Our Favorite Hotels in Nashville
‧ 5-Star Hotel: Hermitage
• For Families: Omni
• For Couples: Bobby
• Resort Facility: Kimpton Aertson
• Near entertainment district: Moxy • Close to Vanderbilt: Hampton Inn
• Near the airport: Sheraton
Table of Contents
The Best Areas to Stay in Nashville
A core center for Nashville tourism is Lower Broadway, also known as Honky-Tonk Highway, a brief strip of honky-tonks and celebrity-managed mega-bars in Downtown. Bachelorette parties often visit looking for lively weekends, assisting the city gain fame as the “official” Bachelorette Capital of The World. The renowned Ryman Auditorium – an architectural and acoustic marvel – introduces a bit of refinement to the whole scene. The Cumberland River directly east of Downtown adds a touch of natural scenery.
In recent years enormous construction cranes have interrupted the skyline across burgeoning SoBro, the South of Broadway neighborhood that surrounds the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Within walking distance of Downtown, this former industrial district is expanding vertically, with sleek new hotels rocketing skyward at a frenzied pace. Despite all the hotel openings, expect high prices on weekends across Downtown and SoBro.
The former rail yard located west of SoBro has reinvented itself, now known as The Gulch. This compact neighborhood is characterized by sleek high-rise buildings and upscale restaurants and boutiques. Elsewhere, neighborhood boundaries are somewhat indistinct, as Nashville features micro-neighborhoods encompassing just a few trendy blocks. Vanderbilt University anchors Midtown, a predominantly commercial and work district west of Downtown and I-40. When defined most broadly, Midtown takes in Music Row, the West End, Demonbreun, and Edgehill. Just south of Midtown lie a few vibrant pockets known for dining and shopping attractions: 12 South, Hillsboro Village, and Belmont. It`s a straightforward two-mile stretch on Broadway from Midtown to the Lower Broadway honky-tonks. (A honky-tonk, occasionally shortened to “tonk,” refers to a bar including a small stage for live music, generally country. Performances are typically complimentary, but toss in a few dollars when a band member circulates with a collection bucket.)
Gritty yet cool East Nashville lies directly east of Downtown and the Cumberland River. Opryland and Music Valley require around a 20-minute drive northeast of the urban core. budget lodging options near the airport in Donelson, which is ten miles east of Downtown. Mid-range and low-cost hotels border I-65 between Nashville and the town of Franklin twenty miles south, specifically in Brentwood and Cool Springs. However, the tradeoff for reduced rates is congested traffic along I-65 during rush hour.
The Best Places to Stay in Nashville
- Best Luxury Hotels in Nashville
Hermitage Hotel • Thompson Nashville • Kimpton Aertson Hotel • Union Station Hotel - Best Boutique Hotels in Nashville
The Bobby Hotel and the Germantown Inn along with the 21c Museum Hotel,The Russell, and Noelle as well as the Hutton Hotel,Fairlane Hotel, and Bode Nashville are all included within the list mentioned. - Best 3-star/4-star hotels in Nashville
Spending some time exploring Chinatown, one of Manhattan’s finest communities with a novel persona and highlights like the Mahayana Buddhist Temple. Additionally, you’ll find the Museum of Ice Cream here, which is among the premier museums in New York.
- Best Cheap Hotels in Nashville
Home2 Suites – Hampton Inn & Suites – Best Western Plus Downtown/Music Row – Sheraton Music City Nashville Airport - Best Hotels for Families in Nashville
Omni Nashville Hotel • Gaylord Opryland Resort - Top TripAdvisor Hotels (Best Value)
Holiday Inn Vanderbilt,Drury Plaza,Westin,Clarion Hotel Nashville Stadium,La Quinta Inn & Suites Nashville Stadium
Best Areas in Nashville for…
- Prime Neighborhood for History & Sightseeing: SoBro
The immersive Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the origins of country music and its most talented performers. After checking out its informative exhibits, you’ll soon understand why Nashville is nicknamed Music City. The museum building is also home to Hatch Show Print, a long-running print shop known for its iconic woodblock concert posters. Across the street, Walk of Fame Park honors top performers. Johnny Cash takes the spotlight at his namesake museum a block and a half from the Walk of Fame. Stretch your legs on the John Siegenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, which crosses the Cumberland River. This pretty span honors a former editor of the Tennessean, who was a champion of the civil rights movement. - Best Neighborhood for Dining: 12 South
It can be tough to keep pace with the city’s ever-changing culinary hotspots, but for a reliably good cross-section of eateries, head to 12 South. The neighborhood stretches for a half-mile through a residential area along 12th Avenue S, which is lined with upscale and casual restaurants, many of them fronted by large patios perfect for people-watching. Culinary highlights include croissant-doughnut hybrids, barbecue, tacos, and shawarma. Bed and breakfasts and vacation homes are the lodging options here. - Best Nightlife & Live Entertainment: Downtown
With lights aglow, tunes flowing from the bars, and tipsy people moving down the sidewalks, Lower Broadway nearly experiences overcrowding on Fridays and Saturdays. Enormous celebrity-owned bars have lately opened their doors along the wide street, but smaller loyal places like Tootsies Orchid Lounge and Robert’s Western World maintain an old school atmosphere, if crammed within their narrow confines. North of Broadway, the acclaimed Ryman Auditorium hosts developing bands and famous performers across musical styles. Marked by twinkling lights, tiny Printer’s Alley and its bars are a fun downtown nook to explore - Best for First-Timers: Midtown/West End/Music Row
Surrounded by the vast Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens to the north and Green Park to the east, these neighborhoods are primarily recognized for their outstanding museums: the Victoria and Albert Museum,Science Museum, and Natural History Museum, the latter housing its famous dinosaur collection. Additional attractions include Apsley House, the Duke of Wellington’s London residence, the Gothic Albert Memorial across from Royal Albert Hall, and Kensington Palace, formerly the London home of Princess Diana and now William and Kate’s residence (much of it is open to the public, however)) - Most Romantic Part of Nashville: Midtown/West End/Music Row
Centennial Park in Nashville offers natural beauty along its shoreline and spacious lawns ideal for romantic strolls amidst greenery. The park hosted the World`s Fair in 1897 commemorating the state`s centennial and still features a full-scale replica of the ancient Parthenon in Greece. Songstress Dolly Parton recorded one of her most renowned love ballads, “I Will Always Love You,” within the historic RCA Studio B accessible today on guided tours along Music Row. Browsing shops fills time in the Hillsboro Village area near the leafy grounds and small rare guitar collection at Belmont University. Mimicking an Italian villa among lovely plantings, the atmospheric Belmont Mansion invites relaxing. Inside the stately Patterson House, crafted cocktails can be sipped in an intimate atmosphere. For innovative dining of multiple innovative courses, settle in at the elegant Catbird Seat. - Best Neighborhood for Families: SoBro
While SoBro`s proximity to Lower Broadway doesn`t make it abundantly family-oriented, various factors position it as a good selection. Youngsters are the focus at the entertaining Taylor Swift Education Center, situated inside the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. The Goo Goo Shop & Dessert Bar is where the Nashville-originated Goo Goo Cluster candy bar was born and offers a hands-on candy-crafting experience. It’s fun to admire the Batman Building – you’ll recognize it when you see it – from the John Siegenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. Across the bridge there are numerous youngster diversions – like a spray playground – at Cumberland Park. The Adventure Science Center and Shelby Park are both a brief drive from SoBro. New hotels are opening at a quick pace across the neighborhood, offering an assortment of lodging choices. Beyond SoBro, Opryland and Music Valley also work well for families
- Best Without a Car: Downtown
Over a dozen hotels congregate between the Greek Revival Tennessee state capitol building and Lower Broadway in the downtown area. Attractions in the vicinity incorporate Ryman Auditorium, the Frist Art Museum, the Nashville Farmers Market, and Printers Alley, renowned for its twinkling lights and cozy bars. The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in SoBro is within easy walking distance of downtown as are several museums dedicated to country music notables. The Bridgestone Arena and Schermerhorn Symphony Center are also nearby, and it’s simple to walk to the riverfront. It’s a 1-mile stroll from downtown to restaurants and shops in The Gulch. - Unsafe Areas of Nashville
Nashville is generally a safe place to visit. Just make sure to be aware of your surroundings on Lower Broadway due to large crowds that are often rowdy. Parts of East Nashville remain gritty and should not be explored late at night alone.
Best time for a honeymoon: May, June, September, October On weekends, a regular stream of slightly intoxicated bachelorettes and groomsmen hurry from wheeled party vehicles into the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway for live music and beverages. Musicians Kid Rock, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan have recently asserted themselves into Lower Broadway with their own multi-story bars, enhancing the party atmosphere. Another hotspot is Acme Feed & Seed, a riverside bar and restaurant known for its open-air decks and urban views. Outside downtown, City Winery and several craft breweries offer tastings to the south and a Top Golf driving range is a brief drive north of the neighborhood. Bloody Mary brunches at restaurants in and around SoBro are perfect for nursing hangovers or continuing the party.
The Best Neighborhoods in Nashville for Tourists
1. Downtown
These regions feature the finest cuisine and drink options, convenient transportation links, and the widest selection of luxury, boutique, mid-range, and affordable accommodations. In the Nagoya Station Area, you will likely be able to walk from your hotel to Nagoya station ( Shinkansen) rather than take a taxi or subway, while Downtown provides improved nightlife and iconic attractions, like Nagoya TV Tower,Oasis 21, and the Nagoya City Science Museum, all within a few minutes. The Downtown Sakae station is also marginally more central when exploring the city, though both regions are well-connected to public transportation
- Topnotch Hotels: The Hermitage Hotel – Bobby Hotel – 21c Museum Hotel Nashville – Noelle Nashville – Union Station Hotel – Grand Hyatt – Moxy Nashville Downtown
2. SoBro
Throughout the past few years, construction cranes have dominated the SoBro skyline, working diligently to finish new hotels to meet the rapidly increasing demand. Country music fans flock to the enormous Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum as well as the Johnny Cash Museum and Walk of Fame Park. Many wedding parties use SoBro as a base for long weekends filled with lively festivities on Lower Broadway. The celebrations continue at 6th & Peabody, where beer, moonshine, and tacos intermingle in one hard-to-leave locale. Bridgestone Arena hosts the Nashville Predators professional ice hockey team plus live performances by globally acclaimed artists ranging from Justin Bieber to James Taylor. In warmer months outdoor concerts beside the Cumberland River are also quite popular.
- Premier Accommodations:JW Marriott – Bode Nashville – Omni Nashville Hotel – Hilton Nashville Downtown – Drury Plaza – Margaritaville Hotel
3. The Gulch
Situated within a geologic depression southwest of downtown Nashville, the Gulch was formerly home to the city`s railway yard. Today, the neighborhood has been transformed with sleek apartment complexes, glossy hotels, and up-to-date eateries and bars, many with patios showcasing the action. Notable attractions consist of the Biscuit Love breakfast joint, the Turnip Truck organic market, and the old-school Station Inn, a longtime destination for live bluegrass.
- Top Hotels: Thompson Nashville – W Nashville – Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
4. Midtown/West End/Music Row
Restaurants and hotels cater to tourists, Vanderbilt university students and their families, and visitors to the university medical center. A 362-acre green area, Centennial Park, is the heart of the West End region. A full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Greece stands at the center of the park. Numerous recording artists, from Elvis to Willie Nelson, recorded hits in music studios in Music Row. Just know that there isn’t much to see in this largely residential area unless you book a studio tour. South of Midtown you’ll find several inviting micro-neighborhoods – Edgehill, Hillsboro Village, Belmont, and 12 South – that are optimal for half a day of people-watching, dining, and shopping, but lodging options are minimal. Hotels in Midtown cost marginally less than accommodations downtown.
- Top Hotels: Kimpton Aertson Hotel – Hutton Hotel – Loews Vanderbilt – Graduate Nashville – Home2 Suites Vanderbilt
5. East Nashville
East Nashville is an area that brings together a variety of living and working spaces, including classic homes, brand new houses, industrial sites, and up-to-date restaurants, galleries, and shops that are increasingly popular among millennials and creative individuals pursuing their ambitions. In addition to the cutting-edge exhibits and boutiques, visitors can explore cool vintage shops, craft breweries with potent flavors, lively music venues putting on powerful performances, and the Tomato Art Fest in August. The Five Points area forms a busy hub and offers a good place to witness the enterprising spirit of the neighborhood. Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans professional football team, overlooks the Cumberland River.
- Top-Rated Accommodations:The Russell – La Quinta Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown Stadium
6. Opryland and Music Valley
The Grand Old Opry began as a radio “barn dance” in 1925, but over the years it transformed into a country music sensation, a regular live performance and radio broadcast synonymous with Nashville and country music. In 1974 the show moved from Ryman Auditorium to the Grand Old Opry House, a 4,400-seat performance venue. Today, Opryland is a family-friendly resort and entertainment complex centered around the show. Attractions include a riverboat cruise, a small waterpark, and a Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. Chain hotels, family restaurants, and outlet stores fill the surrounding area, called Music Valley.
7. Franklin
The municipality of Franklin is twenty miles south of Nashville, yet I-65 between the two is bordered with mid-range lodging options. Many of them cost less than their equivalents in Nashville. Franklin itself has a number of charms. The compact downtown retains a traditional sense, with pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, boutiques, restaurants, antique stores, and a historic theater. There are several Civil-War era homes with fascinating histories to share, all with a connection to the Battle of Franklin. Arrington Vineyards, co-owned by country music star Kix Brooks, is a popular spot for wine tasting just south of Franklin.
- Best Hotels: The Harpeth Franklin Downtown
