Inside Elvis’ rock and roll apartment in Memphis – and here’s the secret to staying the night

LEANING out the window of Elvis’ bedroom, with the sound of live music roaring from the blues joints below, I realize I’m about to sleep in the house that changed the course of rock and roll history.

My home for the night is none other than 328 Lauderdale Courts in Memphis, Tennessee; the ONLY house owned by Elvis in the world to offer fans night tours.

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But how can you book a stay at the old Elvis Presley digs? Well, that requires both a little more talk and a little more action…

With no online booking system still in place, potential guests should call the management company directly to secure their stay.

Perhaps as a result, this retro slumber party is flying under the radar with even the most engaged fans.

Today, at Lauderdale Courts, a red-brick complex that was once one of America’s first public housing projects, things look pretty ordinary; but when Elvis and his parents first turned their key in the latch here, the building was a game-changer for the family.

Fresh out of Mississippi and looking for a better life, this two-bedroom apartment parachuted the Presleys right into the beating heart of Memphis.

Suddenly, the hottest concert halls, all-night gospel services and the coolest recording studios were within reach – all of which the impressionable young Elvis soaked up like a thirsty sponge.

After Elvis moved forward and back up, Lauderdale Courts fell on hard times and narrowly missed a visit from the wrecking ball.

The entire complex has since been given a facelift and renamed Uptown Square, with landscaped gardens and a swimming pool added.

And thanks to a campaign by dedicated Elvis fans, Presley’s apartment has also been lovingly restored to its former mid-century glory.

Inside the five-room Presley apartment, a spacious living room houses an impressive stack of classic Elvis movies, so I stretched out on the vintage sofa to watch Viva Las Vegas.

In the kitchen there is an authentic working fridge from the 50’s, as well as a frying pan and a recipe card for making Elvis’ favorite fried peanut butter, banana and jelly sandwiches if you like. craving for a midnight calorie feast arises.

Of the two double bedrooms, Elvis’ is clearly the star of the show.

It’s noticeably larger than her parents’ room and its walls are decorated with kisses of fuchsia lipstick; a lingering memory of hordes of fans paying $10 each for a guided tour during his birth week in January and his death week in August.

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Elvis’ credentials were sprinkled liberally, from a can of his gravity-defying hair pomade sitting on the dresser, to a copy of his yearbook from Humes High School, the iconic lip curl already a work in progress.

The best thing about Elvis’ pad, however, is that (due to the old school reservation system) there’s usually plenty of availability.

Plus, at just £184.48 ($250) per night, this apartment for four rivals neighboring hotels in value and beats them in character too.

There’s no doubt about it – waking up in Elvis’ teenage bedroom, staring at the same ceiling the Memphis Flash once stared at, then cooling off with a soak in his original tub, is the kind once-in-a-lifetime experience that borders on surreal out and out.

You don’t have to be a die-hard Elvis fan to enjoy a stay at this quirky condo.

Just for the novelty value and bragging rights alone, it’s well worth a visit.

And while you’re in town, be sure to stop by the Graceland Mansion en route, to witness the final chapter in Elvis’s story from rags to riches.

It is a castle fit for a king.