Draped with plants and free from plastic, 1 Hotel Nashville opened in 2015 with a focus on luxurious yet sustainable hospitality. The hotel is also completely paper-free (want to write a note? Here’s a chalkboard). Its facade features live greenery and there’s a large art installation home to every invasive plant in Tennessee. If it’s not already entirely clear: this place is hip, natural, eco-forward and even dog-friendly… It’s very much the new Nashville.
Inside, after being hit by a welcome blast of air conditioning, we found the lobby, held in earthy tones, to be wonderfully relaxing. There’s a raw juice bar and young professionals having meetings on low couches. The staff are young and cool looking, minus the aloofness. In fact, the team was thoroughly pleasant and helpful, and happy to point us in the direction of good places to eat without pushing us onto the hotel’s own restaurants, which is always appreciated.
Each room has live plants (watered by staff), organic cotton fibre bedding, and one of those ultra-modern TVs that controls absolutely everything. Large rain showers come replete with signature, all-natural toiletries. The vibe is reclaimed wood, exposed beams, and floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s airy but cosy, a sort of Tennessee barn that meets tech-bro aesthetic. And given the occasionally oppressive heat and manic carnival nature of Nashville, it’s likely that you’ll choose to spend more than just a little downtime in your room. To us, our space felt like a proper haven to retreat to.
The location of 1 Hotel Nashville is about as good as it gets: Turn left out of the building and you’ll pass the Country Music Hall of Fame and the local sports stadium before you’ll quickly find yourself on Broadway. The plastic honky tonks may be the subject of derision from the locals, but they deliver exactly what tourists are looking for – country and pop classics by elite musicians working their arses off for tips. But turn right out of the Hotel and cross the bridge and you’ll find more great food spots, like the epic Biscuits and Gravy and the absolute must-visit that is the Station Inn.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Hedonist | BNA | GMT -6 |
| While you’re Out There |
| The Station Inn is a flat-roofed, hole-in-the-wall bar you’d easily walk past. Inside there are people drinking out of plastic cups and queuing to order pizza at the bar. And at the heart of the bar, a rotating coterie of musicians play light-speed bluegrass. This is the real thing – no showbiz, no amplification, no patter – just a bunch of people sitting around while playing music they love. The calibre of musicianship rivals anything on the main drag, without the hammered tourists. Then, head to underrated East Nashville to the aptly named Underdog Bar. It’s a venue for locals that’s a twenty-minute drive from downtown. You’ll get to see some of the best musicians in the world right up close, playing their own music, not just covers for the tourists. The night we visited, we saw virtuoso guitarist Guthrie Trapp, and halfway through, just for laughs, rock legend John Oates (of Hall and Oates) got up to join him. The venue was packed to the rafters with music lovers… Go before the word gets out. |
We had dinner at 1 Kitchen, where we were impressed by our meal courtesy of culinary director and former “Top Chef” contestant Chris Crary. Food is in line with the hotel’s eco ethos, with 75% of produce coming from within a 200-mile radius. Starters included roasted heirloom carrots with tahini and spiced pecans while for entrees we tried the hefty, grass-fed rib-eye and the responsibly sourced trout with charred seasonal veg.
There was a more casual vibe at the Neighbourhood Bar and Kitchen, right by the lobby, where you can perch at the bar for artisanal cocktails and small plates like Nashville hot chicken sliders and fresh tuna tartare. Meanwhile, the grab-and-go Garden Cafe is great for salads, smoothies and organic pastries and Harriet’s Rooftop is the hotel’s 21-and-older bar. Ensconced in more greenery, we found it a fine spot to check out the skyline and sip a local craft beer, natural wine or cocktail infused with herbs grown on-site.
Nashville in the height of summer can be an assault on the senses. We loved it, but you can only dance to so many renditions of The Devil Went Down To Georgia in 40-degree heat after a tequila shot before you need a break. Stepping into the 1 Hotel Nashville each time we could practically feel our blood pressure drop, we found it to be a sustainable haven of peace and quiet among the bright lights and madness of the city.
Photography courtesy of 1 Hotels
