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HOTEL UPDATES
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
2800 Opryland Drive
Nashville, TN 37214
615-889-1000
www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland
Opryland Resort and Convention Center is undergoing a major expansion which will add more than 400,000 square feet of convention and meeting space and a new 400-room, luxury all-suites hotel adjacent to Gaylord Opryland’s current facility. The expansion is expected bring an added 400,000 visitors to the Nashville metro area each year.
In addition, the property has completed a re-concepting renovation of its food and beverage outlets. The new outlets in the Delta Atrium are a full service restaurant called Water’s Edge Marketplace, Stax, a build your own burger restaurant and Paisano’s, a casual pizzeria and wine bar.
The recently opened Fuse Nashville Dance Club offers an enticing combination of dance music, original cocktails, mouth-watering tapas and chic, red-and-black décor will make guests feel like they are VIPs.
Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown
310 Fourth Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
A 154-room Hampton Inn & Suites with a cost of $20 million, features separate sleeping and living areas, as well as a kitchen featuring a wet bar, refrigerator and microwave oven.
Holiday Inn & Suites Vanderbilt
2613 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
Holiday Inn & Suites’ $10 million renovation will include updated guest rooms with new furniture and décor and upgraded bathrooms. The lobby and meetings spaces are receiving a face lift and a new Executive Level will be added. The Commodore Sports Bar and Chancellors will merge to become Commodore Grille and will offer an expanded menu. The Fitness Center, Gift Shop and Business Center will be expanded and the exterior will be updated.
Homewood Suites
706 Church Street
Nashville, TN 37203
615-742-5550
The historic six-floor Doctor’s Building has been redeveloped by Sun Development & Management Corporation, which owns more than two dozen hotels in nine states. The building has been converted into a Homewood Suites, part of the Hilton Hotels family. Every two-room suite features separate living and sleeping areas and fully-equipped kitchen. The suite is large enough for work, study or entertaining, plus all the comforts of home including two TVs on-demand movies, complimentary high-speed Internet access, two phones with data ports, a full-size refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker.
HOotel Hutton
1808 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
www.huttonhotel.com
Plans for Hotel Hutton include 250 guest rooms, and 21,500 additional square feet to house a conference center, meeting facilities and restaurant. In addition to the hotel, a new sky bridge will be constructed connecting the hotel to a new, five-story 275 car parking garage that will house 3,000 square foot of retail space on the ground level. The style is going to be modern and contemporary, yet with a soft and elegant twist.
Hotel Palomar
500 Church Street
Nashville, TN 37219
Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group has signed on with Giarratana Development to build Hotel Palomar in the bottom of Signature Tower. The 200-key hotel will include a spa, fitness center, pool deck, meeting facilities and chef-driven restaurant. The hotel will be housed within the 70-story Signature Tower. Opening date TBD.
Hotel Indigo
• 1719 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
• 301 Union Street
Nashville, TN
Open Date: Summer 2009
www.ichotels.com
A West End office building has been converted to a hotel through a brand of InterContinental Hotels Group. In Fall 2007, Atlanta-based Wesley Hotel Group with Nashville-based Lineberry Properties opened Hotel Indigo at 1719 West End Avenue with 139 rooms. A second Hotel Indigo will occupy the renovated 82-year-old American Trust building at Third Avenue North and Union Street and will feature 110 rooms. InterContinental started the Indigo brand a year ago, promising innovative hotels for the style-conscious traveler.
Intercontinental Hotel & Resorts
600 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
Open Date: Spring 2010
Nashville developer Alex S. Palmer & Co. has signed a deal to add a hotel under the InterContinental Hotel & Resorts banner to its West End Summit project which is expected to occupy the entire block of 1600 West End Avenue. The hotel will have 285 rooms, a health spa and club, multiple dining options and a lounge in addition to nearly 18,000 square feet of meeting space and a 10,750-square-foot ballroom. Opening 2010.
Renaissance Nashville Hotel
611 Commerce Street
Nashville, TN 37203
800-327-6618
www.renaissancenashville.com
In addition to a complete renovation of all their meeting rooms – which included everything from new carpet to improved furnishings – the Renaissance transformed the hotel’s lobby to create a more residential/great room feel. The lobby also houses a new Starbucks Coffee Shop. Spanning Commerce Street, the new high-energy Bridge Entertainment Bistro on the third floor features eight 60-inch TVs and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Union Station Hotel
1001 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
615-726-1001
www.unionstationhotelnashville.com
The historic Union Station Hotel located in downtown Nashville has new owners and has just completed a multi-million dollar renovation. The grand lobby of the hotel has been renovated to bring the hotel back to its former glory. In addition to the lobby, the renovation also involved cleaning the outside of the building. All of the rooms in the hotel have been renovated as well, providing modern amenities such as plasma televisions.
FACILITY UPDATES
The Loveless Barn
8400 Hwy 100
Nashville, TN 37221
The Loveless Cafe is building a barn in its backyard, adding 6,000 square feet of flexible event space for weddings, concerts and other large events. The structure will open onto covered patios and lawns and will be available year-round. As part of the building project, the Loveless will add parking spaces and a new entrance from McCrory Lane. The new event barn will include a full kitchen and will serve as the central catering facility for the Loveless. Wendy Felts, who formerly worked in catering at Vanderbilt University, has joined Loveless as catering manager. While many events will feature the traditional Loveless repertoire of family-style fried chicken, the expanded facilities will accommodate more contemporary menus.
Nashville Visitor Center
501 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
The Nashville Visitor Center, located inside the Sommet Center, has completed their renovations which include a new door, signage and stage to be used for live performances.
XM Radio
501 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
XM, the nation's leading satellite radio service, has moved from the Country Music Hall of Fame to their new home inside the Sommet Center Tower. The new facilities will include significantly expanded broadcast and production studios, as well as a dedicated performance studio, full production suite and office space.
Aerial
411 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
Aerial is one of the newest additions to Broadway although you would never know it. It is situated high atop Paradise Park on the third floor in a glass-encased rooftop patio overlooking Nashville's beautiful sky line, Titan Stadium and of course, Broadway! This space is used for private parties for 10 to 300 people.
Blackbird Studios
2806 Azalea Place
Nashville, TN 37204
Blackbird Studios, a premier recording studio in Nashville is now available to rent for events and private functions.
One Eleven
111 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
615-695-5222
This new venue rental space, located on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Broadway atop Big River Grille, includes 4,500 square feet of space, an open air patio terrace and glass enclosed room. Event Logistics, Inc. will also coordinate and manage all event components.
Hill Center
Hillsboro Pike
Nashville, TN 37215
Opened in the fall of 2007, this new outdoor shopping center, located in the heart of Green Hills, has 220,000 square feet of retail, dining and office space. It is the perfect place to stroll, shop and eat. With unique shops and boutiques like Anthropologie, Posh, Hemline and Francesca’s you are sure to find the perfect outfit and jewelry while restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen, Pei Wei, Zoe’s and Five Guys Burgers will keep you from going hungry. Other stores include Whole Foods, West Elm, Swoozie’s and more.
Nashville Farmers’ Market
900 Eighth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37208
615-880-2001
www.nashvillefarmersmarket.org
The Nashville Farmers’ Market is moving ahead with the first phase of the renovation of the interior Market House. Customers can expect an updated interior space complete with better lighting, a new floor plan, informational signage, new product offerings and a larger, central seating area. Future projects include upgraded restrooms, landscaping, a community garden and demonstration kitchen. The interior Market House will remain open throughout construction.
United Record Pressing
453 Chestnut Street
Nashville, TN 37203
United Record Pressing, the biggest record plant in North America, turns out 20 to 40,000 vinyl records a day. From the 'oldies' you'd expect--to the current hits you might not. Of the top 50 or so hits of today, two thirds are on vinyl, and those are pressed here. Gray Line tours now offers tours of the plant so be sure to visit the upstairs ‘party room’ and vintage style apartment used to entertain music executives and artists back in the days of Motown. The space is also available to rent for events and private functions.
AIRPORT UPDATES
Nashville International Airport
One Terminal Drive
Nashville, TN 37214
615-275-1675
www.flynashville.com
Nashville International Airport (BNA) has welcomed more than a dozen new food and beverage and retail vendors to its terminals. This latest wave of openings expands BNA’s landscape to include more local cuisine and retailers including Gibson Café, Noshville, Swett’s, Tootsie's and CMT Loot as well as additional nationally recognized chains including Starbucks, Wendy’s and Hudson News. The new food and beverage establishments and retail shops represent just one part of a multi-year terminal renovation program at BNA. Another crucial renovation included the consolidation of the A/B and C/D concourses’ security checkpoints into one single screening area in order to improve customer service, ensure faster processing times and enhanced security. Other renovations include concourse skylights; flight information panels; new carpeting in the concourse and terminal; renovation of the restrooms; and maintenance upgrades to elevators, escalators and HVAC units.
ATTRACTIONS UPDATES
Adventure Science Center
800 Fort Negley Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37203
www.adventuresci.com
Adventure Science Center recently opened the Sudekum Planetarium and Space Chase on June 28, 2008. The planetarium features state-of the-art technology including a full-dome digital projection system. The first floor for of the Space Chase wing includes two primary exhibit galleries - Solar System Survey and Test Bed. Solar System Survey invites visitors to explore the solar system with a 3D walk through the universe. The two-story high Test Bed will feature a Space Walker, which will allow visitors to feel like they are walking on the moon or other planets, and a Space Climber, which simulates the experience of astronauts working in space. Other exhibits include the Drop Tower and Trajectories.
Andy Warhol Gallery at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery
Corner of 23rd Avenue North and West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
In January, 2008, Vanderbilt University received approximately 150 original Andy Warhol photographs and prints to be added to the University’s permanent collection. The inclusion of these invaluable pieces serves as a resource to students, but is open and free to the public. The permanent collection consists of more than 5,500 works and is located on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building.
Arrington Vineyards & Winery
6211 Patton Road
Arrington, TN 37014
www.arringtonvineyards.com
Arrington Vineyards is situated on over 75 acres of fertile valley and limestone hillsides- south of Nashville in Arrington, Tennessee. The Vineyards offer complimentary tastings of every wine to all visitors over the age of 21, and host Saturday Night Bonfire Parties.
Belmont Mansion
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37212
615-460-5453
www.belmontmansion.com
An 1853 Nashville treasure is celebrating a fresh, new look. Belmont Mansion recently completed a seven-month exterior restoration that returned the ornate historic home to the grandeur it enjoyed as Adelicia Acklen’s nineteenth-century summer home. In fact, this was the first time since 1859 that stucco work has been done, using a unique scoring that is rarely preserved or restored in Nashville.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
222 Fifth Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
www.countrymusichalloffame.com
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s latest exhibit, Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, focuses on the remarkable legacy of Hank Williams, his son, Hank Williams Jr. and their enduring impact on generations of artists. This 5,000 square foot major exhibit examines the personal lives of Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr. and explores the behind-the-scenes dynamics that inspired their most memorable songs. This exhibit will be open through the end of 2009.
First Art Saturday
Various Locations, Evening Hours
919 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
Art galleries throughout downtown will host receptions and art openings on the first Saturday of every month. A free shuttle provides transportation among the participating galleries from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Music City Duck Tours
615-477-5255
www.nashvilleducktours.com
Tour Nashville by land and water on the new Music City Duck Tour. The DUKW World War ll amphibious vehicle was used in WW ll for transporting goods and soldiers over land and water. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket kiosk located at 308 Broadway Avenue or reserved on the website.
Music City Walk of Fame
P.O. Box 190633
Nashville, TN 37219-0633
walkoffame@visitmusiccity.com
The Music City Walk of Fame on Nashville’s Music Mile is a landmark tribute to those from all genres of music who have made significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and have contributed to the world through song or other industry collaboration. Inductees are announced throughout the year and honored at a special ceremony with a permanent platinum-and-granite, star-and-guitar sidewalk marker. Each year inductions are held in November to coincide with the CMA Awards and in April during GMA week. Thirty-one stars have already been honored on the sidewalks of Hall of Fame park between the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Hilton Nashville Downtown.
Nashville Children’s Theatre
724 Second Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37210
615-254-9103
www.nashvillechildrenstheatre.org
Nashville Children’s Theatre is currently undergoing a $5.7 million renovation and expansion project that will more than double its existing space. The improvements will add 16,220 square feet of space to the NCT facility’s 13,000 existing square feet and will result in a larger lobby and box office, a soundproofed cry room for infants and small children, additional restrooms, and outdoor courtyard and improved seating. At 75 years old, NCT is the oldest children’s theatre in the country and has been ranked one of the top five in the United States by TIME Magazine.
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
3777 Nolensville Road
Nashville, TN 37211
615-833-1534
www.nashvillezoo.org
The Nashville Zoo, recently named one of America’s top 60 zoos by America’s Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families, added four baby African pygmy goats and three young camels to the Critter Encounters exhibit where guests can experience up close a variety of animals, including alpacas, goats and donkeys. In 2007, the Nashville Zoo opened the African Wild Dog habitat, featuring four adult female dogs from the Bronx Zoo. The Zoo also plans a Eurasian Lynx habitat.
Big Bang Dueling Pianos
411 Broadway, 2nd Floor
615-242-9131
www.bigbangbarstore.com
Nashville’s Lower Broadway recently welcomed this popular concept featuring two grand pianos dueling it out. You’ll find Big Bang above the new Paradise Park Trailer Resort across from Music City’s legendary honky tonks.
Segway of Nashville Tours and Transportation
119 Third Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37201
615-244-0555
www.segwayofnashville.com
Segway of Nashville offers customized tours, as well as team building, commercial rentals, special events and Segway service. See Nashville up close and personal on this unique two-wheeled personal transportation device. Riders must be over 14 years old, between 100 and 260 pounds and be able to step on and off unassisted. The cost is $65 per person for a two-hour tour.
XM Satellite Radio
www.visitmusiccity.com
“Music City Connection: Heroes Behind the Hits” is a monthly radio show recorded and produced by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau right here in Music City, and broadcast exclusively by XM Satellite Radio. Taped live before audiences at various Nashville venues, the series presents songwriters of all genres during an informal “in-the-round” showcase, performing their hits, revealing their influences, and sharing their personal stories of writing, recording and living in Music City. Past performers include: Phil Vassar, Craig Wiseman, Sara Evans, Lyle Lovett, Bill Anderson, Chely Wright, and many more. Tune into the songwriting capital of the world to meet the true heroes behind your favorite hits.
The Barbershop Harmony Society
110 Seventh Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37203-3704
800-876-SING, 615-823-3993
www.barbershop.org
The Barbershop Harmony Society has completed its relocation to Nashville from Kenosha, Wisconsin, into a newly-renovated 36,000-square-foot building. The new home houses the Society’s headquarters staff, The Harmony Marketplace retail gift shop, merchandising operations, and is the home of the Old Songs Library—the world’s largest privately held collection of sheet music, containing 750,000 sheets and 125,000 titles from the heyday of Tin Pan Alley. The building also houses the Heritage Hall Museum of Barbershop Harmony which will serve as a repository for barbershop memorabilia, early recordings, costumes, research materials and historical documents tracing the roots of the barbershop style. The Museum and Harmony Experience interactive learning center are slated for a 2011 opening.
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