The best hotels in Nashville

Nashville is legendary for its honky tonk bars, country music scene, and gourmet southern food.
The city has experienced massive growth, including new hotels regularly popping up and giving travelers more options than ever, from colorful rooms set inside a 115-year-old church to chic stays with rooftop pools and sweeping city views.
We chose top hotels based on several factors including our own travel experiences, a range of price points attainable to the average traveler, along with research using reviews and rankings from past guests on sites such as Trip Advisor and Booking.com.
Read all Business Insider hotel reviews.

A note from your Insider Reviews travel editor: Coronavirus has interrupted travel on a global scale forcing travelers to cancel and reassess plans in the coming weeks and months. We understand that right now is a challenging time to plan travel. But when this time passes and things return to normal, we know you'll be eager to explore the world again.

Whenever that happens for you, and we know it will, we hope our travel content helps you make informed, useful, and inspiring choices on the best places and hotels to book. So whether you use our reviews now, bookmark them for the future, or simply need an escape from the news, we'll continue to share the world with you. In the meantime, we encourage all travelers to stay safe, follow guidelines from the CDC website, and take precautions.

Line dancing in cowboy boots, throwing back pints in boisterous honky tonks, and listening to the next big country music stars before they're discovered all put Nashville on the map as a top US vacation destination.

Despite huge recent growth that includes new buzzy, award-winning restaurants, even more pubs and cocktail lounges, a booming art scene, and bachelor and bachelorette parties descending in droves, the city has managed to keep its small-town feel and charm.

As part of that growth, new hotels seem to pop up daily, offering travelers a wide range of properties strewn across various neighborhoods, each with their own vibe. Travelers can sleep in colorful, budget-friendly rooms in a repurposed church, sip whiskey cocktails while dangling their toes in rooftop pools, or listen to live music perched in a converted Greyhound bus.

Prefer an Airbnb? Read our list of the best Airbnbs in Nashville here.

We've done the leg work sorting through over a hundred properties and picked Nashville's top hotels based on our own travel experiences, past traveler reviews and rankings on Trip Advisor and Booking.com, as well as factoring in prices that are accessible to the average traveler, with rooms starting between $144 and $356 in low season.

Additionally, we looked for buildings with unique history, standout design details, local touches such as music or gourmand amenities, and extra guest perks for a special stay in Music City. All hotels have an 8.5 or above on Booking.com, and at least 4 out of 5-stars on Trip Advisor. Starting prices are based on time of publishing, and subject to change.

Traveling elsewhere? Read our list of the best hotels in other popular cities:

Here are the best hotels in Nashville, sorted by price from low to high.

The Russell

Book The Russell starting at $144 per night

One of the most unique boutique hotels in the city, The Russell is housed in a 115-year-old church in East Nashville. The hotel design highlights many of the church's original features, like a stunning stained glass window in the lobby and old pews repurposed as headboards. The rest of the decor is bright and colorful, with red-tiled bathrooms, pink walls, and furniture painted in rainbow hues. Room choices range from Standard King to Queen bunk beds, or a Tower Suite with the bed positioned where the old bells of the Church originally hung.

One aspect that really sets The Russell apart from other hotels in the area, however, is the owners' mission to give back to the community. A percentage of every night's stay is donated to local nonprofits that help Nashville's homeless. In fact, the average stay provides 16 beds and warm meals at local homeless shelters.

While East Nashville is a trendy neighborhood full of restaurants, bars, and murals, the hotel itself doesn't have any on-site amenities like a restaurant, gym, or spa.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 1 out of 54 specialty hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 9.6 out of 10

Pros: A colorful, unique boutique hotel housed in an old church that donates a percentage of every night's stay to causes that support the city's homeless.

Cons: There are no on-site amenities or restaurants, and the hotel is not located in the main downtown area.

21c Museum Hotel Nashville

Book 21c Museum Hotel starting at $193 per night

It's all about culture at this hotel that doubles as a contemporary art museum. The on-site galleries are open every day and completely free to visit. The standard guest rooms aren't as distinctive as you might expect from an art museum hotel, but they all have wood floors, high ceilings, contemporary furnishings, and original artwork on display.

Upgraded rooms feel more special. The Terrace Suites on the 8th floor feature semi-private patios with sweeping views, but the real magic happens in the whimsical Artists Suites. Created as installations you can sleep in, one has its own recording studio, another is decked out in photographs and prints exploring the intersection of celebrity and identity, and a third is bright green and features art and videos by artist/rapper Yung Jake.

The on-site restaurant serves locally-sourced, elevated comfort food favorites. In typical fashion, the dining area also serves as an additional exhibition space with a new artist's work showcased every few months. There's also a fitness center with Peloton bikes and other equipment, as well as a business center.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 14 out of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 9.3 out of 10

Pros: Ideal for art and culture-lovers, this 124-room property doubles as a contemporary art museum with rotating exhibits.

Cons: Standard Deluxe King rooms start small at 263 square feet, and while all the rooms do feature original artwork, you have to upgrade to the Artist Suites to stay in a room with real character.

Bode Nashville

Book Bode Nashville starting at $199 per night

A chic and stylish property located right downtown, Bode is within easy walking distance to many of Nashville's top spots. The decor has a modern Bohemian feel with leather couches, exposed light bulbs, and woven, dream catcher-like design details.

Entry-level Pocket rooms start at just 200 square feet and are a good option for solo travelers and couples looking for a cheaper downtown stay. But the hotel also features two-, three-, and four-bedroom floor plans that are ideal for families and groups and come with kitchens, living rooms, and sometimes balconies or even backyards.

The property places an emphasis on community spaces, and the backyard lawn is a fun spot to host a group barbecue while playing cornhole or hanging out at the firepit. Bode also has its own stage and frequently hosts events and concerts. Grab a light breakfast or stock up on drink-making supplies at the on-site cafe and market, or finish your evening off at the hotel's Neighborhood Pub.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 2 out of 54 specialty hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Pros: A budget-friendly downtown option for solo travelers and couples that also caters to families and groups with one- to four-bedroom options that include kitchens and backyards.

Cons: Entry-level Pocket rooms are small with only the most basic in-room amenities.

Loews Vanderbilt Hotel

Book Loews Vanderbilt Hotel starting at $205 per night

As with many high-end Loews properties, the clientele here tends to be older couples and business travelers. But it's a solid budget-friendly choice with enough southern charm to keep it from feeling too corporate. Plus, it's conveniently located near Downtown Broadway and the Gulch, and across from Vanderbilt University.

Rooms are comfortable but have the typical feel of a chain brand. However, unique patterned wallpaper, posh bathrooms, and curated art on the walls keep them from feeling too sterile. Suites have more character with fireplaces, colorful armchairs, large dining room tables, and bookcases filled with pottery and a selection of curated books.

The lobby bar is a fun place to sit in a cowhide chair and eat bites like mini hot chicken sandwiches. Other on-site amenities include a well-equipped fitness center, and a complimentary car service to take guests anywhere within a three-mile radius of the hotel. Kids under 18 stay for free thanks to the Loews Loves Families program.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 11 out of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 8.9 out of 10

Pros: A well-located, solid upscale hotel brand that is still accessible to budget-minded travelers. The complimentary car service is a nice perk and families will find strong value as all children stay for free.

Cons: The clientele tends to lean towards business travelers so it may not be the right crowd for those looking for a party weekend. Alternatively, this can be a pro for those seeking a quiet, refined getaway.

Union Station Hotel

Book Union Station Hotel starting at $232 per night

The glamorous 120-year-old, high-end Union Station Hotel is part of Autograph Collection Hotels, the boutique arm of Marriott Bonvoy.

The architecture is immediately striking since, as the name implies, it's set in a converted 19th-century neo-Romanesque railroad station. The show-stopping lobby has a soaring, barrel-vaulted ceiling, gorgeous stained glass windows, and crystal chandeliers. Rooms are also dramatic, decorated with iron fixtures, cowhide headboards, and photographs and paintings that pay homage to the city's music scene. These intricate details keep the property from feeling stuffy despite the grandeur of its Gothic bones.

The on-site bar and restaurant serves southern classics like hot chicken, shrimp and grits, and cobbler. Signature cocktails are made with specially branded Union Station Jack Daniels, and the Nashville spirit is well-represented with live music playing in the lobby.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 19 out of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 8.7 out of 10

Pros: A luxury hotel in a converted neo-romanesque railroad station. The dramatic lobby is a worthy destination in its own right with vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and live music.

Cons: The hotel is near currently in-use train tracks, and rooms that are closest to the tracks can be noisy as a result.

Bobby Hotel

Book Bobby Hotel starting at $233 per night

Located in the frequently rowdy and colorful area of Printers Alley downtown, Bobby Hotel makes it easy to put those cowboy boots to good use. It's just five blocks from Broadway where some of the best bars and live music are found. But you don't have to venture outside to be entertained since there's frequently live music and concerts as part of Bobby's rooftop series too, which makes for lively late nights. There is also a pool on the roof and a lounge complete with a retrofitted 1956 Greyhound bus serving cocktails.

Spacious standard rooms are modern and chic but offer a distinct sense of place. Cozy beds rest on wooden platforms with bright red padded headboards that match the curtains and decorative pillows. City maps with skyline outlines and large drawings of guitars and boots are found on the walls, and custom wall units provide plenty of closet and drawer space. Upgraded rooms come with balconies boasting city views.

The Tavern is a stylish spot to grab a bite such as grits, burgers, and creole barbecue shrimp served to patrons sitting on comfy leather couches and booths. Quick coffee and pastries can be snagged at the cafe, and Bobby's Garage Bar serves drinks in an elevated grunge setting with wall graffiti, twinkling blue ceiling lights, and a neon Rolling Stones symbol hanging on the wall.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 10 out of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Pros: A trendy hotel at the doorstep of bustling Broadway with stylish rooms, a rooftop pool, and live concerts.

Cons: Bathrooms are separated from rooms by semi-sheer glass walls so privacy can be limited.

Omni Nashville

Book Omni Nashville starting at $242 per night

It's tough to get closer to the action than a stay at the Omni Nashville, which is just two blocks from Broadway where many of the best honky tonk bars are found, and the Country Music Hall of Fame is directly accessible from inside the hotel.

The hotel towers above the city and rooms on higher floors have incredible skyline views from their floor-to-ceiling windows. During warmer months another good spot to take in panoramic views is the rooftop pool, which is surrounded by lounge chairs and cabanas, and features a seasonal bar and grill.

Rooms are tasteful and elegant and even entry-level Deluxe Rooms are spacious, starting at over 400 square feet. Dark fixtures compliment soft bronze comforters, and regal gold and red pillows and chairs add pops of color. Premiere Rooms offer the best views, while larger suites are also available with separate living areas.

The on-site spa is a pampering place to relax, and fitness can be found in the hotel gym, or by asking the front desk for in-room fitness kits that include hand weights, exercise mats, and bands.

Grab a meal at Bob's Steak & Chop House, the southern-fare-serving Kitchen Notes, casual Barlines honky tonk, or at the coffeehouse, Bongo Java.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 16 of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Pros: The hotel is right near the Broadway bars, and you don't have to leave the building to get to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Rooms on higher floors have impressive skyline views.

Cons: There are several construction projects happening nearby so noise can be a problem.

Noelle Nashville

Book the Noelle Nashville starting at $269 per night

The Noelle Nashville, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, was recently opened in 2018, but Nashville's newcomer isn't actually quite so new. The hotel pays homage to the building's predecessor, the Noel Place, which was built in 1930 as one of Nashville's first luxury properties. Those with a keen interest in history can head up the grand marble staircase to the archives room, which houses a collection of information and trinkets from the original hotel and Noel family.

Now, despite its lively downtown location, the Noelle offers a calm retreat with neutral interiors crafted by local designers and soothing rooms and suites that include hickory hardwood floors, handwoven robes, curated artwork, and hand-crafted pottery. The in-room amenities are fairly standard, but every room does have a smart TV, and coffee is delivered each morning.

While there's no spa, the fitness center has Peloton bikes and virtual workout programming, and there are two on-site restaurants, a coffee shop, and a lobby bar and lounge.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 5 of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Pros: One of Nashville's oldest luxury hotels reinvented as a calm, elegant retreat at the doorstep of Downtown.

Cons: On lower levels, street noise can make it hard to sleep.

Germantown Inn

Book Germantown Inn starting at $299 per night

Tucked in Nashville's oldest neighborhood, the Germantown Inn is a historic Federal-style home recast as a 10-suite boutique hotel. Thanks to the work of local interior designer McLean Barbieri, the inn maintains the house's original charm while still managing to feel modern.

Every suite is infused with individual character and named for a different president or first lady. The Jackson Suite features one of the house's original fireplaces and deep blue curtains, while the Adams has a bright pink headboard and matching curtains. The larger Monroe Suite enjoys plenty of natural sunlight from oversized windows and has a cozy red-tiled fireplace along with an oversized, cream-colored armchair. Every room features vintage furniture and light-hearted portraits of the person it's named for; Abigail Adams, for example, wears modern sunglasses in her room.

Historic Germantown is full of pubs, restaurants, and local shops. While locally-sourced pastries and coffee are served for breakfast, there are no restaurants or other on-site amenities.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 2 of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 9.6 out of 10

Pros: A small, boutique inn in a historic home with unique rooms designed and named after past presidents and first ladies.

Cons: Since Germantown Inn is set in an old house, there are no on-site amenities like a spa or restaurant.

Kimpton Aertson Hotel

Book Kimpton Aertson Hotel starting at $304 per night

A live green wall in the lobby, a hand-knotted rope check-in desk, and poured concrete floors along with a fireplace wrapped in floating ceramic set the tone for this contemporary hotel that's part of the IHG family.

The artistic-meets-industrial vibe carries across the property and into the rooms, too. Standard rooms feature wood-paneled walls behind crisp, white beds, and colorful blueprint-like sketches loom large in the bathrooms alongside Carrara marble sinks.

The hotel is named for Jan Aertson, a Dutch immigrant whose direct descendant was none other than famed business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, and some of the rooms overlook Vanderbilt University.

The rooftop pool also offers views of the university. Snag a lounge chair directly in the shallow end to cool off or sip a cocktail in the shade of a plush cabana. Sublime bliss can be found at the 4,000-square-foot spa where guests can be pampered with four-handed massages, lavender sleep treatments, and hydrating facials.

The tantalizing on-site restaurant serves seasonally-inspired dishes like wedge oak farm duck and foraged pink oyster mushrooms, as well as hand-crafted cocktails.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 21 of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Pros: A trendy IHG property with a contemporary artistic-meets-industrial feel. The rooftop pool and huge spa are major draws.

Cons: Try to request higher floor rooms on the Vanderbilt side to avoid the bar noise that can be heard from rooms on the front side.

The Fairlane

Book The Fairlane starting at $329 per night

The Fairlane is ranked number one on Trip Advisor for good reason, namely, its downtown location close to the Country Music Hall of Fame, retro-chic interiors, and rooms with towering floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

For a worthy splurge, the spacious suites come with some of the best views, as well as wet bars, sofas, and soaking tubs, though they start about $100 more per night than cheaper accommodations. But even the smaller standard rooms are plenty luxe with elegant midcentury modern decor, marble showers, sumptuous bedding, and locally-curated snacks.

When the weather is nice, the outdoor terrace at Ellington's Midway Bar and Grill is the ultimate spot to fuel up on down south favorites like blue crab cakes and lobster thermidor. Grab-and-go breakfast and pastries along with Stumptown coffee is served at Union Teller, and sandwiches can be found at Union Teller Delicatessen. There's no spa, but a solid fitness center is available.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 1 of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Pros: Elegant midcentury modern style feels refined and fashionable in a memorable hotel with excellent service and local touches.

Cons: The starting rate is already expensive, and the best rooms cost about $100 more.

The Hermitage Hotel

Book The Hermitage Hotel starting at $356 per night

The longest-standing hotel in Nashville, The Hermitage first opened its doors in 1910. You'll feel like you've been transported back to that time thanks to the hotel's Beaux-Arts design mixing classical Italian and French Renaissance features. Staying here also places you in good company — past guests include Hank Williams, Owen Bradley, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash to name a few.

Rooms are spacious, averaging over 500 square feet. The decor is along the lines of what you'd expect from a historic, storied property with custom furniture imported from Europe, upholstered armchairs, wooden writing desks, patterned curtains, and ornate, gold-framed mirrors. The beds are particularly comfortable with locally-made custom cashmere and cotton mattresses.

The Hermitage is an exceptionally pet-friendly property with a special Pampered Paws program that includes specialty pet bedding, turndown service of organic treats, in-room pet dining menus, and pet-walking services.

The hotel also has a luxurious spa, a large fitness center, and an on-site restaurant and bar. The Oak Bar is particularly notorious having started as a private gentlemen's club in 1910 and known for serving drinks in teapots during the prohibition era. Now, locals and travelers frequent this spot to sip on the largest collection of bourbons in Nashville.

Trip Advisor Ranking: 7 out of 192 hotels in Nashville

Booking.com Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Pros: A chic, storied property with an old-world but luxurious feel that's especially pet-friendly. If you want an indulgent stay in Nashville, this is the place to do it.

Cons: The European-style decor may be too stuffy for travelers looking for trendy, modern design, and the price is much higher than other equally elegant options in town.