address for each passenger — must be submitted at least 10 business days before the visit date. Bus line insurance naming Southland as certificate holder is also required.
How much does a bus rental to Southland Casino Hotel cost?
Pricing depends on vehicle size, total hours booked, and the date. To give you an idea: a 5-hour weekday rental on a 25-passenger party bus might come to $1,250–$1,750 total — roughly $50–$70 per person for a group of 25, covering the full round-trip evening including the casino stay. Actual pricing for your date and group comes from the quote form or a call to 901-203-3181.
The per-head number almost always looks better than five separate cars plus late-night return rideshares from West Memphis when you run the math.
Can a charter bus cross the Hernando de Soto Bridge?
Yes, without any issue. The I-40 Hernando de Soto Bridge carries six lanes of interstate traffic, including commercial trucks and motorcoaches regularly. The one thing to monitor is ARDOT's scheduled maintenance lane closures, which occasionally fall on overnight hours — the same window a casino group is returning to Memphis.
Check ardot.gov before a late-night trip for any current advisories.
How far in advance should I book a bus to Southland Casino Hotel?
For a standard casino run on a regular weekend or weeknight without a major Memphis event pushing demand, two to three weeks of lead time is workable. If your trip qualifies for the Bus Groups program, start the process at least three weeks out to allow time for the manifest submission (10 business days before the visit) without cutting it close. For large company outings, holiday weekends, or dates that overlap with big Memphis events — Grizzlies playoff games, New Year's Eve — four to six weeks is the safer target.
Call 901-203-3181 as soon as your date is set. Earlier quotes always mean better vehicle availability.
What is there to do at Southland Casino Hotel besides gaming?
Eight dining venues cover everything from a fast bite at The Fry House to a full steakhouse dinner at Ignite. The Charred Oak Bourbon Bar hosts live music Friday and Saturday nights from 8pm to midnight. The hotel tower — 20 floors, 300 rooms, AAA Four Diamond rated — is a real overnight option for groups who want to extend the trip into the next morning rather than riding back across the bridge at 2 a.m.
And the sportsbook with simulcast racing gives sports-focused groups a second destination inside the same building.
Book Your Southland Casino Hotel Bus Today
The 7-minute bridge crossing is not the hard part — the coordination is. One Memphis charter bus or party bus rental handles the pickup, the cross-river run, the casino stay, and the late-night return in a single booking. Partybusmemphis.net connects you to a large network of bus companies serving Memphis so you can compare vehicle types and pricing in under a minute. Fill out the quick form on this site or call 901-203-3181 any time, any day — free quote, no obligation, no account required.
If your group qualifies for Southland's Bus Groups free play program, start both processes at the same time so your bus quote and your manifest enrollment land on the same timeline — and your group walks in with real credits already waiting at the floor.
Also heading to FedExForum for a Grizzlies game or a major concert on the same Memphis trip? That guide covers the FedExForum drop-off and approach in full — the same Memphis group transportation network serves both runs from anywhere in the metro.
