Leave your blue suede shoes at the door. The Guest House at Graceland is now open adjacent to Elvis Presley’s Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tenn. According to Priscilla Presley, who oversaw the project and helped design the 450-room hotel, there was never a guest house at Graceland, the home she shared with her late husband, so friends of the Presley’s had to stay at a hotel. This new resort fills a missing piece for the estate.
The decor is inspired by the singer’s personal style, home, life and career, but was carefully designed to not be an Elvis-themed hotel. Priscilla was involved with designing the suites, known as The Upstairs, and includes the King’s Suite, modeled after Elvis’ own master bedroom, down to the TV mounted in the ceiling; the TCB (named for his personal motto, “Taking Care of Business”) with a turquoise and gold color palette; and two Vernon & Gladys’ Suites, tributes to the entertainer’s parents and his Palm Springs, Calif., home.
The hotel offers more than 25,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the nearly 11,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom with a capacity for up to 1,200 guests and the ability to be divided into five separate spaces; additional conference rooms, aptly named Rock, Blues, Country and Gospel, for smaller meetings; and an outdoor lawn that can be tented and accommodate 400 people for a reception.
A 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex— Elvis: Past, Present & Future—is scheduled to debut in March on the property.
One of the five dining options at The Guest House at Graceland is Delta’s Kitchen, serving Southern cuisine honoring the history of Tennessee and the Mississippi River Delta. The property also features a 464-seat theater and an outdoor pool.