The Hermitage Hotel

The most descriptive word for the scene at The Hermitage is grand. The lobby is expansive and beautifully designed in a Beaux Arts style, with stained glass ceilings and marble columns. Despite the high ceilings, the atmosphere is generally quiet. There are a number of plush couches and chairs in the lobby, and tables on the overlooking mezzanine are designed for chess and checkers, the pieces for which are available at guest services.The in-house Capitol Grille and adjacent Oak Bar are equally handsome. The Capitol Grille, which provides 24-hour room service to hotel guests, was modeled after a German Rathskeller, but despite its basement location, the spacious room is warm in color, with plenty of light and hardwood floors. The Men’s Room next to the restaurant has been preserved in its 1930s Art Deco style and includes a vintage phone next to its shoeshine station. Due to its upscale, romantic vibe, the Hermitage Hotel sees mostly couples as guests, although plenty of business travelers and families stay at this iconic Nashville spot as well.

The Hermitage is located right in the heart of downtown Nashville, near shops, restaurants, and some of the city’s main attractions. Next to Legislative Plaza and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, the hotel is just a block away from The Arcade and historic Printer’s Alley, and a short walk to the bars and restaurants of Broadway. The Hermitage is far enough away to avoid the noise of Broadway’s nightlife, but close enough to enjoy it.

The rooms at the Hermitage are large -- the average size runs from 500 to 650 feet -- and grand, with wood accent furniture and deep-seated reading chairs, but they manage to keep a homey feel. Some love the classic decor (picture four-poster beds, rich colors, and gilded touches), while others find it a tad stuff. The beds are made by Hypnos Bedding, the same company used by the British Royal Family, and the hotel also provides a selection of pillows in the room for guest’s choosing. The marble bathrooms are supplied with Molton Brown bath products and have deep soaking tubs and 20-inch flat-screen TVs. Rooms include wired and wireless high-speed Internet (for free), iPod docking stations, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, and DVD/CD players.

There is coffee and tea available in the lobby at all times, and in the afternoon the hotel also throws in lemonade or cider and cookies. A selection of newspapers is delivered to your room each morning, and housekeeping comes twice a day, leaving fresh baked pastries at turndown. The 24-hour fitness center includes cardio machines, weight machines, and free weights, and also offers personal training, yoga, and pilates. Massages, wraps, and scrubs are available at the spa. There’s also a boutique on premises that sells clothes, jewelry, and toiletries. While the hotel is not inexpensive, pricing is only slightly higher than the neighboring chain hotels, and it offers a unique, luxury experience.The on-site Capitol Grille is popular among locals and guests, and the chef oversees one of the two farms the Hermitage hotel owns (one for vegetables, one for cattle). Roughly 85-90% of all the Capital Grille’s food comes from these two farms, so you can count on fresh, tasty meals. With numerous event spaces, the hotel is a popular pick for Nashville weddings.