Rock star, rustic or refined

MEMPHIS -- A truly relaxing getaway is one where you can check into a hotel and never get behind the wheel again until it's time to head home.

Visitors to Memphis will find two new resort hotels and one established classic that offer plenty to keep guests entertained.

ROCK-STAR LUXURY: THE GUEST HOUSE AT GRACELAND

Think of the Guest House at Graceland as an Elvis Presley-inspired hotel, rather than as an Elvis Presley-theme hotel. You certainly don't need to be his No. 1 fan to stay here -- it's pretty cool on its own.

The Guest House opened in October on property adjacent to the Graceland mansion, where Presley lived from 1957 until his death in 1977.

With suites designed by the rock 'n' roll legend's former wife, Priscilla Presley, the 450-room resort is excessively stylish. In the glitzy lobby -- where we spotted a bouffant and thick sideburns waiting in line at the check-in counter, along with several contenders for No. 1 fan -- high-back chairs evoke the stand-up collars of Elvis' jumpsuits. Splashes of color liven up midcentury-style furnishings. Stylized close-up photos in guest rooms and common areas highlight details from Presley's life: sunglasses, microphones, his iconic TCB ("Taking Care of Business") jewelry.

Above a grand staircase at one end of the hotel, a replica of Graceland's foyer stairs, is a chandelier originally bought by Presley for his mansion.

"Elvis never threw anything away," explains Anna Hamilton, the hotel's night manager. She graduated from Humes High School 12 years after Presley. "When he discovered that the chandelier was too big, he went out and bought a smaller one."

Hamilton -- a veteran of Memphis' restaurant and hospitality industry who previously was a manager at the now-shuttered Heartbreak Hotel across the street -- delights in showing off the Guest House. "I think it's probably one of the most beautiful properties I've ever been on."

Each of the well-appointed guest rooms is filled with luscious textures, silky-soft bedding, mirrored surfaces and basics such as a refrigerator, Keurig coffee machine and plenty of places to plug in USB devices. (The Gideons Bible in the nightstand is gold, naturally.)

Suites such as the King's Suites were inspired by Presley's master bedroom, with canopy beds and TVs on the ceiling. Living Room Suites use bold combinations of deep yellow and navy blue. TCB Suites have a living room and dining area.

"The furniture, to me, is extraordinary," Hamilton says. "Every piece is something that Elvis would have loved."

Guests can grab a drink at the lobby bar -- we tried the crisp whiskey-ginger TCB and the tequila-based Blue Suede -- and enjoy it out on the back lawn. That's where there's a pool, hot tub and heart-shaped fire pit, all set against a serene wooded backdrop.

A state-of-the-art fitness center also has great views of the courtyard -- or you can focus on the TVs built into each machine.

Dining options at the Guest House include Delta's Kitchen, a fine-dining spot named for Presley's aunt, and the more casual EP's Bar & Grill, which serves up comfort food with a contemporary twist. There's also a Shake, Rattle & Go coffee shop serving Starbucks Coffee.

In addition to conference and banquet rooms, the Guest House has a 464-seat theater, which on our visit was hosting a student jazz competition.

"We're welcoming all aspects of the music world," Hamilton says. "We want everyone to feel welcome -- not just the Elvis fans."

Across Elvis Presley Boulevard, the new Elvis Presley's Memphis greets visitors as the welcome center for Graceland tours. The complex opened in March, replacing Graceland Plaza, and is the attraction's most significant expansion since opening in 1982.

Visitors can buy tickets, board shuttles bound for the mansion, where 600,000 visitors tour annually, and browse well-designed exhibits of artifacts from Presley's life and career.

The 200,000-square-foot space allows for double the amount of memorabilia to be displayed, including, for the first time, Presley's boat. A room is also devoted to automobiles, including his pink Cadillac, and visitors can tour his airplanes outside.

The Elvis the Entertainer Career Museum is home to a floor-to-ceiling collection of Presley's awards, including gold and platinum records that had been on display at Graceland's racquetball court. (It's now, once again, a racquetball court.) And a space devoted to Presley's influence on the music world includes costumes worn by other stars including Trisha Yearwood (with an album cover signed by a young Patricia Yearwood), Justin Timberlake, Gene Simmons and more. John Lennon's piano is also on view.

Touring Graceland and Elvis Presley's Memphis brings visitors closer to Presley's personality, says Elvis Presley Enterprises public relations coordinator Libby Perry, who was born and raised in Memphis.

"If you're a fan, you end up leaving an even bigger fan. If you're just an appreciator, you wind up leaving a fan. Whatever level you're at, Graceland kind of bumps you up."

RUSTIC ELEGANCE: BIG CYPRESS LODGE

Stepping onto the hotel-room balcony and gazing at the wildlife below, then at the stainless-steel "sky" above, one thing comes to mind: "Bio-Dome."

The Pyramid downtown once was home to the Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis basketball program. But when those teams left in 2004 for new arenas, the 322-foot-tall structure sat empty.

Then Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, took over.

Since April 2015, the distinctive structure has been home to Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid and Big Cypress Lodge. The world's largest Bass Pro occupies the first floor and a portion of the second; Big Cypress sprawls over the second and third floors, with guest rooms overlooking the retail store, which includes towering trees in a giant cypress swamp with ponds and ducks, a tank with three alligators, 10 aquariums with more than 1,800 fish, displays of taxidermy (obtained from collectors and museums) and the world's tallest freestanding elevator, which takes visitors to a restaurant and observation deck at the Pyramid's pinnacle.

"It's been a really cool experience -- I've been here since these rooms were down to the studs," says Anthony Long, assistant front office manager for Big Cypress.

Bass Pro owns and operates another hotel property, Big Cedar Lodge, near Branson, but this is the first to be built with a store attached.

"Even though it is a lively shopping environment in the center, you really don't hear a lot of it until you open that door," he says. "You can hear the shoppers moving around, you hear the music playing, but at night it's almost serene how quiet it is."

Indeed. At night, after relaxing in rockers "outside," it was tempting to sleep with the balcony door open, if only to enjoy the aroma of fudge and glazed nuts that wafts throughout the building.

While most rooms have interior views, a few suites give views of downtown and access to a terrace. Other suites, such as the Governor's Suite, include living and dining areas.

Each of the 104 rustic guest rooms brings the outdoors inside, with handcrafted furnishings, taxidermy and antler chandeliers. Some walls are covered with flattened tree bark, and the spacious bathrooms have lighting that creates a theatrical sunlight-through-trees effect over the big Jacuzzi tub.

Each room also includes an electric fireplace, wooden-beam ceilings, stained-glass accents, a refrigerator, coffeemaker and complimentary snacks. (Bonus: cellphone charging cables and an adapter that allows you to connect streaming devices to the TV.)

The mattresses and pillows are also incredibly comfy. Big Cypress knows, and they'll give you a list of where you can buy 'em for yourself.

"Even though Bass Pro is for the outdoors traveler, you don't have to be an outdoors person to come and experience and have a good time," Long says.

"We've got a lot of people who check in and don't see the light of day until they decide to check out again."

Take a ride in the freestanding elevator and enjoy dinner, drinks or the view at the Lookout. The centerpiece of the room is its open kitchen and a 10,000-gallon catfish aquarium, but the real show is the panoramic view of the city from two glass observation decks.

Back downstairs, end the evening at Uncle Buck's Fishbowl & Grill, a 13-lane, ocean-theme bowling alley.

CLASSIC SOPHISTICATION: THE PEABODY

It's hard to say who has it better: the ducks at Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid, who live in an environment resembling the great outdoors, or the ducks at the swanky Peabody hotel, who walk a red carpet and are treated like celebrities.

Every year, 200,000 people watch the Peabody's famous ducks march at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The birds spend the day in an ornate lobby fountain before retiring to their rooftop palace. Ducks serve for three months, then return to the farm that has been supplying them since 1981.

"They're like the Harlem Globetrotters, like the Budweiser Clydesdales -- a fixture," says Jimmy Ogle, the hotel's Duckmaster. Edward Pembroke first held that title for 50 years.

Ogle has been on duck patrol for about nine months, but he's no stranger to Memphis and Peabody history. He dispenses a lot of it on his 11:30 a.m. tours of the hotel, a good way to get an overview of downtown.

A lifelong Memphian, he's also the Shelby County historian and gives walking tours downtown.

The first Peabody hotel was built in 1869, a few blocks north. The current structure dates to 1923. After closing in 1975, it was sold on the courthouse steps for just over half a million dollars. It took five years and $25 million to restore the hotel to its original splendor.

"It was the catalyst -- it was the symbol of the redevelopment of downtown," Ogle says.

With Italian renaissance revival architecture throughout, the Peabody was the first Memphis hotel on the National Register of Historic Places. Its grand ballroom was the site of Elvis Presley's high school prom, and a piano on the mezzanine once belonged to Francis Scott Key.

Each elegant guest room is comfortable and spacious, with a sitting area, a walk-in closet and a beaded chandelier. A phone and TV in the bathroom are nice touches. Other suites include fireplaces, loft bedrooms, dining rooms and more.

The opulent lobby is a great spot for people-watching. Settle into one of the comfy chairs, and order a well-made cocktail from the bar. There's also the Corner Bar and Capriccio Grill, which serves a Sunday brunch buffet.

On Thursday evenings through Aug. 17, the Peabody hosts rooftop parties with music, food and drinks. Admission is free for hotel guests.

As long as you're at the Peabody, do it up all the way with a classic French dinner at the acclaimed Chez Philippe, situated in a former ballroom on the hotel's first floor. At $90 per person for four courses (wine pairings and seven-course option available), it's a splurge.

Travel on 06/18/2017