The public often gets to see what celebrities are up to at night. Their faces are splashed across the pages of the supermarket tabloids, their exploits recounted in the entertainment pages. But when the night has ended, these A-listers need a place to lay their heads (and maybe something else) just like the rest of us. The beds on this list have been used by presidents and pop stars, diminutive divas and pro athletes.
Talbot Heirs Suites: $175 a night
The intimate lodging at the Talbot Heirs on Second Street has drawn an impressive list of celebrities. The hotel’s owner, Dana Gabrion, discovered the Talbot while working on the film Finding Graceland, when stars Bridget Fonda and Jonathan Schaech were staying there. Gabrion, who is currently the co-executive producer on the television program America’s Next Top Model, purchased the Talbot Heirs this year. Her parents manage the place while she is out of town.
The queen-size beds at Talbot Heirs are each unique; one even has suede duvet covers. Marti Pellow, the former lead singer of Scottish band Wet Wet Wet, is staying at the Talbot while he’s in town recording with Willie Mitchell. “I sleep in hotels eight months out of the year, in places all over the world,” he says. “When I come to Memphis, I always stay here because the beds are so comfortable, almost dreamlike.”
Heartbreak Hotel themed suites: $379 a night
There is plenty to appreciate about the beds at the Heartbreak Hotel on Elvis Presley Boulevard, from the hand-crafted pool-cue headboards to the bejeweled mountains of pillows. The Heartbreak Hotel has had a few celebrity guests, like Jim Carrey and Gunner Nelson, but it’s true popularity comes because its beds allow guests to sleep close to their favorite A-lister, Elvis.
“Yes, I do dream about Elvis when I’m here,” says frequent guest Jerry Engelby. “Just snuggling down with Elvis’ picture above me and his movie on — what more could you ask?”
“When I first got here, they were barely open. They didn’t even have bedspreads yet. I told them I didn’t care, I just wanted to be close,” says Sharon Parker, the Heartbreak’s first guest. Now she stays here several times a year.
Madison Hotel Presidential Suite: $1,300 a night
General manager Mohamad Hakimian says that the beds in the Presidential Suite at the Madison Hotel downtown are so nice it sometimes causes problems. “We had a doctor from Arizona staying here. About a week after he left he called up and said he could no longer sleep on his own bed.” The hotel uses Egyptian cotton in its 650-thread-count Italian linen, making beds smooth as silk.
The Peabody’s Celebrity Suite: $1,200 a night
The Peabody probably boasts the city’s longest list of celebrity guests, in fame and stature. It has hosted three U.S. presidents and 14 NBA teams. “We always make sure those players get our California king-size beds,” says Kelly Earnest, director of public relations.
The Peabody “Dream Bed” features a duck-down blanket, dual-chambered pillows, and a Platinum Plush mattress pad. “People rave about the beds, but I’ve also gotten in trouble because of them,” says general manager Douglas Browne. Browne was in the lobby when he overheard a customer complaining that he had missed his business meeting. Browne asked if they had forgotten his wake-up call. “No,” the man replied. “It’s that damn bed; I didn’t want to get out of it.”
