Hotel Check: Thompson Nashville
WHERE IS IT? In The Gulch, this fast-growing area features trendy residential towers, new hotels, the city’s notable art museum, and plenty of great shops and restaurants. It is not far from Broadway and the city’s dozens of bars and honky-tonks that draw music lovers and tipplers
WHAT’S IT LIKE? Nashville touches abound from the creative pieces and tapestries crafted by local artists on display in public areas to a local roastery’s coffee in the lobby coffee shop. Third Man Records makes its records available in guest rooms, and there’s a library of its records on display in the lobby. Third Man DJs headline weekly events on the rooftop panoramic lounge while guest rooms stock local products in the minibars. Guests can also connect with a local denim retailer to make their own pair of fashionable jeans. The staff is welcoming in this bright and comfortable space with plenty of conversation, although COVID-19 precautions have changed some hotel features temporarily. Housekeeping service is on request, and restaurant hours have been curtailed. Masks are required indoors, too.
ROOM FACILITIES Smart and modern with concrete surfaces, floor-to-ceiling windows and colorful art pieces, the guestrooms show off the fashion-forward design reflected in all Thompson properties. Many of the pieces are actually upcycled from discarded items. Enormous beds are fitted with European Sferra linens, plush pillows and duvets, and built-in lighting. Sliding barn doors open to bright bathrooms with glass shower stalls, wide vanities with stacks of terrycloth towels, and perfumed toiletries. Closets house shoeshine bags and seersucker-style bathrobes. Views range between the neighborhood and city skyline. Corner rooms are larger than most rooms, but it’s the Thompson and Executive Suites that are the most glamorous with separate living areas, entry foyers, wet bars with refrigerators, and beautiful bathrooms that have deep soaking tubs in addition to the glass shower stall.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS Killebrew Coffee in the lobby serves a variety of coffee drinks from a local roaster as well as a large menu of pastries, biscuits and light fare available throughout the day. It seems to be a local hotspot drawing people in to work on laptops or meet with friends. On the top floor, L.A. Jackson often has a line of interested patrons to enjoy tasty menu items like salads, bacon-wrapped duck poppers, and shishito peppers with garlic and chile, all with a full view of the city’s sparkling skyline. Live music and local DJs often set the scene up here; this is quickly becoming a neighborhood hot spot. On the lobby level is the main dining room that serves three meals a day with a focus on Southern dishes and fresh seafood including an oyster bar. A seasonal terrace keeps diners entertained.
LEISURE FACILITIES There’s no spa, but guests can organize treatments in their rooms. A bright fitness center features modern workout equipment, towels and ear buds to use with the TV-equipped exercise machines.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES With six indoor and outdoor venues, group gatherings have access to the latest audiovisual tools as well as meeting rooms with natural light. Rooms have creative monikers like Trigger, which is, of course, the name of Willie Nelson’s guitar.
VERDICT Plenty of local flair, music themes, and snazzy interiors bring Thompson’s signature style to Nashville.
HOW MANY ROOMS? 224 rooms and suites
PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS Panoramic rooftop bar and lounge with local DJs, chic guest rooms, and conversation-worthy art
PRICE Internet rates for a traditional room start at $221
CONTACT 401 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203, Phone 615-262-6000. thompsonhotels.com
