Priscilla Presley didn’t want the Guesthouse at Graceland to have "Elvis everywhere".
The 71-year-old actress has overseen development and helped design the 450-room hotel, which is situated close to her late ex-husband’s iconic Graceland estate in Tennessee, and though the 20 suites all pay tribute to the ‘Love Me Tender’ singer in some way, the nods are very subtle.
Priscilla explained: "Each suite has a feel of Elvis. We didn’t want it so Elvis-themed and Elvis everywhere, because you can see that at Graceland.
"He wouldn’t have wanted a hotel full of his picture."
Priscilla helped design the suites, with her favourite being the King Suite, which is inspired by Elvis’ own master bedroom, complete with a TV mounted in the ceiling, and one designed in homage to the then-Hilton hotel where the singer would stay while performing in Las Vegas.
She explained to People magazine: "That one has a royal blue and purple color palette . . . a little bit of a vintage touch."
Two months ago, when the hotel was almost complete, an archivist showed Priscilla a photograph he’d found from 1960 of the ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ singer and his father Vernon standing in front of a model of a guesthouse at their home, and the ‘Naked Gun’ star thinks the new facility pays tribute to her former spouse’s vision.
She added:"He would not live in the Jungle Room.
"[His style was] more modern and contemporary. He seemed to gravitate toward rooms that were very plush and colourful. He had an aesthetic eye, lets just put it that way."
The Guesthouse at Graceland is now open.
Graceland Guesthouse has subtle Elvis Presley touches
