All Sorts of Lodging Options in Nashville
What will work best for you? Let’s break it down.
Nashville has.60+ hotels in the central business district and another 60+ in the area described as Nashville West/Midtown. The city reports there are more than 8,000 short-term rentals (STRs) ranging from lowly one-bedrooms to townhouses that can sleep 12. (By the way, 12 is the legal max for a single dwelling.)
A few questions to narrow your options in selecting your homebase:
Is there an event that anchors your trip? If you’re headed to a Titans game, a concert at Bridgestone Arena, or a wedding venue, you may want to narrow your focus to lodging near that destination. If you’re a “I wanna see the sights” visitor, stay as close to downtown as finances allow.
What’s your budget? If money’s no object, rent a penthouse at a downtown hotel or a luxury condo. For most, you’re operating under some budget constraints. It’s rare to find a hotel room downtown for under $200 on the weekend.
What do you expect in your lodging? Is it just a place to sleep and shower or do you want a communal place to hang out, maybe even a full kitchen to prepare some meals? Do you need an in-house laundry? Don’t pay for what you don’t need.
What’s your parking situation? No car? No problem. But if several people will have vehicles make sure your lodging meets those requirements. And if you’re considering a hotel, check to see if you’re charged extra for in/out privileges.
Now let’s talk location, location, location. Do these three things:
- Refer to the Nashville Crime Map with the exact address (or at least the street) of a place you’re considering. Is there much crime in the area? If so, what type of crime? Realize that no neighborhood is likely to be crime-free. Another resource for the same type of information: Police Data Dashboard.
- Go to Google Maps, then click Street View for a virtual walk up and down the block; even though the Street View may be somewhat dated, it will still give you a sense of what lies ahead.
- Then, look at the businesses nearby. Retailers want to be close to consumers that fit their demographics. Frankly I’d shy away from areas where you find a cluster of pawn shops and same-day loan operations. Unless you’re staying right in town, you’d probably feel better if there was a Target or Chipotle nearby. A neighborhood with a Starbucks is okay–unless it’s on a busy commuter route through a rough section of town.
Hotels
All the major chains have at least one property downtown. Those range from the esteemed JW Marriott to the more contemporary boutique hotels such as Hotel Indigo and Moxy. Some have legitimate music venues onsite (I’m not talking about cheesy lounges). Things are so competitive that you need to give a close look at amenities to detect differences. Expect to pay around $200 per night and up, way up.
If you move 1-3 miles out, you’ll find more moderate pricing ($100 and up). The bonus with some of these accommodations is that many will shuttle you within three miles free, dropping you off among popular attractions. Among those in high demand, look along Broadway/West End in areas called Midtown and West End/Vanderbilt.
The big daddy of lodging in town is not in town. Opryland Hotel is a 2,888-room behemoth that’s 20+ minutes from downtown (but does offer a for-pay shuttle multiple times each day). It’s practically a city under glass with enormous garden areas. Tightwad alert: they add charges for almost everything beyond the room. There are other more affordable hotels nearby in an area called Music Valley.
You’ll find clusters of hotels near the airport on the east side of Nashville, Cool Springs and Brentwood. If you want to lower your price a bit, move farther from the city in search.
Locals Tip:
Nashville has been adding hotels like mad for the past few years and the boom is still underway. You might luck up on an introductory offer below standard rack rates.
Motels
Most are located along our interstate system and range from ain’t-no-way to quite nice surroundings. Here’s my goofy guide to scoping out a location. Look for a Target and a Starbucks in the area. Chances are very good that you’ll be in fairly upstanding place.
Just across the road from Gaylord Opryland Hotel are a number of more affordable options. No fancy gardens or elegant staircases but you might find a complimentary breakfast. Look closely because, as my friend Jeff who lives nearby says, some are “not so good.”
If you don’t mind a bit of commute, look at the bedroom communities of Brentwood, Rivergate, Goodlettsville, Bellevue, and Mount Juliet. (This list isn’t exhaustive.)
Short-term rentals
Listings range from single rooms to enormous condos and houses. Once you lock in on your price parameters and look at options for your Nashville trip, your next question is likely “Is this a good area?”
Nashville is in serious transition where a sparkling new condo may sit next door to a crack house. And frankly some hosts play fast and loose with words like “convenient to” and “historic.” (See Short-term Rental link above for more details.)
Campgrounds
Don’t expect to find anything within 8 miles of downtown–but if you’re a campground kind of person, you probably wouldn’t want that anyway. Nashville has some very nice facilities with lots of amenities as well as government-owned campgrounds where the budget prices come with only basic benefits.
