Nashville Hotels

The Conrad near Music Row is contemporary and sleek, and the lavender shortbread cookies they leave at turn-down are lovely.

In an industrial building that used to be a sock factory, Soho House is one of the best places to stay in Nashville. It feels low-key and relaxed. The club is members-only, but you get access to all it has to offer—the social spaces, the restaurant, the bar, the gym—when you book a room.

The 1 feels like a real escape: It’s airy and modern, and it has a really good spa.

At the Four Seasons in SoBro, the beds are plush, the rooftop pool has views of the river and a great happy hour, and the service is above and beyond. The restaurant Mimo is led by Michelin-distinguished chef Aniello “Nello” Turco, and it’s good.

The Joseph is in SoBro, just steps away from some of Nashville’s best museums and music venues. The staff is attentive, the rooms are sleek, and there’s a pool with a bar and views of the city’s skyline. While you’re here, go for the Abruzzo-inspired tasting menu at the restaurant, Yolan, which is helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Mantuano.

Owner Lyon Porter opened Urban Cowboy in Nashville after his original Brooklyn location proved to be a big success. And the concept works just as well here: wildly original design at fair prices, which attracts a younger, hip crowd. It’s a big, historic Victorian mansion in East Nashville with eight guest suites—all are variations on a kind of threadbare, rustic mashup of the South and the Wild West (wood-plank floors, distressed leather club chairs, vintage Oriental rugs). One thing they all have in common: stand-alone clawfoot tubs. It’s a fun perk, even if you aren’t a bath person. And if you aren’t staying at the hotel, it’s still worth a visit to the Public House, Urban Cowboy’s bar, for the outstanding craft cocktails and just as outstanding small bites before heading into the rest of your night.

Noelle is a 1930 Art Deco gem of a building. Located steps from Printers Alley, it’s a few minutes’ walk from places like the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Frist Art Museum. Stellar location aside, it’s great for those who like their hotels beautifully designed but without a lot of fussiness. A night in one of the sparse guest rooms feels like staying at the apartment of your most stylish Danish friend—hardwood floors, marble side tables, and custom-made fabric headboards. There aren’t a ton of bells and whistles, but none are needed when the place looks this good. And come morning, you don’t have to go far for an excellent cold brew—the in-house café, Drug Store Coffee, is one of Nashville’s best, which is saying something.

In the middle of downtown Nashville’s arts district, the polished, mid-century-inspired Fairlane Hotel fits perfectly amid the area’s urban charm. The overall design is striking—original travertine columns, terrazzo floors, and plenty of brass finishes. And guest rooms are pleasantly pared back and uncluttered, with marble bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows that look over the cityscape.

This 1865 Federal-style brick townhouse (formerly the home of H.H. Wallman, who was a shoemaker to the city’s nineteenth-century elite) was reborn as a ten-suite boutique hotel. It’s a welcome option if your tastes run toward the intimate, historical, and quirky, rather than the modern high-rises that dominate the city’s hotel scene. While the redbrick exterior gives off a sense of quaint formality, inside, it’s a whimsical mix of hot-pink fabrics, abstract-floral drapes, and contemporary art. Although there’s no on-site restaurant, the Germantown location is a big plus: Some of the city’s best restaurants (Henrietta Red, City House) are within walking distance.

Part hotel, part contemporary art gallery, 21c Museum Hotel occupies a massive warehouse from 1900 (formerly the headquarters of a wholesale hardware company). The whole art aspect hits you immediately: There’s over 10,500 square feet of exhibition space, filled with rotating shows and installations. Guest rooms are spare but comfortable, each featuring prints from local photographers. Spring for a terrace suite and you get your own (huge) outdoor space, complete with sofas and dining table for alfresco meals. Three of the suites were designed with artists: one by actor Adrian Grenier, another a collaboration between painter Sebastiaan Bremer and musician-composer Josephine Wiggs, and a third by Yung Jake.