Nashville
The hotly anticipated new 1.2 million-square-foot Music City Center currently is under construction. Upon opening in 2013, the facility will include a 350,000-square-foot exhibit space, 90,000 square feet of meeting rooms, a 57,000-square-foot ballroom with a built-in stage, and an 18,000-square-foot junior ballroom. The center will feature a green roof and is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.
The Country Music Hall of Fame currently is expanding its 140,000-square-foot facility. The project, to be completed in 2013, will more than double the venue's current size and connect it to the Omni Nashville Hotel. New to the museum will be a 20,000-square-foot glass-enclosed ballroom with views of Nashville's skyline, as well as an 800-seat theater.
The 800-room Omni Nashville Hotel is scheduled to open in late 2013 and will operate as the headquarters hotel for the Music City Center. The $250 million property will have more than 80,000 square feet of function space and will be connected to the newly expanded Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The hotel will offer several dining options, retail space, a pool and the brand's signature Mokara spa.
The Radisson Hotel at Opryland, owned and operated by Gaylord Hotels, completed a $7 million renovation this past June. The redesign included upgrades to all 303 guest rooms, the lobby, meeting rooms, banquet areas, guest corridors and the indoor pool. New to the property is the Opry Backstage Grill, a 200-seat full-service restaurant offering Southern cuisine. The hotel includes more than 16,000 square feet of meeting space.
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-room Hilton Nashville Downtown, 303-room Radisson Hotel at Opryland, 301-room Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University, 296-room Embassy Suites Nashville-Airport, 287-room Millennium 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
Nashville Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 118,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 25; (615) 742-2000
More Memphis
In
October, the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau launched the
Memphis Travel app for smartphones. Users can access information about
hundreds of attractions, restaurants, hotels and music venues, in
addition to special offers.
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
Seeing the sights just got easier: The new Music City Trolley Hop recently began offering city tours of Nashville. Operated by Gray Line of Tennessee, the hop-on, hop-off service travels to 11 attractions and includes narration at various points along the route. Stops include Ryman Auditorium, the Farmers Market, Music Row and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Ticket prices begin at $15. (800) 251-1864
The Mansion at Fontanel and Farm opened to the public in mid-2010. Set on 136 acres, the property includes a 27,000-square-foot log home, more than 20 rooms, 13 bathrooms, an indoor pool, an indoor shooting range and a new outdoor music venue that can accommodate up to 4,500 guests. Tours are available Tuesday through Sunday, and the facilities can be rented for private events after-hours. The property's Great Room can accommodate 136 people seated, while the pool atrium, with its glass-enclosed indoor swimming pool, can host a reception for up to 150. (615) 876-4636
Dining Out
Head to Nashville's 12South neighborhood for a Southern take on fresh seafood. Helmed by James Beard Award winner chef Louis Osteen, Fish & Co. offers inventive fare ranging from seared scallop and foie gras with curried leeks and chive oil to bacon and scallion hushpuppies. (615) 292-2655
The Wildhorse Saloon is a Nashville staple, offering Southern smokehouse cuisine and nightly line-dancing lessons. Known for its fried pickles and 3,300-square-foot dance floor, the 66,000-square-foot restaurant and bar offers private event space for parties of 20 to 5,000 people. (615) 902-8200
Contact
Nashville Music City Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 657-6910
> Tune in: For a list of Nashville's music venues, go to: bit.ly/nashmusic