World City Guide

Hotels

Hotel prices are subject to a sales tax of 13.25%. Some hotels also add surcharges, such as the energy surcharge of US$3.
The prices quoted below are the starting prices for double rooms, excluding sales tax and excluding breakfast, unless otherwise specified.

Business

Courtyard Nashville Downtown (Marriott)
You’ll be comfortable, you’ll be close (in fact, right Downtown) and really what more could you want? The furnishings aren’t smart, but the staff is savvy and helpful. The rooms come equipped with free high-speed Internet access and voice-mail in each room. A business room and a conference centre are also available for your convenience. Business travellers are a common sight here as the hotel has six meeting rooms and business centre.

170 Fourth Avenue North
Tel: (615) 256 0900 or (800) 321 2211. Fax: (615) 256 0901.
Website: www.courtyard.com
Price: From US$100.

Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center
Ever wished you could stay in a hotel with a huge 0.8-hectacre (two-acre) atrium complete with a river running through it? When large conference groups come to Nashville, very often they stay in one of the 2,884 guest rooms or 200 suites here. The lobby and grounds are a bit more opulent than the fully equipped floral patterned rooms. Some rooms are luckily filled with beige-based patterns, but others are very, very pink. Popular with convention and conference delegates, the Opryland also houses the Ryman Exhibit Hall and its golf course hosts the BellSouth Senior Classic. And although every Christmas the Opryland is bedecked in over two million lights, this year will be their 20th anniversary celebration so expect lights to shine a little brighter.
2800 Opryland Drive
Tel: (615) 889 1000 or (888) 777 6779. Fax (615) 871 7741.
Website: www.gaylordhotels.com
Price: From US$199.

Hilton Suites Nashville
As the name intimates, the Hilton Suites is comprised of 330 two-room suites exclusively. Each provides the guest with modem points, two speakerphones and either a king-sized bed or two double beds. Whether or not you share a bed with your travelling companion, you won’t have to argue over what to watch – all rooms have two TVs. The TV mania is taken to greater heights at the hotel’s restaurant Eddie George Sports Grille with its 35 screens full of American football and, weather permitting, three outdoor screens on the patio. Centrally located next to the Nashville Convention Center and across the river from the Adelphia Coliseum, home of the Tennessee Titans, the Hilton also manages to lure business travellers with its nine meeting rooms and conference facilities.

121 Fourth Avenue South
Tel: (615) 620 1000. Fax: (615) 620 1001.
E-mail: info@nashvillehilton.com
Website: www.nashvillehilton.com
Price: From US$129 (including breakfast).

Sheraton Nashville Downtown
Very large for the Nashville skyline is this centrally located 28-storey building. As one of the nicest of the chain hotels downtown, the Sheraton tends to be busy, which often leaves the staff a bit harried. The 476 rooms, each equipped with satellite TV, voice-mail and modem point, are decorated in warm earth tones, while the lobby boasts glass elevators in a skylight atrium. Conference facilities are large, accommodating up to 1,400.

623 Union Street
Tel: (615) 259 2000. Fax: (615) 742 6056.
Website: www.starwood.com/sheraton
Price: From US$89.

Luxury

The Hermitage Hotel
Built in 1910, the centrally located Hermitage Hotel is one of the classier places to stay in Nashville. All 123 two-room suites, fully equipped with two TVs, three telephones, DVD player, mini-bar and refrigerator, are perfect for those looking for spacious surroundings. Expected to be treated like royalty (and in the case of the executive suites, like a trustworthy adult, as they have scented candles in the bathrooms). As opposed to most chain hotels, guests can expect most of the services to be complimentary. Business travellers should note that their conference facilities and Grand Ballroom are the most elegant option in the city. The in-house restaurant, Capitol Grille, also does not disappoint (see Restaurant).

231 Sixth Avenue North
Tel: (615) 244 3121 or (888) 888 9414. Fax: (615) 254 6909.
Website: www.thehermitagehotel.com
Price: From US$215.

Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel
Boasting one of the most modern looks in the Nashville hotel scene, Loews Vanderbilt Plaza has bedded some of the stars of the annual Country Music Awards. The staff is gracious and helpful. The 304 rooms, mostly black and beige coloured with cherry wood furniture, come complete with TV, mini-bar, modem points, CD players and voice-mail. On-site conference facilities make sure that even the suits feel welcome.

2100 West End Avenue
Tel: (615) 320 1700. Fax: (615) 320 5019.
Website: www.loewshotels.com/hotels/nashville
Price: From US$150.

Moderate

Economy Inn
This Economy Inn (previously Econo Lodge) is only 10 minutes from town and 10 minutes from Nashville International Airport if you have a car, but a cheaper place to lay your weary head cannot be found. With 48 rooms complete with air conditioning and cable TV, your stay here will be comfortable. The staff is obliging and helpful. There is a fax for guest use but no restaurant or bar.

893 Murfreesboro Road
Tel: (615) 361 6830. Fax: (615) 366 6159.
Price: US$46 (including breakfast).

Shoney's Inn on Music Row
This hotel will never win any design awards, but its central location and friendly staff make this a good option for budget travellers who don’t mind the word ‘scruffy’ to describe their surroundings. The 154 rooms at the Shoney’s Inn vary as some have microwaves, refrigerators and one even has a hot tub, but all have a modem point and cable TV.

1521 Demonbreun Avenue
Tel: (615) 255 9977. Fax: (615) 242 6127.
Price: From US$70 (including breakfast).

Steeplechase Inn
Located in Brentwood about 10 miles (15 kilometres) from the centre of Nashville with a faux Georgian exterior is this clean and comfortable option for the budget minded traveller. Expect very basic surroundings unless you have a suite with a kitchenette, living room and fireplace. Racing prints on the walls add the much needed dramatic flair. Facilities include a business centre, fitness centre and spa.

5581 Franklin Pike Circle, Brentwood
Tel: (615) 373 8585. Fax (615) 371 9259.
Price: From US$85 (including breakfast).

Other Recommendations

Hillsboro House
The Hillsboro House is the place for the travellers looking for an authentic Southern experience. This is more than a bed and breakfast; it’s a home in which each guest feels personally welcomed. The rooms are perfectly cosy with feather beds, antique furnishings, en-suite bathroom, telephone and cable TV. Look forward to waking up to the smells of fresh brewed coffee and home-made muffins, sitting on the porch while the American flag waves and walking through the garden (which comes complete with a delicious smelling herb section).

1933 20th Avenue South
Tel: (615) 292 5501 or (800) 228 7851.
Price: From US$100 (including breakfast).

1501 Linden Avenue
Just a short walk from Vanderbilt University, you can find this friendly B&B nestled into a Victorian home built in 1893. The sense of history is beguiling – the house has a turret and a wrap-around porch complete with a swing. The rooms have an extraordinary amount of floral prints, but the Laura Ashley-ness is offset by the nearly 3.5-metre high ceilings and loads of light filtering into each of the three rooms. Each room has its own en-suite bathroom, although only one room has its own jacuzzi bath. It may be small, but book in advance and you’ll find you stay here beyond compare.

1501 Linden Avenue
Tel: (615) 298 2701 or (800) 226 0317.
E-mail: info@nashville-bed-breakfast.com
Website: www.nashville-bed-breakfast.com
Price: From US$95 (including breakfast).

Union Station – A Wyndham Historic Hotel
Travellers searching for an experience should stay here. As you enter this converted railway station, you’ll be congratulating yourself on your superior choice as you will be staying in a hotel with gold-leaf mirrors, bas-relief structures and a glass ceiling. The rooms have a subtle Victorian-era bent, but are equipped with modem points and satellite TV. Most of the rooms have slightly sloped ceilings, which only add to the charm. The hotel has six meeting rooms, conference facilities, a business centre and one of the best restaurants in town, Arthur’s (see Restaurants).

1001 Broadway
Tel: (615) 726 1001. Fax: (615) 248 3554.
E-mail: minman@wyndham.com
Website: www.wyndham.com/hotels/BNAUS/main.wnt
Price: From US$139.