Country music might still be Nashville's top drawcard, but don't underestimate the range of this ever-growing, cosmopolitan Southern city. The Tennessee capital is undergoing a boom with award-winning dining, world-class cultural attractions (like 2021's anticipated National Museum of African-American Music), and a stellar hotel scene where a mid-rise boutique or chain property seems to open every other month.
As a hotel and travel expert, I did a deep dive into the majority of Nashville's top-rated hotels on recent visits and found a slew of unique and worthwhile spots that both locals and travelers alike will enjoy.
Here are the best hotels in Nashville, sorted by price from low to high.
The Russell
Book The Russell
This steepled brick building on a residential street has been converted from a place of worship to a place to rest your head. Behind the gloriously restored stained glass windows is a funky, wallet-friendly accommodation in East Nashville, where 23 individually configured rooms (and a handful of "penthouses") give travelers a vibrant respite from the city center.
Its standout feature is the airy lobby, adorned in bright colors, chevron tiles, and equipped with a free-to-use podcast room and a photobooth. Above all, it is a hotel with heart, as a hefty portion of proceeds go towards a local homeless charity.
COVID-19 procedures are available here.
Grand Hyatt Nashville
Book the Grand Hyatt Nashville
Don't let the chain brand name fool you: this recently-opened Grand Hyatt is as fabulous as a top-tier boutique hotel half its size. Located on Broadway with The Gulch and Midtown neighborhoods within close reach, the 25-story hotel sports a seductive, sophisticated look from the impressive gold-accented lobby and fifth-floor swimming pool terrace to its hot rooftop bar Lou/Na (Nashville's highest). There are 591 rooms and 55 suites, each with hardwood floors, top-to-bottom glass windows, contemporary furnishings, and marble bathrooms stocked with Balmain products.
Foodies are well looked after with seven food and beverage venues to choose from, including the "Tennessee-to-table" concept The Nashville Grange, as well as The Continental, a smash hit restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock.
COVID-19 procedures are available here.
The Fairlane
Book The Fairlane
Midcentury design lovers will swoon over Fairlane, a Downtown-based boutique housed in a former modernist-style bank headquarters. From the '60s-inspired typography and terrazzo flooring in the lobby to the spot-on throwback music played throughout the building, the hotel's fully committed to giving guests a retro-chic experience. This extends to the colorful rooms and suites, too, with beds with velvety headboards and fold-up cup holders, and other vintage touches throughout.
Beyond the lobby level cheese-and-charcuterie joint (Cheese Gal) and bagel shop is the acclaimed Ellington's, a gentlemen's club-style restaurant and bar on Fairlane's fourth-floor wraparound terrace. Whether you're ordering a cocktail, seafood, or steak, there's no better spot to fuel your nostalgia.
COVID-19 procedures are available here.
Germantown Inn
Book Germantown Inn
More boutique than your average bed & breakfast, Germantown Inn is one of the city's most charming and intimate spots to check in. The restored historic home's 10 suites — named mainly after U.S. presidents and a few presidents' wives such as The Abigail (Adams) and The Eleanor (Roosevelt) — are individually designed, and all come with luxurious Frette linens, hardwood floors, and curtains and rugs with bright blue and pink accents.
Friendly innkeepers help serve breakfast and a wine-and-charcuterie happy hour (both complimentary) in the communal living area, and guests can relax outside in the hotel's generously sized courtyard or second-floor terrace overlooking the Germantown neighborhood.
COVID-19 procedures are available here.
Van Dyke Bed & Beverage
Book the Van Dyke Bed & Beverage
If you like libations as much as a boutique stay, Van Dyke in East Nashville's buzzy Five Points might be your new favorite hotel. There are only eight rooms on the self-check-in premises, all individually designed and themed after a spirit — the Beer room, for instance, has a semi-function locker and an actual punching bag with gloves (which I loved playing around with). Others might enjoy the light and breezy decor of the Vodka room (complete with hanging egg chair), or the tropical stylings of the Rum room.
The hotel's chic bar also hosts pop-up dining experiences inside and in their courtyard. You'll have to leave the minors at home, though: this unique hotel is a 21-and-up-only affair.
COVID-19 procedures are available here.
Noelle Nashville
Book the Noelle Nashville
Based in Downtown next to the famous Printer's Alley, Hotel Noelle is a restored historic boutique championing local creative voices. Art defines the contemporary experience: each hallway floor doubles as a private gallery, and inside each stylishly appointed room and suite are portraits of Nashville icons.
The Trade Room — a cavernous bar and lounge hangout brimming with brass details and Tennessee pink granite — is one of the hotel's many food and beverage options bound to impress (there's hidden speakeasy as well). Don't forget to check out Rare Bird, a rooftop lounge where great city and river views and a hip crowd await.
COVID-19 procedures are available here.
The Hermitage Hotel
Book The Hermitage Hotel
This is Tennessee's most legendary city hotel address, a Beaux-Arts building that has housed U.S. presidents, royalty, and countless celebrities for more than 110 years. The stately five-star icon sits next to the picturesque state Capitol area, yet is just blocks away from Downtown's busy streets.
All of the spacious, old-fashioned rooms come with separate marble bathtubs and showers and updated amenities. Though steeped in tradition, exciting changes are afoot: Fall 2021 will see the new opening of a Jean Georges-Vongerichten restaurant/bar in an arched basement venue, next to its longstanding whiskey den Oak Bar.
COVID-19 procedures are available here.
The Joseph, A Luxury Collection
Book The Joseph, A Luxury Collection
Hip boutique hotels in Nashville are becoming a dime a dozen; the Summer 2020 arrival of The Joseph has brought back clear-cut luxury to the city's sleep scene. Located in the SoBro neighborhood, the five-star Marriott Bonvoy member offers a refined respite in the city, with three restaurants and bars run by Michelin award-winner Tony Mantuano (of Spiaggia in Chicago), and more than 1,000 original artworks commissioned or imported by the Pizzuti family, The Joseph hoteliers behind the Pizzuti Collection of Columbus Museum of Art.
Rooms are elegant and understated, though have a business feel about them. The rooftop pool offers a relaxing place to cool off, complete with lounge chairs, cabanas, and a living plant wall.
COVID-19 procedures are available here.
FAQ: Nashville vacations
What is the best time of year to visit Nashville?
Nashville has a relatively pleasant climate all year and rarely has extremely cold or hot temperatures. Summer is the high season and is often hot, humid, and the busiest for hotel bookings.
Spring and fall months have the best weather (though spring can be a bit rainy) and travelers can find a better hotel room deal than in the summer.
Winter, the cheapest time to visit, can be chilly and below freezing on some evenings. However, winter daytime temps can be warm enough to comfortably explore outdoor spots such as Cumberland Park, which lines the Cumberland River, and the Bicentennial Capitol State Park.
Which is the best area to stay in Nashville?
The Greater Downtown area has the bulk of the city's main attractions within easy walking or driving distance, including the Country Music Museum and Hall of Fame, the famous Lower Broadway strip, the Frist Art Museum, and the new National Museum of African-American Music
For a less touristy area that's still humming with activity and great nightlife, Midtown is your best bet.
Travelers wanting a more local, eclectic experience should look to sprawling East Nashville, found across the river from Downtown. Here, it's easy to be close to indie shops, top-rated bars and restaurants, and other places that draw the city's hip and creative crowd.
What are the cheapest and most expensive times to visit Nashville?
The best deals appear during winter when the tourist count is low and the temperatures are chilly; the hot summer months see a major increase in crowds and accommodation prices.
Is it safe to stay in hotels?
The CDC states that fully vaccinated people can safely travel in the US. However, unvaccinated people should take extra precautions in Nashville as the city removed the mask mandate and venue capacity limits as of May 2021.
It is recommended to adhere to current CDC guidelines with social distancing, hand washing/sanitizing, and mask-wearing in public spaces when possible.
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