We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Destinations The 12 Best Hotels in Nashville Plan your stay in Music City with these editor-loved and award-winning hotels. By Stefanie Waldek Stefanie Waldek Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design journalist with expertise in aviation, meteorology, and polar regions. She was a former editor at Architectural Digest, TripAdvisor, and ArtNews. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on March 19, 2024 Photo: W Nashville If I were to ask you what defines Nashville, you'd probably say country music and honky tonks, right? Well, you wouldn't be wrong. Country music certainly runs deep in Nashville — it's not called Music City for nothing — and the honky tonks of Broadway are some of the city's signature attractions. But Nashville has so much more to offer, from museums like the Frist Art Museum to major- and minor-league sports teams to a world-class dining scene and beyond. With so much drawing visitors to town, Nashville's hotel industry has boomed over the past decade, with both major brand properties and independent boutique hotels filling the city's real estate. We’ve rounded up this list of the best hotels in Nashville based on our firsthand experience in the city as well as winners of T+L’s It List and World’s Best Awards. If you're ready to dive into planning your next trip, read on for our favorite picks for where to stay. The Joseph, A Luxury Collection Hotel The Joseph Book Now Also available to book at Expedia.com What We Like The art collection — it comprises hundreds of works by Tennessean artists. What to Consider If you bring your own car, parking is $60 per day. Voted the top hotel in Nashville in the 2023 World’s Best Awards — its second year in a row in the coveted spot — the Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel, checks all the boxes for a perfect Nashville vacation. Its location in SoBro (South of Broadway), puts it within a 15-minute walk of all major downtown attractions, from Broadway's honky tonks and shops to the Frist Art Museum to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which is just a block away. While it's close to the action, the 297-room, 21-story hotel is more of a refined retreat, noted for its impressive art collection highlighting Tennessee artists, the tranquil Rose Spa and Salon, and a saltwater rooftop pool with a living green wall. And it's a dining destination, too. Husband-wife duo Tony and Cathy Mantuano, a chef and a wine expert, respectively, lead four food and beverage outlets here, including the upscale Italian restaurant Yolan and the cocktail bar Four Walls. The Details: Neighborhood: SoBro (Downtown)Distance from Airport: 7.7 milesNearby Attractions: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Bridgestone Arena, Music City Center, Frist Art Museum, Ryman AuditoriumAccessibility: Wheelchair-accessible facilities, handicap parking, hearing-impaired alarmsRates: Starting at $281Parking: Valet only, $60 per nightPet Policy: Dogs only “I stayed at The Joseph shortly after it opened a couple of years ago, and I returned to the hotel in July 2023 — during both visits, the hotel impressed me with its fantastic food and beverage program, attentive service, and beautiful design. The Italian mid-century aesthetic and impressive art collection stand out (in a good way) in Music City, offering an elevated stay just blocks from Broadway's honky tonks. I especially love the rooftop pool and inventive cocktails at Four Walls.”–Elizabeth Rhodes, Special Projects Editor Bobby Hotel Bobby Hotel Book Now Also available to book at Hotels.com What We Like There's a Dog-In-Residence program that trains dogs to be emotional support animals for veterans. What to Consider The minimum check-in age is 21. A 2021 World’s Best Awards winner, the Bobby Hotel can be found just off Printers Alley, a famed Downtown nightlife street north of Broadway that dates back to the 1940s. Now, when we say a hotel has personality, we don't necessarily mean that literally — but in the case of the Bobby, there's actually a "person" involved. The namesake of the 144-room hotel is a fictional character whose world travels inspire the hotel's decor, culinary options, and overall vibe. Highlights here include four dining and drinking outlets, including Bobby's Garage Bar, which has an entrance right on Printers Alley; a spa; and a rooftop pool. Another fun feature is the Bobby Hotel's Dog-In-Residence Program, in which the hotel has partnered with the Nashville Humane Society to adopt dogs, train them to be emotional support animals through a stint as a hotel representative, then donate them to veterans in need. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the hotel is dog-friendly. The Details: Neighborhood: DowntownDistance from Airport: 9.4 milesNearby Attractions: Ryman Auditorium, Broadway Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Johnny Cash Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame and MuseumAccessibility: Wheelchair accessibleRates: Starting at $213Parking: Valet only, $55 per nightPet Policy: Dogs only Noelle Noelle Book Now Also available to book at Expedia.com What We Like The renovated 1930s building gives off a New York–in-Nashville vibe. What to Consider True to the New York City aura, the entry-level rooms are small. Whereas Bobby might be the party animal on Printers Alley, its neighbor Noelle could be likened to a sophisticated New York gallerist. The 224-room hotel, a World’s Best Awards winner in 2021 and a top-five finalist in 2023, is housed in a renovated 1930s building in Downtown Nashville that feels as if it were plucked from the streets of New York City. Though the interiors have been updated with all the modern amenities you'd expect today, many of the original grand architectural elements remain — plus, all throughout are works by local artists and artisans. In the hotel's various public spaces, notably the Drug Store coffee counter in the lobby, you'll find visitors and locals mingling. Head to the rooftop bar and lounge Rare Bird for drinks and bites or downstairs to Makeready L&L for a sit-down meal, though you should note that from time to time, the subterranean restaurant is taken over by an immersive experience, like an Alice in Wonderland–themed eatery. There's also a hidden bar at the hotel, somewhere deep below ground… The Details: Neighborhood: DowntownDistance from Airport: 8.7 milesNearby Attractions: Ryman Auditorium, Broadway Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Johnny Cash Museum, Country Music Hall of FameAccessibility: Wheelchair-accessible rooms and suitesRates: Starting at $216Parking: Valet only, $20 per day or $55 for overnight staysPet Policy: Dogs only Urban Cowboy Nashville Urban Cowboy Book Now Also available to book at Hotels.com What We Like The decor in this old Victorian mansion is on another level. What to Consider Its location is fairly residential, though the restaurants and bars of East Nashville can be reached within a 10- to 15-minute walk. Like so many other New York–based companies, Urban Cowboy made its way down south to Nashville, and with its eye-catching urban-meets-country aesthetic, the hotel is a perfect fit for the city. You'll find Urban Cowboy Nashville in East Nashville, more specifically in the residential Lockeland Springs neighborhood, which is rather unexpected in the Nashville hotel scene. But pulling up to the hotel, you'll quickly understand why it's out here — it's housed in a Victorian mansion, and it has just eight suites. Of course, this is still Nashville, so there's a parlor wine bar with nightly live music, plus a pub in the carriage house. (Roberta's, another Brooklyn transplant, serves its pizza out back). As with the hotel brand's other locations, many of the suites here feature not only high-impact rustic decor, but also giant soaking tubs right in the bedrooms. The Details: Neighborhood: East NashvilleDistance from Airport: 8.7 milesNearby Attractions: Five Points, The Basement East, Shelby Park, Nissan StadiumAccessibility: Upper floors accessible by stairs only, visual alarms in hallwaysRates: Starting at $228Parking: Free self-parkingPet Policy: Dogs only Four Seasons Hotel Nashville Four Seasons Resorts Book Now Also available to book at Expedia.com What We Like The Four Seasons brand lets its hair down at this laid-back yet attentively serviced hotel. What to Consider It's one of the most expensive hotels in town. An It List winner in 2023, Four Seasons Hotel Nashville is my favorite luxury property in town. A long-time fan of the brand, I visited for an all-too-brief two-night stay just before the property opened to the public in 2022. What surprised me was that even though the Four Seasons name is associated with luxury, the Nashville hotel embraces the let-loose nature of its location (a few blocks off Broadway in SoBro). For example, if you ask the concierge for recommendations, they might point you to a dive bar with the best live music in East Nashville. That said, service is still impeccable, whether that's at the front desk, the spa, or the standout Mimo restaurant, an Italian–meets–Southern American spot that blew me away with caviar linguine topped with fried okra. After my stay, the 194-room hotel opened its seventh-floor pool deck and outdoor lounge, Rivière, inspired by the French Riviera, and I'm looking forward to returning to experience it. The Details: Neighborhood: SoBroDistance from Airport: 7.3 milesNearby Attractions: Broadway, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Music City Center, Johnny Cash Museum, Ascend AmphitheaterAccessibility: Wider wheelchair-accessible doors, entry doors have a secondary door viewer that is at an accessible height, lighting controls and thermostats within accessible reachRates: Starting at $500Parking: Valet only, $57 per nightPet Policy: Cats, dogs, and other domestic animals weighing less than 60 pounds Hermitage Hotel The Hermitage Hotel Book Now Also available to book at Expedia.com What We Like This hotel has a sense of grandeur unlike any other in Nashville. What to Consider There's no spa or pool. Opened in 1910, the Hermitage Hotel is Nashville's Grande Dame, located downtown just across from the Tennessee State Capitol. The beaux-arts structure was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2020, after which it underwent a two-year restoration. While the hotel retains much of its original grandeur — just look at the ornate coffers in the lobby's ceiling — its public spaces and 122 guest rooms have been refreshed with a bright and airy palette of colors that blend tradition and modernity well. Food and beverage are overseen by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten; choose from the signature restaurant Drusie & Darr, known for its extensive bourbon collection, and the all-day café and wine bar, the Pink Hermit. In 2023, the Hermitage was a top-five finalist in the World's Best Awards. The Details: Neighborhood: DowntownDistance from Airport: 8.7 milesNearby Attractions: Tennessee State Capitol, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Ryman Auditorium, Broadway, Bridgestone ArenaAccessibility: Accessible queen room with two queen-sized beds, accessible king room with one king-sized bedRates: Starting at $290Parking: Valet only, $55 per night plus taxPet Policy: Pets welcome, no restrictions on weight or number of pets W Nashville W Nashville Book Now Also available to book at Hotels.com What We Like The rooftop bar has excellent views. What to Consider This is a very lively hotel. The W hotel brand is known for its upscale, life-of-the-party atmosphere, and that's certainly true of the Nashville outpost in the Gulch. Its public spaces are vast, welcoming in both guests and locals to its eateries, including the Italian chophouse Carne Mare and the Barista Parlor coffee shop; its bars, including the WET deck pool bar (non-guests can book day passes for the pool, by the way) and the rooftop Proof bar, known for its late-night DJ sets; and fitness classes, including yoga on the yoga lawn (complimentary for guests, paid for visitors). While many Ws feature rather stark, concrete-heavy interiors, W Nashville provides a more residential vibe in its 346 rooms and suites — though there's still a touch of edginess with details like emerald green subway tiles and comic book–inspired art. The Details: Neighborhood: The GulchDistance from Airport: 8.1 milesNearby Attractions: Rudy's Jazz Room, Music City Center, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Frist Art MuseumAccessibility: Accessible main entrance, accessible restaurants, elevatorsRates: Starting at $272Parking: Valet, $68 per dayPet Policy: Pets welcome 1 Hotel Nashville 1 Hotel Nashville Book Now What We Like The decor transports you to a boho-chic beach destination. What to Consider Valet is $62 per night. It's all about biophilic design at 1 Hotel Nashville, a top-five finalist in the 2023 World's Best Awards. That means it's all about connecting with nature, and nowhere is that more evident than in the Bamford Wellness Spa, 1 Kitchen, and Harriet's Rooftop bar, each of which are lush spaces with live plants just about everywhere. The 215 rooms also have a touch of greenery, but the emphasis is more on wood elements — the walls are wood, there are wood beams in the ceiling, and some of the furniture is made of wood. If you didn't look out the window, you might think you're at an eco-chic beach resort somewhere in the tropics, not between Broadway and the Gulch in Nashville. The Details: Neighborhood: DowntownDistance from Airport: 8.4 milesNearby Attractions: Frist Art Center, Broadway, Bridgestone Arena, Country Music Hall of Fame and MuseumAccessibility: Hotel and guest room areas accessibleRates: Starting at $269Parking: Valet, $62 overnightPet Policy: Dogs and cats allowed, may be able to accommodate other animals The Germantown Inn Emily Dorio / The Germantown Inn Book Now What We Like This is a true B&B, with breakfast and happy hour included. What to Consider Amenities are limited, since it's an inn rather than a full-service hotel. The key things to know about the Germantown Inn are right in the property's name: this is, in fact, an inn rather than a hotel, and it's located in the historic Germantown neighborhood. Like Urban Cowboy, the Germantown Inn is set in a former home — in this case, a brick one dating back to the 1860s. Its 10 suites might be named after historical figures (presidents, mostly), but the decor is anything but traditional. Instead, bright colors abound with punchy prints showcasing each suite's namesake. Since this is an inn, amenities are somewhat limited. However, breakfast is included each morning, there's a daily happy hour, and staff is available 24/7 if there are any issues. And perhaps best of all, there's free parking. The Details: Neighborhood: GermantownDistance from Airport: 9.1 milesNearby Attractions: Tennessee State Museum, First Horizon Park, Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, Tennessee State CapitolAccessibility: Wheelchair access and reduced mobility roomsRates: Starting at $236Parking: Free self-parkingPet Policy: Two pet-friendly suites The Russell The Russell Book Now What We Like The hotel donates a portion of the room rate to local nonprofits helping those experiencing homelessness. What to Consider This is a self-service hotel, and pets are not allowed. What happens when you transform a 115-year-old church in East Nashville into a boutique hotel? You end up with the Russell. This character-filled 23-room hotel retains plenty of design details from its previous life, including gorgeous stained-glass windows and repurposed pews. But it's now bursting with color and midcentury-inspired decor. Now, the Russell has a bit of a quirk — it's largely self-service. There's no front desk, no daily housekeeping, and no on-site restaurant and bar. Instead, you're sent a code via email to unlock the door to the lobby, and there are free snacks and a Smeg coffee maker in the rooms. It's a bit of an unorthodox approach to hospitality, falling somewhere between a vacation rental and a hostel, but for low-maintenance travelers looking for a well-designed crash pad, this is the perfect stay. The Details: Neighborhood: East NashvilleDistance from Airport: 7.9 milesNearby Attractions: Five Points, Nissan Stadium, The Basement EastAccessibility: No elevatorRates: Starting at $189Parking: Free self-parkingPet Policy: No Fairlane Hotel Nashville Fairlane Hotel Nashville Book Now What We Like The '70s vibes are immaculate. What to Consider There's no spa or pool. When you're housed in a former bank headquarters built in the 1970s, sometimes you just have to lean into the retro aesthetic — and that's precisely what the Fairlane Hotel did. The boutique property embraces a late midcentury design ethos in a way that's less kitsch and more refined, keeping original details like terrazzo floors and travertine columns and modernizing with contemporary furniture. The on-site dining options include a lobby coffee bar (guests receive free drip coffee if they flash their room key) and a fourth-floor, indoor-outdoor eatery called Ellington's Restaurant. Something interesting about the Fairlane is that none of its 81 rooms are the same, and many of them have floor-to-ceiling windows that make them feel much larger. The Details: Neighborhood: DowntownDistance from Airport: 8.6 milesNearby Attractions: Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Tennessee State Capitol, Ryman Auditorium, Bridgestone Arena, BroadwayAccessibility: Accessible entrance, restaurant, and roomsRates: Starting at $280Parking: Valet only, $60 per nightPet Policy: Limited number of pet-friendly rooms JW Marriott Nashville JW Marriott Book Now What We Like This is a true luxury hotel. What to Consider It frequently caters to business travelers and has a more formal atmosphere. When it opened in 2018, the JW Marriott Nashville introduced a new level of luxury to the city. Located between SoBro and the Gulch, the 33-story tower is a standout in the neighborhood, and its reflective exterior is a hint at the (tasteful) glitz you'll find inside — at least in the public spaces. The 533 rooms, on the other hand, are rather serene, done up in a neutral palette that allows the views from the floor-to-ceiling windows to shine. Restaurants here include Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina and the adjacent Bourbon Sky bar, which have exceptional city views from their vantage point atop the tower; a casual all-day café Stompin' Grounds Restaurant and its associated grab-and-go market; a lobby bar; and the seasonal Cabana Club pool bar and grill. There's also an outdoor pool and a spa to round out the facilities. The Details: Neighborhood: DowntownDistance from Airport: 7.6 milesNearby Attractions: Frist Art Museum, Broadway, Bridgestone Arena, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame and MuseumAccessibility: Elevators, accessible entrance, accessible restaurants, accessible roomsRates: Starting at $278Parking: Valet, $58 per nightPet Policy: Two dogs allowed per room Know Before You Go If you plan to visit during high season, book in advance Nashville is an extremely popular vacation destination with a lengthy high season — it begins as early as late April and runs through early October, peaking during the summer months. If you plan on visiting during this period, make sure to book your entire trip in advance, from accommodations and tickets to attractions, events, and dinner reservations. Could you do Nashville last minute? Absolutely! But give yourself the best odds of checking off your full wishlist (and doing so at a reasonable price) by booking ahead. The city is surprisingly pet-friendly You don't need to leave Fido at home when you come to Nashville. Many hotels are pet-friendly (though you might have to pay an extra fee), and many restaurants allow dogs in their outdoor dining sections. Plus, there's plenty of outdoor space for your dog to enjoy, from leash-free dog runs to the sprawling Centennial Park. Just be sure to call up a business in advance of booking or visiting to check their pet policies. There’s more to Nashville than Broadway alone It's true that most visitors to Nashville make a beeline for Broadway, with its famed stretch of honky tonks and live music pouring out of every business on the street. But there's plenty to explore elsewhere in Nashville, including world-class restaurants, museums, historic sites, and universities. Take some time to visit other neighborhoods, such as 12 South, where restaurants and boutiques line the main drag, or East Nashville, a bastion of nightlife beyond honky tonks. How We Chose These Hotels Stefanie Waldek is a freelance travel writer who has been vacationing in Nashville — and traveling there for work — for more than a decade. To select the hotels on this list, she relied on her own experiences, as well as the opinions of Travel + Leisure editors and other contributors. She also considered reader input, incorporating Nashville hotels that have won T+L’s World's Best and It List awards. Ultimately, she narrowed down the selection based on a hotel's location, amenities, decor, and value, choosing a range of properties that would suit a variety of travelers. And finally, she ensured that each hotel recommendation aligns with our T+L Hotel Values. Edited by Sophie Mendel Sophie Mendel Sophie Mendel is a Commerce Editor at Travel + Leisure with Dotdash Meredith where she assigns, edits and publishes the product reviews and recommendations that help guide travelers toward the best shoes, apparel and accessories for their needs. Sophie has traveled to 50 countries and has lived in five, and is bilingual in English and Spanish. She has more than five years of experience as a writer, editor and copywriter. learn more