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