I can’t get enough of Nashville. After passing through on my honeymoon in 2022, it’s become somewhere I plan to return to as often as I possibly can. In my increasingly regular daydreams, I end up being sent there for work, renting a place in East Nashville, buying some modest cowboy boots and living happily ever after. Back in the real world, my wife and I returned to Nashville last year to celebrate our anniversary. We stayed two nights at 1 Hotel Nashville, which, having opened in July 2022, was close to celebrating its own one-year anniversary. We were only too pleased to make it a joint celebration.
Location of 1 Hotel Nashville
You’d be hard pressed to find a better positioned base for exploring Downtown Nashville than 1 Hotel. You’re 10 minutes from the mad neon allure of Broadway and close to many of the major music attractions: The Country Music Hall of Fame, The Ryman Auditorium and the Johnny Cash Museum.
The Nissan Stadium is just on the other side of the Cumberland River for anyone looking to catch the Titans in action, and BBQ fans have Peg Leg Porker and Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint a short walk away. Around The Gulch and Music Row, which are basically on 1 Hotel’s doorstep, you’ll find some of Nashville’s most famous murals, music venues and breweries. And of course, you’re staying in the building of one of the city’s favourite rooftop bars.
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Harriet’s Rooftop
There’s a saying among the locals in Nashville: “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” This is exactly what a crowd of nervous looking Swifties were doing up on Harriet’s Rooftop on our first night – although they’d been waiting more like five hours. Taylor Swift was due to be playing The Nissan Stadium, but a ferocious storm was lashing down and rumour had it the gig was going to be cancelled. In fact, Tay-Tay ended up coming on late and playing until 2am in the pouring rain for what many described afterwards as her most remarkable show.
The sun was shining brilliantly across the city the following evening at Harriet’s. Where doors had remained firmly closed and hatches securely battened down during the storm, our second night saw doors and windows thrown open, couples reclining on the sofas centred around the fire pit, drinking in the Nashville skyline and top quality cocktails from the bar (Harriet’s Margarita is a must). As with the rest of the hotel, there are plants and rich wooden tones everywhere, making Harriet’s feel like a green, natural oasis in the centre of an urban sprawl. Order some sushi at sundown with a bottle of white Burgundy and see where the evening takes you.
Rooms and Amenities
With wooden and wicker furnishings, yurt-style bed throws and more lush plant life providing natural accents, the rooms at 1 Hotel are your private centres of calm and relaxation. Filtered water taps, Nespresso machines and Bamford products come as standard; bonus additions in certain rooms and suites include exquisite city views, terraces and powder rooms. In all rooms though, you get the feeling you’re staying in a beautifully designed, secluded treetop villa – but one you can order rooms service to and see Downtown Nashville from.
If you don’t want to skip a gym session while you’re here, you won’t have to. The hotel’s wellness centre Anatomy has all the equipment you need, and personal trainers on hand should you be after some pointers. It’s here that you’ll also be able to take advantage of group fitness classes, yoga sessions and meditation. The spa is powered by Bamford, so all products are top quality and everything smells divine. This is an excellent place to end an afternoon of Music City exploration – rejuvenate with a massage then get right back out there for an unforgettable night of Nashville action.
Conclusion
A year after their grand opening and 1 Hotel Nashville is going from strength to strength. Its lobby and bar is always buzzing with excited visitors, and the green foliage growing on the vertical gardens that dominate the hotel’s frontage has grown thicker and more impressive. It’s a unique hotel offering in a city that is forever expanding and evolving, and I look forward to celebrating our joint anniversaries there for many years to come.
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George Clode is a travel and culture writer, and a multimedia commissioning editor for travel
