If you cruised into Memphis clad in a gold-belted white jumpsuit, hankerin' for a fried peanut butter-and-banana sandwich, you'll probably feel right at home at the Heartbreak Hotel. It's easy to be first in line for a tour of the King's mansion with this location—which is, in fact, "down at the end of Lonely Street," directly across from Graceland on Elvis Presley Boulevard. The 124 guest rooms are decked out in flashy royal blue and gold fabrics with black-and-white photos of Elvis on the walls, while the four themed suites are an exercise in excess, each styled after an important aspect of the Elvis mystique—Graceland, Hollywood, Gold and Platinum, and Burning Love. If that's not enough, flip to the in-house television channel that screens "all Elvis movies, all the time" or take a dip in the heart-shaped outdoor pool. If ever a hotel was fit for the King, this is it. "And although it's always crowded, you still can find some room…"

This mansion, built in 1830, served as Grant's headquarters as he planned the siege at Vicksburg in 1863 and has played host to distinguished visitors such as Andrew Jackson and Jefferson Davis. In 2005, it was restored and converted into a five-room bed-and-breakfast. Book the master suite for its king-sized canopied bed, decorative fireplace, 19th-century oil paintings of pastoral scenes, and views of downtown Memphis. (Be aware that upstairs bedrooms can be noisy at times.) In the restaurant, chef Stephen Hassinger serves French Creole fare such as Crab Justine, a blend of lump and jumbo crab broiled with sherry and topped with crème fraîche and béarnaise sauce, and grilled redfish with shrimp. Hotel guests receive a $40 voucher for Sunday's jazz brunch—stuffed French toast with berry sauce, Louisiana redfish in a shrimp rémoulade—in the Veranda Grill.

This 14-story Italian Renaissance Revival landmark has been the preeminent Memphis hotel since opening downtown in 1869. Renovations brought the indoor pool and athletic club into the 21st century, and the 464 guest rooms got a refresh in 2006. The menu at tony Chez Philippe is an Asian-inflected version of la cuisine Française. Marble pillars, hand-painted skylights, a charming bar, and a manned grand piano grace the lobby. The slightly stuffy mood lightens daily at the stroke of 11 a.m., when an elevator opens, and five mallard ducks emerge to the strains of Sousa's "King Cotton March." After waddling down a red carpet, they ascend three stairs into the lobby's ornate central fountain to splash around. The spectacle is reversed at 5 p.m., when the celebrated ducks retire. Like many things uniquely Memphian, the Peabody Duck March comes off as endearing, weird, and wholly sincere. You can visit the ducks' rooftop aerie during between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., though you may prefer their posh accommodations to even your own.

Sitting in the Peabody's morning shadow (and a hop, skip, and jump from its legendary bar), the seven-room Talbot Heirs is an oft-overlooked home away from home. Guest suites range from über-trendy to stately, with full-size kitchens stocked with complimentary biscotti, granola bars, yogurt, and coffee. (The staff will also prestock the kitchen with other provisions if you fax them a grocery list.) Suite Two has a piano once owned by Derek & the Dominos cofounder Bobby Whitlock, and others have four-poster beds and overstuffed sofas. There's no fitness facility, but the staff can arrange a treadmill or stair climber for your room.