Can I be honest? I’ve never really thought about visiting Memphis. After visiting Piegon Forge and Nashville I completely fell in love with the state of Tennessee and wanted to explore more. So when Jeff got sent to Memphis to work I knew I had to figure out a way to get there!
Where To Stay
We discovered Hotel Indigo Hotels after our first stay at Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant, and they became one of our favorite hotels to stay in. I absolutely love the fact that there are no two Hotel Indigo’s that are alike. Each and every one is designed to be a reflection of their communities and Hotel Indigo Memphis does an amazing job at that!
As soon as you walk through the door a jukebox greets you boasting the tunes of classic Memphis blues throughout the colorful mid-century modern lobby. This is just the beginning! Parking was a breeze in their attached garage and my check-in process was simple and quick.
The building that houses Hotel Indigo was initially built in 1963 by the Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. The ten-story hotel features 119 rooms that are furnished with amazing, unique art and furniture. Throughout the hotel, you will notice radios, frequency towers, vintage console radio inspired features in the rooms, microphones, and even a throwback to Holiday Inn (this building was originally a Holiday Inn back in the ’60s.) The guest room numbers are in the shape of the old Holiday Inn key chains.
Our king room was perfect for my husband and me. They had a spa-like shower, I have an obsession with hotel bathrooms and this one was a 10/10.
A few floors down we found the most fun retro rooftop pool that gave us all the good vibes! Since we had a quick visit and the temperature dropped a lot when we arrived we didn’t get to enjoy the pool. I loved the look of it and would definitely come back when it was warmer just to hang out by the pool!
What To Do Near Hotel Indigo Memphis
Beale Street
One of my favorite things about this hotel is how close it is to Beale Street. We parked our car at the hotel on Friday when we arrived, and only used it to drive to Graceland on Saturday afternoon! Beale Street is less than a half a mile from the hotel, we walked there in about 10 minutes. Beale Street is a significant location in the city’s history, as well as in the history of the blues. Today, the blues clubs and restaurants that line Beale Street are a must-see when visiting the city.
Graceland
Although it’s not walking distance from the hotel, a short 15-minute drive will get you to one of the most famous homes in the United States: Graceland. In my opinion, you can’t visit Memphis without going to check this out! We basically set aside an entire morning/afternoon to spend at the estate.
The mansion tours are timed, so when we arrived we had about 2 hours to explore before our tour, don’t worry there is plenty to do while you wait! We started our visit with a short walk where you can climb aboard Elvis’ customized jet, named after his daughter Lisa Marie. The jet features a living room, conference room, sitting room, and private bedroom, as well as gold-plated seat belts, suede chairs, leather-covered tables, 24-karat gold-flecked sinks, and more. All on an airplane! It was amazing! You can also look inside Elvis’ smaller Lockheed Jet Star.
After that, we headed to Presley Motors Automobile Museum and Presley Cycles exhibits. These exhibits showcased some of Elvis’s cars, motorcycles, tractors, and snowmobiles. One of the coolest cars in the museum was the iconic, Pink Cadillac that Elvis bought for his mother, despite the fact that she didn’t drive!
When it was time for our tour to start you will board a shuttle bus to go across the street to the Mansion. You are given an iPad and headphones (all cleaned) which allows you to explore the personal side of Elvis Presley with an interactive tour of the Graceland Mansion. The tour is hosted by John Stamos and featuring commentary and stories by Elvis and his daughter, Lisa Marie.
Exploring the mansion was so surreal to me. The mansion tour began in the white, front parlor then you go through the first floor and basement of the mansion. Then you head out into the backyard and horse stable and finish in two other smaller buildings on the property. Elvis purchased his home when he was only 22, and every item in the home is an original from when Elvis lived there.
Once you’re finished checking out the different parts of his estate, the final part of the house is his final resting place. This is a chance for his fans to pay respect to Elvis.
Needless to say, I can’t believe Memphis was never on my radar of places I wanted to visit. I never had anything against the city, but it just never crossed my mind to visit. It’s full of so much history, delicious food, and fun. We tried to see as much as possible in our short stay. We will definitely be back one day to explore more!
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