MEMPHIS, Tenn.
Elvis Week 2014 will mark the beginning of a new era at Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis as the first additions to the tour experience in 20 years debut to the public, a first-ever auction of Graceland Authenticated artifacts is held, and ground is broken on a new hotel.
The Presley family, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE), along with the new owners of the Graceland operation, have been exploring ways to make improvements in the Graceland attraction in order to ensure its growth and continued success.
Priscilla Presley will join fans for an August 14 groundbreaking at the site of a new hotel at Graceland that will serve visitors who travel to Memphis to tour the famous home of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. The full-service 450-room hotel, called "The Guest House at Graceland," will be constructed along Elvis Presley Boulevard on the same side of the street as the landmark mansion on land acquired by EPE in 1994.
The new hotel will feature spacious rooms and a range of facilities, including two restaurants, meeting and special events space, and a 500-seat theater for live performances. Priscilla Presley will guide the look of the interior design of a number of the special suites, pulling inspiration from Elvis' personal style and the historic Graceland mansion.
The hotel will be owned and operated by EPE and upon opening will be one of the largest full-service hotels in Memphis.
New Additions and Offerings
A special component of the hotel will be The Founders membership concept. Founders will be guests with VIP privileges, including special access to the Graceland mansion and grounds, exclusive invitations to events and receptions, and priority room and dining reservations.
Starting August 9, two new offerings will be available at the King of Rock 'n' Roll's Memphis mansion. The Graceland Archives Experience is located in the Archive Studio on the grounds of Graceland for visitors who select the Graceland Platinum or VIP tours. A multimedia tablet tour utilizing iPads and iBeacon technology will be available for all guests touring the mansion.
The Graceland Archives Experience, will allow guests to explore various aspects of the King of Rock 'n' Roll's life and career through daily presentations that highlight artifacts not seen on the traditional tour. It will include wardrobe items, photographs, documents and film clips.
Graceland will be one of the first historic homes in the United States to offer an interactive iPad tour that provides a fully immersive experience for guests, narrated by actor and Elvis fan, John Stamos. Visitors can explore content hotspots which, when activated, allow users to dive deeper into the story of Elvis' life through archival audio, video and photo elements.
Guests can then "favorite" selected content found on the tour to review and share at the conclusion of their Graceland experience.
The launch of these two new tour offerings on August 9 coincides with the annual Elvis Week festivities at Graceland August 8-17, as thousands of fans from around the world gather in Memphis to celebrate the life and legacy of the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
Additional Activities
The first-ever "Auction at Graceland" will be held on August 14, which features artifacts authenticated by the new Graceland Authenticated, LLC., a Graceland affiliated authentication and appraisal service for collectors and fans.
Among the items in the auction are rare and unique artifacts from the collection of Greg Page, founding member of The Wiggles and one of the world's biggest and well-known Elvis Presley collectors. Page's items include Elvis' 1977 Cadillac Seville, a Martin D-28 guitar and Elvis' copy of the original script for his first film, "Love Me Tender."
All of the items in the auction will be offered from third-party collectors and none of the items included in the auction will come from the Graceland Archives. The mansion and all artifacts in the Graceland archives continue to be owned by Lisa Marie Presley and are not for sale.
