10 cool Nashville hotels to consider for your next trip to Music City

Nashville is known for many things — bachelorette parties, hot chicken and country bars, for starters.

And classic Nashville properties like the behemoth Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center (a Marriott Bonvoy property) and The Hermitage Hotel,  open since 1910, may already be on your radar.

Among the hotel giants — including more Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors properties — eyeing the city that just keeps going and growing for future openings are 1Hotel Nashville, Four Seasons Nashville, Conrad Nashville (all slated to open in 2022) and The Ritz-Carlton, Nashville, on the books to debut here in 2025.

But if you’re after ideas for where to book a room right now for a good time in Music City, read on for a few of our picks for the coolest hotels in Nashville.

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W Nashville

Right between Music Row and downtown Nashville, the neighborhood called The Gulch is a LEED-certified community that’s also the center of all things cool and stylish as well as tasty to eat and drink.

So is it any surprise that the new W Nashville opened here in October 2021? Predictably, the property brings its sceney, 9,700-square-foot WET Deck pool and bar to the scene as well as a whopping 346 rooms and 60 suites.

Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini of the NoHo Hospitality Group, who trained under Daniel Bouloud, helms the hotel’s two onsite restaurants. Among them, only The Dutch — with its excellent raw bar — is open so far. But an Italian chophouse, Carne Mare, is coming soon, too.

Nashville locals are already making Barista Parlor, the hotel’s coffee and pastry spot that’s part of a local independent chain, their own.

The W Nashville is a Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property, so stays will cost you between 70,000 and 100,000 points per night, depending on availability and dates.

Virgin Hotels Nashville

In case you can’t make it onto Sir Richard Branson’s new floating adventure, the Scarlet Lady, there’s always his brand’s land-based hotels to choose from, including Virgin Hotels Nashville, the coolest hotel to open right on Music Row (July 2020), recognizable for its facade of soaring glass windows.

The 262 chambers (don’t dare call them rooms) look out on the city and Vanderbilt University. There’s a rooftop restaurant and bar, The Commons Club (the brand’s signature restaurant), The Pool Club (outdoor pool) and on-it concierges that can do everything from book you in at a nearby recording studio for a session to send you off on the best local day trips.

If your trip to Nashville is a working holiday of sorts, you’ll love the hotel’s funky ground floor work zone, the Funny Library Workspace & Cafe, where you can grab a pastry and a strong espresso drink to steel you for another meeting on Zoom.

The Gallatin Hotel

For a feel-good stay with a purpose, consider checking into The Gallatin Hotel, which opened in May 2021in the buzzing East Nashville neighborhood.

This former church served the local community since 1925 as a place of shelter and belonging. And now the hotel donates the majority of its proceeds from guest stays through its Rooms for Rooms program to organizations that provide food, shelter, showers and more to the city’s homeless population.

The boutique property’s 25 rooms and suites (including a few with two sets of twin bunks, perfect for those bachelorette parties or traveling families) are painted bright white and have colorful furnishings — setting a cheerful mood for your stay that matches the property’s noble ambitions.

The Gallatin Hotel is a great spot for solo travelers, too, with smaller rooms branded “Cozies” that have a full-sized bed and full bathroom but no other frills that would add to the rate.

Do note that this property operates a bit differently than your standard hotel. You receive a code to check-in (there’s no concierge or valet staff to greet you) and there’s also no daily housekeeping.

Grand Hyatt Nashville

All the luxury bells and whistles — including one of the city’s most vertiginous rooftop bars, a world-class spa and a heated outdoor swimming pool overlooking Broadway at Nashville Yards — await at the Grand Hyatt Nashville, which tempts for one of the city’s most decadent stays.

You’re walking distance to The Gulch and Midtown here, so the property, which has nearly 600 rooms, draws a mix of business and leisure travelers as well as couples on weekends away and others traveling for special occasions and events.

Among the hotel’s seven food and beverage outlets is the standout signature restaurant, The Continental, with a seasonal menu helmed by James Beard award-winning and Southern cuisine chef legend, Sean Brock. Open for dinner only, it’s worth reserving well in advance.

Book a free night from 20,000 World of Hyatt points or splurge for the Regency Club (from 27,000 points/night) or a premium suite from 40,000 points/night)

The Dive Motel

With just 23 rooms — all with a “party switch” in the form of a disco ball that spins to the sounds of Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll or Sleep radio — the reimagined roadside Dive Motel in East Nashville nods back to the mid-20th century, when motels were an American road trip standard.

Double queen rooms are a popular option for a weekend away with a friend group since you can get three of them right next to each other (although not connecting). And the Honeymoon Suite is a real eye-popper for the lovebirds who dare, with side-by-side soaking tubs, a shag carpet and a sunken platform bed to set the retro mood.

The Dive Motel has a swim club (read: pool) that’s particularly hopping on the weekends, with day passes available to the public, so be aware that you likely won’t have it for your lonesome. There’s also the hotel’s great onsite dive bar (called Dive Bar) that’s actually super stylish. This is Nashville, after all.

The Joseph, A Luxury Collection Hotel

In the SoBro (south of Broadway) neighborhood of downtown Nashville, the 21-story Joseph, A Luxury Collection Hotel puts the focus on design, art and cuisine and has one of the city’s splashiest rooftops — home to a spa, pool deck and bar overlooking the city and Cumberland River. Yes, it’s a part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, but the hotel definitely feels like more of a boutique hotel than anything else.

In addition to all the touches standard in a luxury stay, what really impresses here is the hotel’s art collection. The more than 1,000 works belonging to the Pizuitti family’s private collection that can only be seen at The Joseph and include many pieces by artists with a unique connection to Tennessee, so the hotel oozes a real sense of place.

In the minimalist but cozy guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows that bring natural light streaming in, limited edition prints of artworks from the property’s Tennessee portfolio add to the sophisticated ambiance.

A tea trolley passes through the hotel’s lobby every Friday at 4 p.m., proffering complimentary cuppas. And The Joseph’s signature restaurant, Yolan, helmed by a Michelin-starred chef, is considered among the very best Italian tables in town.

The Joseph, A Luxury Collection Hotel is a Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property, so stays will cost you between 70,000 and 100,000 points per night, depending on availability and dates.

The Union Station Nashville Yards, Autograph Collection

Newly renovated in May 2021, this historical hotel that dates to 1900 was once a train terminal, and retains many of its grand architectural elements and original artwork.

Midtown and The Gulch are a short walk away from The Union Station Nashville Yards, Autograph Collection, where a new chef-driven restaurant, Stationairy, is slated to open in fall 2021.

You can enjoy live music Thursday through Friday nights and reliably tasty burgers with a relaxed crowd at the hotel’s casual restaurant, Ergo.

The Union Station Nashville Yards, Autograph Collection is a Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy property, so stays will cost you between 50,000 and 70,000 points per night, depending on availability and dates.

Kimpton Aerston Hotel

Steel, stone and concrete complete the industrial-chic look at the Kimpton Aerston Hotel, located in the mixed-use Midtown Aerston neighborhood of Nashville.

An IHG Hotel & Resort property, the hotel offers guests a complimentary hosted wine hour every night that’s always a hit and has a seasonal rooftop pool and luxe Frette linens on every bed.

The property attracts lots of parents and families of Vanderbilt University students, especially during game weekends or big campus events, since the pretty school is right nearby.

Be sure to check out the extensive bourbon list at the hotel’s onsite restaurant, Henley, where the seasonal craft cocktails attract a neighborhood crowd alongside college kids drinking on their parents’ tabs.

IHG’s award chart offers dynamic pricing but we’ve seen this hotel available for 47,000 points per night.

Vandyke Bed & Beverage

The eight rooms at the micro Vandyke Bed & Beverage hotel astride the Five Points Intersection in East Nashville are all named after a beer, wine or liquor (with corresponding glassware and themes, and an onsite bar where you can fill your chalice). So if you prefer not to be tempted, you might want to stay elsewhere.

For those who love a good alcohol theme and to tip a few back in style, however, there’s lots to love here. The vodka guest room, for example, has a Scandinavian look, with clean lines and light woods, and the tequila room puts out cool desert vibes and has a roll-up window that lets you look out right into the communal courtyard.

Other room themes include rum, champagne, gin, wine, beer and whiskey, so you can pick your poison (note that some rooms have private patios while others look onto the shared courtyard).

Vandyke Bed & Beverage keeps things fun, too, with local art, a rooftop hangout just for guests and a bunk room in the mix. Your fellow guests might be everyone from a group of ladies on a bachelorette trip to couples playing it cool on a weekend away from the kids.

Thompson Nashville

Another favorite in The Gulch since it first opened in late 2016, surprise World of Hyatt property  Thompson Nashville has super stylish rooms that wow with their low-key style — think hardwood floors, barn doors and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in downtown views at every angle.

The hotel is known for its high standard of service and is said to be a favorite with visiting celebrities, too. Michelle Obama is rumored be among the big names who have checked in, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re into paparazzi-worthy sights.

Thompson Nashville is also known for its excellent onsite seafood restaurant, The Marsh, where the weekday happy hour lures the crowds for $1 oysters. Craft cocktail hotspot, L.A. Jackson, occupies the hotel’s rooftop, which is one of the most seductive in all of Nashville with its expansive views and understated style.

Award nights from 25,000 World of Hyatt points for a standard room, 40,000 points for a standard suite and 50,000 points for a premium suite.

Featured photo courtesy of The Dive Motel/Facebook.