Over the years, fans would flock to Memphis to see Graceland and to stay at the Heartbreak Hotel nearby. But as time has passed the appeal of the hotel has reached its limits. Visitors have gone from writing complaints to having no interest in staying there.
In 1998, Elvis Presley Enterprises bought the hotel which was then named the Wilson World Hotel, for $3.2 million and then spent an additional $3 million on renovating the 128-room hotel into a nice Elvis-themed boutique style hotel with Elvis decor throughout the lobby entrance. It was nice, at first, but as time went on it lost its appeal. The hotel now looks like the face of a Wal-Mart building and lacks all the top amenities that can be found at attraction resorts like Disney and Universal themed resorts and upscale hotels.
Renovating and spending anymore money on the outdated facility would be a waste of precious company money and time when a new one could be built for around $50-60 million. EPE spent that much alone on the Cirque Du Soliel show, Viva Elvis in Las Vegas. They should have saved it to spend on a new needed hotel. Trying to keep it up to par with others can no longer be obtained. It would be like putting a band-aid over a cut to hide it. It's time for a new hotel at Graceland.
The lobby has 50's style decor but is very small
In 2011, EPE Inc, parent company, CKX Inc announced in their annual report that the tourism at Graceland was down 4% from the previous year. Some blamed the economy, but the area around Graceland is very unimpressive for out of towners and first time visitors. There's nothing to do in that area once you have seen Graceland. There's no nice hotels within walking distance. This is why a new hotel with upscale amenities is desperately needed.
Also mentioned in the report was that the new owner of CKX and EPE, Apollo Global management; a Private Equity firm, wants CKX to work with third parties within its permimeters of the new company's portfolio. AGM also owns Caesars Entertainment, who runs the world famous casinos, Caesars Palace and Harrah's in Las Vegas and it's rumored that Caesars could be the third party that EPE and CKX are going to be working with to build a new hotel at Graceland.
CKX CEO, Michael Ferrel has made no secret that a new hotel at Graceland is the most important and immediate addition needed. The company is looking at a hotel of about 175-200 rooms with top amenities and meeting space.
While some do like the hotel the majority who visit do not. For instance, this was posted on Tripadvisor.com about one particular fan who traveled all the way from Britain who stayed there.
Nattyjane from Britain, who described her visit to the Heartbreak Hotel as
“extremely disappointing” adding:
The rooms need a lot of maintenance. In my parents room, the toilet was not secured to the wall properly and in my room the hairdryer was hanging off the bathroom wall with exposed wires & the TV didn’t work. The windows were also filthy!
The pool deck is very small for a international tourist attraction that Graceland is and should be much larger. No wonder nobody cares to swim in a tub-sized pool there. I have seen Holiday Inns with bigger and more elegant pool decks.
But, despite a rough economy we all face daily, EPE and CKX are working to get a new hotel built. But unfortunately they won't be breaking ground anytime soon on one as EPE is already making preparations for the big upcoming 30th anniversary of Graceland's opening in June 2012 and the 35th Anniversary of his death.
The proposed land for a new hotel is said to be the former 17-acre parcel where the old Craft Manor Apartments once were (across the street from Graceland and directly behind the current visitor's plaza) and is slated to be used for the big events planned including the 3rd annual Elvis Classic car show for Memorial Day weekend. The earliest for a new hotel to be built would be fall of 2012 at the earliest(depending also on economic situations). I guess visitors whore still willing to spend money to stay there will have to deal with it for at least another year or so.
