Downtown Nashville Hotels Locals Like

Downtown Nashville Hotels Locals Like

Nashville has 28,300 hotel rooms in the city. That’s enough rooms for all of the Tennessee Titans players and still have 28,247 rooms left over. Many of the new boutique hotels are being built downtown by creatively reusing existing office or historical buildings. While most locals stay out of downtown to avoid the bachelorettes and the pedal taverns, we want to let you know that a select few of the new hotels offer locals a reason to spend some time downtown.

Gray & Dudley

21C

Unlike any hotel in Nashville, the 21C Museum Hotel has a contemporary art museum on its first and second floors. The modern design of the lobby and gallery are a welcome escape from the Hooter’s down the block. We recommend starting at Gray & Dudley restaurant—the entrance is off the alley. Named after the Gray & Dudley Hardware Company that built and occupied the building at the beginning of the 20th century, the bar has a nice selection of local beers. Grab a Yazoo or Bearded Iris and head to the second floor for the modern art. 

 

 

Bobby Hotel Rooftop Lounge

LisaDiederichPhotography

 

Bobby Hotel

We came to have a drink in the 1956 Greyhound Bus on the roof and stayed for the view. Housed in the unremarkable Wells Fargo Plaza, the Bobby Hotel is all Southern rocker at heart. You’ll find the bus perched on the edge of the rooftop lounge. With a drink in hand, Bobby’s favorites include the Scofflaw and Sazerac, you can climb aboard the bus for an Insta worthy setting. After a bus ride, head over to the rooftop deck for a view of the skyline and river. 

 

 

Noelle Trade Room Lounge

On the corner of 4th and Church, the Noelle is a boutique hotel filled with Nashville art and food and drinks. Of course there’s a rooftop bar (overcrowded hip with noisy out-of-towners) but we love that every floor has portrait of important Nashvillians made by local artists. Nashville's public-artist-in-chief Bryce McCloud brought together designers, architects, artists, musicians, writers, curators and storytellers to fill the location that formerly housed the Noel Place, a luxury hotel dating back to 1929. The Trade Room bar behind the lobby is a comfortable spot for a cocktail. Or better yet, take a cocktail to any floor and browse the art by Nashvillians of Nashvillians for Nashvillians. 

 

Two more recommended stops on the locals' downtown boutique hotel tour include the Fairlane Hotels and Hyatt's Hotston House