5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Unique, Round Hotel Towers in South Portland, Maine

If you've ever driven on the Maine Turnpike by the Maine Mall, you no doubt have noticed the iconic round towers of a hotel on the east side of the highway. This hotel has been part of Portland's landscape for over 50 years. But how much do you know about this famous hotel?

Here are five things you didn't know about the round hotel towers in South Portland.

It Opened in 1973 With Only One Tower

Today, the Double Tree by Hilton has two towers, but it wasn't always that way, as shown in this aerial photo of the Maine Mall. Look across the street, and you'll see just one tower and nothing to the left of it. Today, it's fully developed.

The Two Towers Are Different Heights

The first tower was opened in 1973, and has nine floors. The second tower, the one closer in this photo, was built in the early '80s closer to the Maine Turnpike, and has only seven floors. Between the two towers, there are a total of 220 rooms.

Elvis Presley Was Supposed to Stay in the Hotel

Elvis Presley was scheduled to perform at the Cumberland County Civic Center on August 18, 1977, and stay at the iconic hotel. Sadly, he died of a heart attack the day before the Portland show.

You can see what the hotel looked like, as well as shots of Portland in the movie This Is Elvis.

The Towers Used to Be All Dark Glass

A $3.7-million renovation was done in 2012, giving the hotel towers a more modern look with red exterior siding. This is a close-up look at it, once again from the movie This Is Elvis. I kind of like this look better, but it screams the '70s and '80s.

The Hotel Has Change Names Three Times

New owners usually meant new names for hotels, and these iconic towers were not immune to it. To many people in Maine, this will always be the Sheraton Hotel, but it was renamed the Wyndham Hotel before its current name, Doubletree by Hilton.