Hermitage Hotel

The Hermitage Hotel is a historic luxury hotel at 231 Sixth Avenue North in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It was commissioned in 1908 by a group of 250 Nashville residents and opened on September 17, 1910. The hotel was named after The Hermitage, the nearby estate of former U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Its construction reflected the growth of central Nashville from an elite residential area into a major commercial and civic district, and the hotel became one of the city's principal venues for lodging, dining, political activity, and public events. Designed in the Beaux-Arts style, the building is distinguished by an elaborate lobby, a painted glass ceiling, golden Sienna Marble, ornamental plasterwork, a grand staircase, and richly finished public rooms. The former main dining room, now the Grand Ballroom, retains its Circassian walnut paneling and decorative ceiling. The former Loggia, now the Veranda, incorporates Italian Renaissance-inspired detailing, while the former rathskeller-style Grille Room is associated with the present-day Drusie & Darr restaurant. When it opened, the hotel promoted its accommodations as fireproof, noise-proof, and dust-proof, with telephones and circulating ice water in every guest room—features that represented modern hotel service in 1910. The property became an important setting for Tennessee politics and national public life. In 1920, during the campaign over ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, the hotel served as a gathering place and platform for both suffrage supporters and opponents. Tennessee became the 36th and decisive state to ratify the amendment, and the hotel's role in that episode later contributed to its designation as a National Historic Landmark. The property had also hosted prominent political figures, including President William Howard Taft and later presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. It was frequently used as a campaign headquarters and as an informal meeting place for state legislators. Music is another major part of the hotel's identity. The Francis Craig Orchestra performed there from 1925 to 1945 and participated in the first live radio broadcast of Nashville station WSM in October 1925. Craig later achieved national success with his recording of “Near You,” helping connect the hotel to the development of Nashville as a center of popular music. The hotel was also associated with the early Nashville Symphony Orchestra, meetings connected with the formation of the Country Music Association, and the work of songwriter Cindy Walker. In later decades, music videos were filmed at the property by artists including Reba McEntire and Josh Turner. The hotel closed at the end of 1977 after downtown Nashville's decline weakened its business. Local preservationists and Nashville mayor Richard Fulton helped advocate for its protection. Following a change of ownership and a complete renovation, the building reopened in 1981 as a Park Suite Hotel. It changed hands several times during the 1980s and 1990s. Historic Hotels of Nashville, LLC purchased the property in June 2000 and undertook another comprehensive renovation of the guest rooms and public areas. A further refresh of the rooms, suites, public spaces, restaurants, and kitchen took place in 2021–2022 while retaining the building's historic architectural elements. Today, the Hermitage Hotel operates as an independent luxury property with 122 guest rooms and suites. Its offering combines historic architecture, full-service hospitality, event facilities, and destination dining. The hotel has been recognized by Historic Hotels of America and has received AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star distinctions. In November 2021, its restaurant's culinary operation was licensed to chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark on August 28, 2020.

The Hermitage Hotel was developed during a period when downtown Nashville was becoming a commercial and civic center. In 1908, 250 local residents commissioned a large hotel near the Tennessee State Capitol. The resulting building opened on September 17, 1910, as Nashville's third downtown skyscraper. Its name referred to The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's estate near Nashville. The hotel was conceived as a modern, prestigious public building. Its Beaux-Arts design used monumental spatial planning and elaborate decoration, including a grand lobby with a painted glass ceiling, ornamental plaster, Sienna Marble, and a ceremonial staircase. The main dining room, later converted into the Grand Ballroom, featured Circassian walnut and a highly ornamented ceiling. Other historic spaces included the Loggia, now the Veranda, and a lower-level rathskeller-style room, now associated with Drusie & Darr. Early advertising emphasized fire resistance, noise reduction, dust reduction, telephones, circulating ice water, and attentive service. During the first half of the twentieth century, the hotel became an important meeting place for Tennessee's political, business, and cultural communities. It hosted a banquet for President William Howard Taft in 1911 and a visit by then-governor Woodrow Wilson in 1912. In later years, presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon were among the political figures associated with the property. State legislators used the hotel for campaign organization and informal after-hours meetings. The hotel's most consequential political association came in 1920, when Tennessee considered ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Hermitage served as a national platform for both pro- and anti-suffrage forces. Tennessee's ratification made it the 36th state to approve the amendment and supplied the decisive state action needed for the amendment to take effect. The hotel's connection to this episode became central to its later historic recognition. Music also became embedded in the hotel's story. The Francis Craig Orchestra performed in the dining and grille rooms from 1925 through 1945. The orchestra participated in the first day's live broadcast by WSM in October 1925, a station that later became closely associated with the Grand Ole Opry. Craig's later national hit, “Near You,” further linked the hotel to Nashville's transition into a major music center. The hotel also housed an office of the early Nashville Symphony Orchestra in the late 1940s, hosted meetings associated with the formation of the Country Music Association in the late 1950s, and provided a base for songwriter Cindy Walker in the 1960s. Later music videos were filmed at the property by artists including Reba McEntire and Josh Turner. The hotel remained a prominent social venue, welcoming entertainers and public figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Jack Dempsey, and Amelia Earhart. However, the decline of downtown urban lodging districts reduced its commercial prospects. The Hermitage closed at the end of 1977, leaving its future uncertain. Preservation advocates, including the organization now known as Historic Nashville, Inc., and Mayor Richard Fulton, supported efforts to save the building along with other downtown landmarks such as Ryman Auditorium. After a change of ownership and extensive renovation, the property reopened in 1981 under the name Park Suite Hotel. It subsequently experienced several ownership changes during the 1980s and 1990s. In June 2000, Historic Hotels of Nashville, LLC acquired the property and carried out a comprehensive renovation of guest rooms and public areas. The building retained its historic identity while continuing to operate as a luxury hotel. The Hermitage was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, primarily because of its architectural significance. It later received formal recognition through Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. On August 28, 2020, it was designated a National Historic Landmark, with its architecture and its role in the Nineteenth Amendment campaign among the reasons for the designation. In the twenty-first century, the hotel has continued to operate as a high-end independent property. It has maintained a relatively intimate scale of 122 rooms and suites compared with its original 250 guestrooms. The property received AAA Five-Diamond recognition in 2007 and a Forbes Five-Star rating in 2008, then continued to receive hospitality accolades. Historic Hotels of America named it Best City Center Hotel in 2020. A substantial refresh of the guest rooms, suites, public spaces, restaurants, and kitchen was undertaken during 2021 and 2022, with the design intended to preserve the historic fabric while introducing a lighter and more contemporary aesthetic. In November 2021, the culinary operation of the restaurant was licensed to Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

• 2022

  Major property refresh completed

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  A renovation program refreshed accommodations, public areas, restaurants, and the kitchen while retaining historic architectural features.

• 2021

  Jean-Georges culinary partnership begins

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel's restaurant culinary operation was licensed to chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in November.

• 2020

  Designated a National Historic Landmark

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel received National Historic Landmark designation on August 28, recognizing its architecture and role in the Nineteenth Amendment's ratification history.

• 2008

  Receives Forbes Five-Star recognition

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The property received a Forbes Five-Star rating, then known as a Mobil Five-Star rating.

• 2007

  Receives AAA Five-Diamond recognition

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel received the AAA Five-Diamond rating.

• 2000

  Historic Hotels of Nashville acquires the property

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Historic Hotels of Nashville, LLC purchased the hotel and renovated its guest rooms and public spaces.

• 1981

  Reopens as Park Suite Hotel

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Following a change of ownership and a complete renovation, the building reopened under a different hotel name.

• 1977

  Hotel closes

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The property closed at the end of the year as downtown Nashville's decline undermined its commercial prospects.

• 1975

  Added to the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The building was listed primarily for its architectural significance.

• 1925

  Francis Craig Orchestra participates in early WSM broadcast

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel's resident orchestra took part in the first day's live broadcast of WSM, a station that later developed the Grand Ole Opry.

• 1920

  Hotel becomes a suffrage-ratification gathering place

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The property hosted activity by both supporters and opponents during Tennessee's decisive consideration of the Nineteenth Amendment.

• 1910

  Hermitage Hotel opens

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel opened on September 17 in a Beaux-Arts building that became one of Nashville's early downtown skyscrapers.

• 1908

  Local residents commission the hotel

  [1]Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  A group of 250 Nashville residents commissioned the construction of a major downtown hotel near the Tennessee State Capitol.

An independent historic luxury hotel positioned around landmark architecture, high-touch service, downtown Nashville access, political heritage, and music history.

• Accommodation · 1910

  Guest rooms and suites

  The hotel provides 122 guest rooms and suites in a restored historic building. The accommodation product combines contemporary luxury furnishings and service with access to the property's preserved Beaux-Arts character. A 2021–2022 refresh updated rooms and suites while seeking to retain the architectural identity that differentiates the hotel from newer downtown properties.

• Events and banquets · 1910

  Grand Ballroom

  The Grand Ballroom occupies the former main dining room and retains historic decorative elements, including Circassian walnut wall finishes and an ornate ceiling. It functions as a venue for weddings, social events, business gatherings, and other large-scale hospitality occasions.

• Restaurant · 2021

  Drusie & Darr

  Drusie & Darr occupies the historic lower-level dining space that was originally designed as a rathskeller-style Grille Room. The hotel's culinary operation was licensed to chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in November 2021, adding a prominent contemporary restaurant association to the property's historic hospitality offer.

• Lounge and hospitality space · 1910

  The Veranda

  The Veranda is the present-day name for the hotel's former Loggia. The space was designed with Italian Renaissance-inspired detailing, ornamental white and polychrome terra cotta, arched openings, and balconies overlooking the street. It supports the hotel's lounge, social, and event functions.

• 2021

  Jean-Georges culinary licensing arrangementStrategy

  Background

  The hotel sought to strengthen its food-and-beverage proposition while maintaining its broader historic luxury positioning.

  Action taken

  In November, the culinary operation of the restaurant was licensed to chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement connected the hotel restaurant to an internationally recognized chef and became part of the property's contemporary repositioning.

  Source

• 2021

  Historic-preservation-led property refreshOther

  Background

  The hotel required modernization of its rooms, public areas, restaurants, and kitchen while preserving its landmark architectural features.

  Action taken

  A major refresh was carried out across the property during 2021–2022, introducing a lighter and more contemporary design approach.

  Aftermath

  The hotel retained its historic visual identity while updating its guest and dining environments.

  Source

• 2000

  Historic restoration and repositioningStrategy

  Background

  After several ownership changes and the hotel's earlier closure, Historic Hotels of Nashville, LLC acquired the property and sought to restore it as a historic luxury hotel.

  Action taken

  The owner undertook a comprehensive renovation of guest rooms and public areas while maintaining the building's historic architectural character.

  Aftermath

  The property continued operating as an independent luxury hotel and later received major hospitality distinctions.

  Source

1. 1Hermitage Hotelen.wikipedia.org