W IS FOR WOW
Intentional Design and Neighborhood Culture Meet to Create a Social Hub Where Locals Feel at Home and Guests Feel Like Locals Written by Dave Mahanes / Photos courtesy of W Nashville
There’s a new stage rising in Music City. W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott International, is nestled in the vibrant and diverse Gulch neighborhood. The 14-story, mirrored tower offers unparalleled, voyeuristic views of the hotel’s social spaces, creating a destination within a destination where global guests will be immersed in a locallycharged cultural scene. In addition, W Nashville was designed from the outside, with six street-level entrances offering unparalleled access to hotel guests and locals alike. In other words, W Nashville isn’t just in the neighborhood; it is part of it. “The W experience has always been centered on a local, social scene, but W Nashville takes it to the next level,” said Tom Jarrold, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide. “Today’s global traveler is not content staying at a hotel with superficial neighborhood references, and locals are not embracing of hotels that ignore the social fabric of the community. W Nashville is different as it weaves itself into The Gulch seamlessly and authentically through the brand’s distinct lens.” Thoughtful, elevated, and anything-but-cliché, W Nashville’s concept, programming, and design direction was led by hospitality veterans David Tessier and Anna Gomez of Hospitality Gaming Advisors and local partner Mark Bloom and developed by 12th Ave Realty Holding Company LLC. The award-winning Rockwell Group realized the public spaces and guestrooms, honoring both Nashville industry and artisanship through the use of historical, rugged local materials like iron, steel, wood, leather, and polished and raw concrete. The spatial experience brought to life by HKS Architecture is awe-inspiring, beckoning passersby to look up, discover and explore, emphasizing indoor-outdoor flows that are an
indelible part of Southern design. In fact, it includes over 26,000 square feet of outdoor space, an impressive amount for an urban hotel. “Authenticity was at the heart of this project. Every decision and choice we made on design, materials, finishes, art, and our collaborators took this into consideration. As a result, the hotel has a very tactile quality, and at every turn, there is something visually provocative. All of our amenities and offerings have a unique character and identity. We feel our guests will be engaged and inquisitive discovering places that evoke diverse emotions,” said David Tessier, President, Hospitality Gaming Advisors. This discovery begins in the Welcome Den, a new W Hotels concept. Accessible only by room key, it is a space where hotel guests can relax, take a work call and enjoy a specially crafted beverage. W Nashville features 286 rooms and 60 suites—the most of any hotel in Nashville—including two Extreme WOW (Presidential) Suites. The distinct room design blends industrial polish with warm, soothing tones and a mix of raw materials, including leather and exposed concrete. Furniture is subtly inspired by vintage stereo equipment and includes stud detailing as found on a roadie case, while televisions are surrounded by speaker cloth. The brand’s signature Mix Bar is a focal point, illuminated in a gold, mirrored cage to encourage in-room entertaining. Upon arrival, guests receive a reusable water bottle to use with the cocktail ice and filtered water stations on each floor. All WOW and Extreme WOW Suites have balconies as well as seductive overhead views of the WET Deck. Extreme WOW Suites also feature a discreet music booth, dining area, lounge, and pantry kitchen.
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