Step Inside

The Hermitage Hotel

Nashville’s most iconic historic hotel transforms modern luxury

Inside The Hermitage Hotel, which has just undergone a multiyear, multi-million-dollar renovation, there’s nary a guitar on the wall or a painting of musical notes in sight. When it comes to the iconic, luxury hotel, which opened in 1910, there is no need to remind guests they’re in Nashville.

“That’s the beauty for us,” says Dee Patel, the hotel’s managing director. “We focus on the hotel’s unique history. That inevitably creates a sense of place because Nashville’s story and the hotel’s story [are] the same story.”

What visitors will see are odes to the hotel’s significant role in the women’s suffrage movement in Tennessee. In the grand Hermitage Suite, for example, there’s a brass sculpture of roses, alluding to the Suffrage movement battle being titled the War of the Roses — yellow for suffragists and red for anti-suffragists.

Located across from the state capitol, the hotel was the perfect place for both sides to gather, which they frequently did, says Dee. Tennessee delivered the 36th and final state victory and in August 1920, the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote, was ratified. After a rebranding, done during the hotel’s recent renovation, one of its signature colors is yellow.

The newly renovated lobby blends the Beaux-Arts architecture with more contemporary furnishings. Original details such as the hand-painted ceiling, intricate plasterwork and original pink, gray and chocolate Tennessee marble have been painstakingly restored. Design firm ForrestPerkins chose soft blues and taupes for the wingback and club chairs that, in various groupings, surround marble-top tables. Along with neutral sofas laden with plush throw pillows, the new pieces are designed to give the large lobby a residential feel.

The color scheme extends to the hotel's 122 guest rooms and suites. The oversized rooms — averaging 500 square feet — are also meant to give guests a home-away-from-home experience. Desks have been replaced by double-duty tables that accommodate laptops or room service trays.

A redesigned ballroom, which can accommodate 300, has the original ornate ceiling, new custom light fixtures, and a neutral palette so brides and event planners may personalize the room. There is close to 5,500 square feet of event and meeting space in the hotel. There is also a fitness center and spa services offered in a dedicated treatment room. There are two restaurants from acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten – hotspot Drusie & Darr, and The Pink Hermit, for coffee, cocktails and light bites.

BY WHITNEY CLAY PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL MEIGS

A PERFECT PAIRING The hotel has partnered with Draper James, the lifestyle brand from actress and Nashville native Reese Witherspoon. “You’ve got two southern brands,” says Dee, ‘and they align.” A Draper James blue and yellow floral print, custom designed for the hotel, can be found in apparel for sale in the newly redesigned gift shop, and worn by staff members. There is also afternoon tea service on weekends called “Spillin’ Tea with Draper James,” featuring recipes from Reese’s cookbook, “Whiskey in a Teacup.”

HOME AWAY FROM HOME The rooms are elegant but comfortable, with Frette linens and a choice of pillows — down, buckwheat, and memory foam. The rooms and suites all have marble baths with soaking tubs. The 2,500-square-foot Hermitage Suite has a spectacular view of the capitol and a kitchenette. There’s a dining area and shelves full of books and collectibles. “You feel like this could be your home,” says Dee. Depending on the season, standard rooms can range in price from $500 to $999 and suites range from $1,200 to $12,000.

WINE AND DINE The space that was Capitol Grille has been reimagined by designer Thomas Juul-Hansen and is now Drusie & Darr. The restaurant is named for the children of former general manager Dick Hall, who lived in the hotel in the 1950s and ’60s. Chef Jean-Georges features his signature plantbased offerings, as well as oven-fired pizza and craft cocktails. The famed art deco men’s room is still there — in all its glory — but now, the ladies’ room is equally stunning with variegated pink marble, glam lighting and pink sinks and commodes.