Creativity is the heart and soul of Nashville, otherwise known as the Music City, and there’s never a shortage of inspiring things to sample. The Bobby Hotel complements the essence of town – residing on historic Printers Alley Downtown.
Hotel
This 144-room boutique hotel has modern urban appeal blended with good old-fashioned Tennessee charm. It was crafted by NYC’s David Mexico Design Group and what I found interesting upon arrival was the mash up of décor and amenities. It pleases those seeking a rock’n’roll stay with traditional luxuries uncompromised.
Take, for example, the stage for live shows, the tour bus on the rooftop lounge, and the musical themed artwork dotted throughout. These are all executed so tastefully to add real character and quirk, creating an elevated stay for artistic aficionados.
Nashville is blessed with a great climate, meaning that their rooftop pool can be enjoyed for much of the year, from sunrise to sunset. There’s also a high-tech fitness centre and three spa treatment rooms by ESPA. The Inner Calm massage includes breath work, full body aromatherapy massage, and scalp massage with rose quartz crystals, and is priced at $110 for 60 minutes or $165 for 90 minutes.
Bobby Hotel also has 7,000 square feet of event space, you can book to use the studios, boardrooms and even hold an event on the rooftop. For those driving, the hotel operates a valet system, which to be honest was a little on the slow side, but I was there over a busy holiday weekend and it may usually be quicker on regular days.
Rooms
In line with the hotel’s public spaces, the rooms are filled with décor that’s engaging rather than stuffy, such as Rorschach ink blot carpeting, historic world maps inspired by the musicians’ lives on the road, and bedside journals for Gonzo-style literary musings.
I checked into a two-bedroom suite on the ninth floor, right under the rooftop. It comfortably sleeps four making it the perfect getaway for a group of friends and the social spaces echo this. There’s a large dining table by the balcony with a record player in the room to entertain, a pool table for pre-dinner fun and games, and a fully stocked mini bar complete with key (so it’s the key holder – aka the card holder – who controls how many bottles are consumed by the group).
The balcony for me was the highlight – stretching the length of the living and dining room – and, on the Saturday night, the beats from the streets below and up on the roof were infectious. I poured some Veuve Clicquot and we enjoyed our own little private party in Nashville. The suite social spaces had a sort of Vegas meets country music feel. It’s the kind of place your favourite country music star would check into after the Country Music Awards.
When the night is over, the personal spaces have a funky, yet calming, design with one boasting zebra print wallpaper, which accents nicely behind the stylish bedding on the grand king bed. Each room has a 43-inch flat panel TV should you choose to wind down with a movie before shut eye.
Both sleeping corners sandwich a full bathroom which is stocked with William Roam bath products. For a little more star glam, I would have liked a bath tub in here as well as a shower, though the rooftop pool is more than enough to meet splash-time needs.
In addition, the suite came with an extra half bathroom by the kitchen, audible alarms, custom wall units, and did I mention how spacious the whole place was? 1,811 square feet to be precise.
Food
Bobby Hotel has four distinct food/drink options on site. There’s a French inspired café with indoor/outdoor seating; Tavern at Bobby, which serves locally sourced, globally tinged fare; a rooftop lounge that features views over downtown and 1956 retrofit scenic cruiser bus to tip back craft spirits; and Bobby’s Garage riffs on the workshop which has a gritty-chic atmosphere and retractable stage lit by car headlights.
I enjoyed dinner on the rooftop, which had a lively crowd of both out of town hotel guests and locals. We dipped into fresh vegetables with hummus whilst sampling their delicious range of cocktails as the sun set.
I would say the downstairs café is best for breakfast and brunch. The coffee there is actually so good that I recommend holding off making it in your room and treating yourself to as many cups as you need downstairs. For breakfast I had the avocado toast, but this definitely a portion size that can be split into two if you’re not a huge breakfast person. If you are, then you definitely won’t go hungry.
VIP package
A VIP package is available for luxury travellers called Nashville by Bobby. It provides a chance to enjoy Bobby’s favourite local artists and businesses via private performances and organic farm tours. A Nashville Destination Concierge will chat with bookers one on one to build an incredible custom experience. The package also includes breakfast, cocktails on the rooftop and valet parking.
To do
Printers Alley is a gorgeous location brimming with entertainment and independent restaurants. I also recommend the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Johnny Cash Museum for those seeking to deepen their knowledge of music legends, Madame Tussauds Nashville for those seeking amazing photo opportunities (there are some eye popping studio backdrops), and the Frist Art Museum for world-class art.
Factbox
Rooms start from $249 per night.
Address: 230 4th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37219
Phone: +1 629 702 1639
Website: bobbyhotel.com
Getting there: The hotel is just a 15-minute taxi ride from Nashville international airport.
