Memphis Staycation at The Guest House at Graceland

Memphis Staycation at The Guest House at Graceland

Sometimes you need to get away. Far, far away. Other times, a not-so-far-away getaway will do just fine. If you know what I'm talking about and you live in Memphis, let me suggest The Guest House at Graceland.

This luxury hotel right next to the Graceland Mansion opened in October of 2016. The following story is from my stay in early 2017, but I've updated hours and information.

Settle in and let me take you through my Memphis staycation weekend at The Guest House at Graceland.

Pix - Guest House Exterior

We arrived at The Guest House at Graceland and our first impression was: wow, this is big. And nice. The luxurious lobby immediately set the tone for a weekend escape from our busy lives.

After check-in, we went straight for the lobby bar for cocktails and snacks. (Priorities!) The attention to detail is obvious everywhere in the hotel, from the mirrors and light fixtures to the vintage-style cut crystal glasses for a bourbon-based drink.

The Lobby Lounge is open Thursday through Monday from 5 p.m. to close.

Then we explored the grounds of the hotel. There's plenty of outdoor seating and a huge pool with a wet deck. Take note, summer visitors and staycation-ers.

Guest House at Graceland Pool Area
Raphael Tenschert
people sitting at booths at EP's Bar & Grill
Alex Shansky
Folks enjoying dinner at Delta's Kitchen.

Next, time for dinner at Delta's Kitchen. The atmosphere is sleek and upscale, and the service was wonderful. We started out with crab cakes and cheddar biscuits (you must eat the biscuits), then went to a wedge salad. The chef created a custom raspberry vinaigrette for us, not sure they always do that.

Menu items may vary. 

For entrees, we went for the salmon and the steak with veggie sides. I was really impressed by the quality of the ingredients and I'd order either of these again.

For dessert, we had a bourbon gelato and a chocolate cake a la mode. I'd probably skip the cake next time . Though very tasty, the bourbon gelato was more interesting and also delicious.

Sometimes, hotel restaurants get a bad wrap, but I think Delta's Kitchen proved that it's worthy of a Memphis date night, especially paired with the setting of the hotel overall and prospect of after-dinner drinks in the lobby bar or on the patio.

Delta's Kitchen Hours: 

Breakfast
Monday – Friday | 6:30am – 11am
Saturday and Sunday | 6:30am – Noon

Dinner
Thursday, Friday and Saturday | 5pm – 10pm
Sunday – Wednesday | Closed

I caught this couple enjoying a twirl on the dance floor as we walked back to our room.  There's often live music in the lounge, plus you'll find a regular schedule of entertainment including Elvis movies in the hotel's theater.

Let me stop you right here and recommend that you follow The Guest House on social media to keep up with their schedule and see lots of fun photos - Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The rooms are nice, the bed amazingly comfy, and the shower oh-so-luxurious. I'm a big fan of giant hotel showers, and The Guest House had that covered.

The Next Morning

After grabbing a quick coffee from the "Shake Rattle & Roll" coffee/pastry/sandwich counter, we toured some of the Suites. Everything was super schmancy. I'd use the word "extravagant" but not tacky or over-the-top. Check out the room and suites options here, and go ahead and book your room (you know you need a staycation, too!) here.

Checking out the seating!

If you've been to Graceland, you'll see how the Mansion's infamous decor served as a starting point for the hotel. Touches of Elvis are everywhere, but not overdone.

I was partial to The King Suite, with an overhead TV, spacious bathtub, and extravagant furniture.

Next, we took the shuttle over to the Graceland for a tour. Note that you're actually going to take two shuttles. One from The Guest House to Graceland's ticket pavilion, then another back across to the street to the Mansion.  And then do it all in reverse. You might decide to walk to or from the hotel to save a little time, it's just up the street.

The living room at Graceland Mansion

Did you know that the tour includes an interactive iPad tour, narrated by Uncle Jesse, I mean, John Stamos?

For an indulgent end to the Graceland Staycation, we popped in to EP's Bar & Grill for some serious eats. Go for the Delta Burger, a classic with beef, American cheese, fried onions, EP's special sauce, and a brioche bun. 

Again, for an Elvis-themed burger joint inside a hotel, even a luxury hotel, your expectations might be a low. But EP's knows what it's doing in terms of wonderfully greasy, griddle-cooked cheeseburgers. The fries were solid, too.

If I worked in the area, I'd definitely stop by for lunch. EP's is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and has lots of TVs for sportsball watching.

This gorgeous staircase is of course inspired by the one in Graceland's foyer. It's the perfect photo op, too.

A few closing thoughts...this hotel definitely has a resort feel, the service from every single staff member or server was impeccably friendly and helpful. This makes it a great choice for a Memphis staycation, or for anyone who wants to make Graceland the center of their Memphis trip. There are 450 rooms and 20 suites.

For more photos and information on my stay at The Guest House, check out the Flickr album.

Go there:

The Guest House at Graceland 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd Memphis, TN 38116,

901.443.3000

Website

Editor's Note/disclaimer: A huge thank you to the staff and promotional team with The Guest House and Graceland  for helping me out with this story. I was a guest of The Guest House during my staycation, which made this blog post possible. As is the usual editorial policy, all of the opinions in this post are mine; I haven't been paid to guarantee positive reviews. 

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Keith
Thank you for the great article on the GUEST HOUSE - so cool !
April 23, 2017 8:21am
Kris Keith
The Guest House at Graceland looks like a fabulous place for me to bring friends visiting Memphis from my hometown of Boston. My vegetarian "super fan" visiting in June would be over the moon with the custom raspberry vinaigrette and I could indulge my love of fabulous and quirky interior design. A win-win!
April 25, 2017 11:35am
Holly Whitfield
Sounds awesome Kris!!
April 25, 2017 1:14pm