Nashville Visit

[maryn]

Update! Cancelled Groupon to Maxwell House. Reviews were BAD! Put I do still plan on making a trip into Nash and will stay downtown! Thank you for all of your suggestions and I have bookmarked the Honkytonk info on my computer! thanks all!

[maryn]

any affordable suggetions for hotel DOWNTOWN?

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by maryn

any affordable suggetions for hotel DOWNTOWN?

Do you know how to use priceline.com?

The less expensive hotels downtown are generally dumps. If the regular rate is under $100/night, it's not worth considering.

My suggestion would be to use the "name your own price" option on priceline, and select either 3 or 3.5 star, and put in a bid for about $60-70. I don't know what the hotels in Nashville accept as far as that goes...but in my experiences with priceline in other cities, even $50-60 tends to be pretty reliable for that sort of star rating.

Judging from the list of hotels in Nashville in the 3+ star range downtown and downtown west (West End/Vanderbilt), they are all acceptable picks. If you name your own price, it picks the hotel for you-- so there is some risk involved...but all of these hotels would be as close or a bit closer than the Millennium Maxwell House (and in a better area). All of the hotels have an 8.0+ rating on priceline (in that star range).



If you don't go that route, you will definitely pay a premium for your stay (if you choose to stay downtown). The closest hotels in that case would be the Hilton and Renaissance (both within close walking distance), Doubletree, Hotel Indigo, Union Station, Sheraton and a few others (a little farther, but still walkable...you might also be able to utilize Nashville's free downtown bus circuit service). I wouldn't rule out the hotels in the Vanderbilt area if the price is right. There are a number of good hotels out that way, and it's only about 1.5 miles away (very short cab ride or drive).

[groovamos]

Originally Posted by maryn

any affordable suggetions for hotel DOWNTOWN?

I was in Nashville I think it was '96 or so, and my sister and her future husband were with me when we walked into the union station hotel at night and asked what the price on a double was. The man behind the counter was the manager and gave us the rate and then said something like: " you can walk into a hotel and bargain with the manager and get a better rate if they are not booked up at this time of night." And he then without provocation cut the rate not quite in half for us, I guess he liked us, or my sister or something. I tried this a couple of years later, same hotel and manager but they were almost booked up and had to pay the full rate. If you are getting there on a non-weekend night I bet you could talk some counter person into a cheap rate. This is my favorite hotel in Nashville BTW. But for an unusual reason, we used to take trains between there and Atlanta. I remember one occasion leaving the Atlanta station after being impressed at my dad pullin out a wad of bills to pay for the tickets for the whole family, and then waking up about midnight in my dad's arms leaving the train, him carrying me along a sheltered platform down below the (present day) hotel. I want to come back for a visit, this hotel almost being half a reason to do so.

[CountryGirl2b=]

I spent a night at the Union Station hotel, too. Right across from the Frist and there is a bar/restaurant The Flying Saucer which is fun (but loud). Here is the website. I DID get a good rate but it's a luck thing I think:

Historic Nashville Hotel Offering Boutique Accommodations and Service - Union Station, A Wyndham Grand Hotel

The Hampton Inn downtown gets good marks from Tripadvisor but there is construction. If you don't mind the noise maybe they'll give you a good rate?

Nashville Hotels Downtown | Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Nashville TN Hotels

PS. I didn't know you could cancel Groupon! Good for you! I do think some of the 'deals' aren't really deals. Buyer beware. But SOME are good.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by groovamos

I was in Nashville I think it was '96 or so, and my sister and her future husband were with me when we walked into the union station hotel at night and asked what the price on a double was. The man behind the counter was the manager and gave us the rate and then said something like: " you can walk into a hotel and bargain with the manager and get a better rate if they are not booked up at this time of night." And he then without provocation cut the rate not quite in half for us, I guess he liked us, or my sister or something. I tried this a couple of years later, same hotel and manager but they were almost booked up and had to pay the full rate. If you are getting there on a non-weekend night I bet you could talk some counter person into a cheap rate. This is my favorite hotel in Nashville BTW. But for an unusual reason, we used to take trains between there and Atlanta. I remember one occasion leaving the Atlanta station after being impressed at my dad pullin out a wad of bills to pay for the tickets for the whole family, and then waking up about midnight in my dad's arms leaving the train, him carrying me along a sheltered platform down below the (present day) hotel. I want to come back for a visit, this hotel almost being half a reason to do so.

Originally Posted by CountryGirl2b=

I spent a night at the Union Station hotel, too. Right across from the Frist and there is a bar/restaurant The Flying Saucer which is fun (but loud). Here is the website. I DID get a good rate but it's a luck thing I think:

Historic Nashville Hotel Offering Boutique Accommodations and Service - Union Station, A Wyndham Grand Hotel

The Hampton Inn downtown gets good marks from Tripadvisor but there is construction. If you don't mind the noise maybe they'll give you a good rate?

Nashville Hotels Downtown | Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Nashville TN Hotels

PS. I didn't know you could cancel Groupon! Good for you! I do think some of the 'deals' aren't really deals. Buyer beware. But SOME are good.

I haven't stayed at Union Station (obviously, no need for me to) but it's a really cool historic building (old train station) and if you can get a favorable rate there, I think it would be worth it. It's within walking distance (about 6-7 blocks) from most of the entertainment district. It's not the *best* location for going there (like I mentioned the Hilton and the Renaissance)...but it's definitely the most unique hotel building.

I will say I am a very big fan of the Flying Saucer (just behind the hotel)...one of my favorite bars in the city. If you like beer (as in, craft beer) it's a definite must. It can get a bit loud, but it's not rowdy. I've noticed all ages, all types there. I don't think it's the kind of bar you would ever feel truly out of place (JMO, of course).


Country Girl...I think the Hampton Inn is in a great spot...but their rates seem unusually high for what it is. Hampton Inns are nice, but not great. When I checked the prices, I saw it was listed a good $15-20 night higher than Union Station...which is a nicer hotel. I don't know if there are any specials available at the Hampton Inn, but if I had my choice between that and one of the more premier hotels downtown (say, if you priceline it), I would definitely walk the extra distance and stay at a nicer, more unique place. However, if the Hampton Inn has a deal...might be worth a good look.


But overall...great suggestions/advice!


Back to the OP...downtown restaurants:

Jack's on Broadway if you like BBQ - Rippy's would be my distant second choice
Puckett's at 5th and Church for Southern food
Demos' for a decent priced dinner (steak and spaghetti)
Capitol Grille for upscale/semi fancy with a Southern flare (in the bottom of a gorgeous 5 star hotel, btw)
Provence in the Public Library (6th and Church) for a quick lunch/artisan breads/deserts/coffee
The Standard for Southern style fine dining
There are several restaurants/food places in The Arcade (an old historic commercial strip) that would be good for lunch, like Manny's House of Pizza

If you expand your area beyond downtown, you will add a ton of great options. West End, East Nashville, and Germantown all have great places to eat that are within a couple of miles of downtown. Green Hills, 12th South, and further into East Nashville (such as Inglewood) are also slightly farther out options. It really depends on what you feel like you have time for.

What other activities might you consider doing while you are in town?