The Hermitage Hotel Review: A Nashville, Tennessee Icon

We recently completed a stay at the luxury 5-star Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. We’ve been residents in Tennessee for almost five years now, and have stayed at plenty of hotels in the Nashville area. Especially during our visits in the city before we officially relocated to Tennessee in 2019.

I can say without question, this was one of the best hotel experiences we’ve had since living in this incredible state, and regret putting off our stay as long as we did. Follow along as I share all about our experience, and why I recommend this hotel as a go-to stay for anyone coming to the area.

Image Credit: The Hermitage Hotel & Brandon Barre

Hotel Location & Overview

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Review

Our Rating

Website

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Phone

+1-615-244-3121

Address

231 6th Ave. N, Nashville, TN 37219

Price

$$$$

Walkability

Very walkable, major amenities nearby

Nearest Attraction

State Capitol Building, Broadway Bars & Music

A Bit of History

The Hermitage Hotel was built in 1910, created as one of the first luxury hotels in the city of Nashville. It served as a hotspot for politics in the 1920’s during the vote on the 19th amendment. You can still feel the history when setting foot out onto the veranda, which is a popular wedding destination today.

The men’s restroom is also one of the most interesting restrooms I’ve ever set foot in. According to the hotel, Jimmy Hoffa held a press conference in the green and black colored walls of the infamous men’s restroom in the 1960’s.

The hotel renovated their hotel rooms during a remodel that took place from 2020 until 2022, bringing their guest rooms in line with more modern standards.

Image Credit: The Hermitage Hotel & Brandon Barre

About The Area

The Hermitage Hotel is located in downtown Nashville, less than a few blocks from the state capitol building. It’s also within walking distance (under a mile) from other Nashville staples. While staying at the Hermitage, you can walk to the following:

• State Capitol Building
• Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
• Nashville Public Square Park
• Music City Center
• Country Music Hall of Fame
• Bridgestone Arena
• Broadway
• Johnny Cash Museum

Nissan Stadium is also just under a mile from the hotel, so add going to a Titan’s game to your itinerary if that’s your thing. You’ll be headed over a bridge though, and if the full mile walk isn’t something that interests you, just as easy to catch a ride to the stadium via Uber or other rideshare options.

Our Hotel Room

We stayed in a single king bed room with a view. The setup was great, and when we walked in, we were immediately greeted by the chocolate covered strawberries and white chocolate covered cream confections sitting on a small tray. While we didn’t indulge them until later, we were quite surprised how fresh the strawberries were!

The room was decently sized, with a chaise lounge at the end of the bed. It came outfitted with a decently sized refrigerator, desk, and chair to sit in. The room had a fairly decent sized flat screen television, which would have been fine for watching, but wasn’t really important for the duration of our stay.

The Bed

We absolutely loved the bed. It was ridiculously comfortable as were the pillows. I prefer a firmer mattress. This is one of the first mattresses I’ve slept in that felt like a great combination of softness, yet firm past a certain standpoint. We slept extremely well, and we weren’t too hot underneath the covers which I believe were made of down, along with the pillows.

The Bathroom

The bathroom was spacious and had two sinks. I did use the bathtub for an evening soak, after a long afternoon of walking around the city. The bathtub was perfectly spacious, and allowed for a full body soak, with handles on the side that made it easy to pull yourself out of.

The shower was also spacious, and you could tell it was part of the remodel that had been completed in the last couple of years. Water pressure was great, and the shower was incredibly clean (something I’m picky about).

The most interesting part of the bathroom was the television inside the mirror! If you are the type of traveler that needs the news on while you prepare for your day, The Hermitage has you covered. I’ve only seen this amenity one other time in all my other hotel stays, and we got a kick out of watching the weather before heading out for the morning after our stay.

The View

The room had a fantastic view. We could see the state capitol and surrounding area directly from our room. Even though it got bright in the evening, it was easy to shut out all the light with curtains that were able to drown out any city light.

We live somewhat rurally, so we aren’t used to light pollution, and neither of us had any issues falling, or staying asleep due to excess light coming through the window. The view was great for people watching downtown, if that’s something you enjoy doing.

Hotel Amenities

While we didn’t use all the hotel amenities, the hotel has more amenities than most. You can experience the following:

• Two different restaurants
• Downstairs bar & lounge
• Fitness Center
• Pet-friendly rooms
• Vehicle Valet & Covered Overnight Parking
• Nanny & Babysitting Services
• Free Wi-Fi

Image Credit: The Hermitage Hotel & Brandon Barre

The Food: Drusie & Darr

We dined at Jean-Georges Drusie & Darr during our stay. We had several courses to our meal, and while we don’t drink alcohol, we both enjoyed a couple of mocktails with our meal. I’m also gluten-free, and the restaurant staff provided us with a number of gluten-free options. Here’s an overview of what we ate during our dinner:

• Mocktails: Basil Lavender Lemonade, Lemon Ginger Tonic
• Raw: Madai Sashimi
• Appetizers: Burrata with Strawberry Compote & Gluten-free toast
• Salads: Kale Salad with Soft Boiled Egg
• Meat: Roasted Lobster, Simple Prime Beef Tenderloin (Gluten-free)
• Sides: Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Trumpet Mushrooms
• Dessert: Lava cake and vanilla ice cream

We loved everything about the meal. We both liked the Basil Lavender Lemonade as the better of the two mocktails. It was interesting to actually taste lavender, and not just smell it. The Kale Salad was excellent, and the egg helped balance the acidity of the dressing. The strawberry compote was unique, and I definitely enjoyed it. While it was very good on the gluten free bread, it was even better on the house baked ciabatta bread (which I couldn’t eat due to dietary restrictions).

The roasted lobster was excellent. But, the simple prime beef tenderloin was one of the better steaks I’ve had in several years, and I’m not easy to please. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned, which is hard to do on such a thick cut of meat. We also ate two full servings of the mashed potatoes, as they really hit home in addition to the meat as the main course.

For dessert we wrapped up with the Lava Cake, and I had a serving of house made vanilla ice cream, which was excellent.

Service Experience

One of the things that impressed me the most was the level of service at the hotel. From the time we checked in, until the time we left, the staff was extremely friendly, and attentive. During our dinner, the hotel manager checked in with us, as did the restaurant manager.

This was a common occurrence as I saw them both working their way through the dining room visiting with other guests during the entire course of the evening. Our server at the restaurant was excellent, and always attentive to anything we needed.

On the final morning of our stay, the hotel allowed us to keep our car in valet for a couple extra hours so we could get some breakfast before checkout.

Image Credit: The Hermitage Hotel & Brandon Barre

Final Verdict: 10/10 Must-Stay

If you are looking for a place to stay, whether it be an evening, or a week, I’d highly recommend staying at The Hermitage in Downtown Nashville. The hotel is full of history, and you’ll feel relaxed from the moment you walk into your room. The convenient location makes it the perfect place to stay for just about any occasion.