MEMPHIS, Tenn.
Graceland’s new, 450-room resort, The Guest House at Graceland, welcomed its first guests on Thursday, Oct. 27, when Priscilla Presley joined Graceland executives to cut a blue suede ribbon to signify the official opening for the $92 million luxury property. Among the first guests to check in were Elvis Presley’s family members, friends and fellow musicians, along with fans from all over the world.
Inspired by Elvis’ personal style and the iconic Graceland Mansion, The Guest House at Graceland is the most significant enhancement to Graceland since it opened to the public in 1982, and the largest hotel project in Memphis in over 90 years. The resort hotel, which is situated steps from Graceland Mansion, features 430 guest rooms and 20 specialty suites with design and decor supervised by Priscilla Presley.
“Elvis was known by friends and family for his warm and generous southern hospitality,” said Joel Weinshanker, managing partner, Graceland Holdings, LLC. “At one time, he had plans to build a guest house for the many friends and family that he and Priscilla welcomed to Graceland.”
The Guest House at Graceland brought over 200 new jobs to Memphis to service the guest rooms, the five dining options, a 464-seat theater, outdoor pool and conference, event and catering facilities.
The luxury resort also kicks off an era of expansion for Graceland, with development of a new 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex, Elvis: Past, Present & Future, scheduled to open in March 2017.
With more than 25,000 square feet of event space, five dining options and a 464-seat theater for live performances, presentations and movies, The Guest House is said to be an ideal venue for a variety of meetings, conferences and reunions. At almost 11,000 square feet, the Grand Ballroom is the largest meeting and special events space at the property, capable of hosting up to 1,200 people.
Additional conference rooms, named Rock, Blues, Country and Gospel, can accommodate smaller events and meetings. The Lawn at The Guest House is an outdoor space that holds 400 for a reception.
