Nashville's second Hotel Indigo opened in fall 2009 near the city's entertainment district. The 97-room property offers 1,200 square feet of meeting space, a newly renovated health and fitness center, and free wireless Internet.
The 122-room Hermitage Hotel celebrated its 100th birthday in September. The property features 5,427 square feet of meeting space and the Capitol Grille restaurant.
The Wyndham Nashville reopened in September after repairing more than $10 million worth of damages caused by massive floods in May. The 252-unit hotel has 12,000 square feet of flexible meeting space spread out among several venues, including the atrium lobby, with 65-foot-high ceilings and stained-glass windows, and a covered veranda that seats up to 300.
Nashville Music City Center is scheduled for completion in early 2013 and will feature a 370,000-square-foot exhibit space that can double as a concert hall. Function space will include 80 to 100 meeting rooms, two ballrooms and a theater with seating for 3,000. A four-acre green roof is a highlight of the building's LEED-standard practices.
The Omni Nashville Hotel is expected to open in 2013 as the official convention center property for Nashville Music City Center. The $273 million property, now in predevelopment, will feature about 800 guest rooms and suites and more than 80,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including two ballrooms. The new hotel will be directly across the street from the center.
The Hard Rock Cafe Nashville emerged from a multimillion-dollar renovation last December with a new open-air terrace and a new concert venue on the second floor, among other enhancements. The restaurant seats 378, and a venue buyout can handle up to 550.
Beginning next March, Southwest Airlines will offer daily nonstop roundtrip flights from Nashville to Greenville-Spartanburg Airport and Charleston International Airport, both in South Carolina. Nashville International Airport currently is served by 11 airlines with 376 daily arriving and departing flights.
Knoxville News
In August 2011, the Holiday Inn World's Fair Park will complete renovations, including upgrades to all of its 286 rooms and 12,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel remains fully operational during the work.
Meeting Hotels
Among the many properties in Nashville's bustling downtown are the 2,881-room Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Nashville, 673-room Renaissance Nashville Hotel, 474-room Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel, 410-room Sheraton Music City Hotel Nashville, 392-room Nashville Airport Marriott, 382-room Holiday Inn Select Opryland-Airport, 340-room Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 337-room Doubletree Hotel Nashville, 330-Hilton Nashville Downtown, 303-room Radisson Hotel at Opryland, 301-room Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University, 296-room Embassy Suites Nashville-Airport, 287-room Millenium Maxwell House Hotel-Nashville, 248-room Hutton Hotel, 200-room Hotel Preston, 137-room Union Station-A Wyndham Historic Hotel and 122-room Hermitage hotel.
Convention Centers
Gaylord Opryland Convention Center; exhibit space, 263,772 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 84; (615) 458-2800; gaylordhotels.com
Nashville Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 118,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 25; (615) 742-2000; nashvilleconventionctr.com
Airport Transit
Nashville International Airport, about eight miles east of downtown Nashville. Transfer cost by taxi, $25; by shuttle, $12
Taxes
Room tax, 6%; sales tax, 9.25%; total tax on hotel rooms, 15.25%, plus an additional $2.50 flat tax per room, per night
Group Venues
For a memorable night out on the Cumberland River, the 300-foot paddlewheel General Jackson Showboat offers four decks of fun and relaxation, including the two-story Victorian Theater for live entertainment. The vessel can accommodate up to 1,100 passengers, while its sister ship, the more intimate Music City Queen, is available exclusively for charters of up to 300. (615) 458-3930; generaljackson.com
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, a mecca since 1967 for those inclined to finger pickin' and foot stompin', offers historic video clips, recorded music and more that illustrate country music's history. The facility's illustrious roster of inductees includes Glen Campbell, the Everly Brothers, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette. Event space features an 11,000-square-foot conservatory that holds up to 750, a 2,800-square-foot outdoor courtyard for 200 and a 4,000-square-foot theater with seating for 213. (615) 416-2001; countrymusichalloffame.com
Dining Out
Belle is the new restaurant at the 30-acre Belle Meade Plantation, whose mansion was erected in 1853. The Southern-inspired menu includes ingredients sourced from the estate's gardens. The venue can host up to 120 people for a seated meal or up to 180 for a reception. (615) 356-0096; bellerestaurant.com
Merchant's Restaurant reopened this past July following an extensive renovation. Housed in a landmark building that dates from the 1870s, the three-story eatery serves modern American cuisine with a distinctly Southern flair, with dishes such as pork pot roast with whipped potatoes and roasted root vegetables, and the fish stew, which comes loaded with mussels, clams, octopus, calamari, golden sea bass and rice grits. While the third floor is reserved for events of up to 250 people, the entire restaurant can be rented out for private functions of up to 750 attendees. (615) 254-1892; merchantsrestaurant.com
Contact
Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 657-6910; visitmusiccity.com.