Nashville's Hermitage Hotel, founded in 1910, has completed a renovation and redesign of its 122 guestrooms and suites, the lobby and the ballroom. These changes follow the opening of two new restaurants from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten earlier this year.
Upgrades to the hotel's Beaux Arts lobby, originally designed by Tennessee architect James E.R. Carpenter, restored original details like the hand-painted glass ceiling, ornamental plasterwork and Tennessee marble. The space was brightened with a fresh color palette and new furnishings. Interior design firm Forrest Perkins oversaw design updates of the lobby, adjacent ballroom and all guest rooms and suites. The lobby features new seating, lighting and case goods.
The guestrooms—averaging 500 square feet—have been redesigned with a residential feel. Desks have been replaced with tables that can double as workspaces or be used for in-room dining, and new millwork conceals updated minibars and amenities that create a multi-functional space.
Alongside the hotel’s design refresh, The Hermitage Hotel’s staff will wear a new wardrobe designed by Draper James, the lifestyle brand founded by Nashville native Reese Witherspoon. Created exclusively for The Hermitage Hotel, the apparel uses fabrics and accessories in a signature print named “The Hermitage Hotel Ditsy Floral.” The staff wardrobe has yellow accents emblematic of the Women's Suffrage Movement and the hotel’s special role in the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Food and Beverage
Chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten is overseeing the hotel's food and beverage programming, and the property marks his first location in the South. Drusie & Darr focuses on Tennessee’s regional produce, and was adapted from the previous Capitol Grille by designer Thomas Juul-Hansen with natural materials: metal, wood, leather and stone. Lighting from L’Observatoire International emphasizes the room’s arched ceilings. All furnishings—from the mother-of-pearl pendant lamps to the upholstered seating, tables and curved banquettes—were designed exclusively for Drusie & Darr. A new, dedicated restaurant entrance is directly accessible from Sixth Avenue, establishing the venue as a dining destination.
Newly opened on the corner of Union and Sixth Avenue, The Pink Hermit is a pink café and take-away conceived by Jean-Georges and The Hermitage Hotel team and designed by Juul-Hansen. The space, clad in pale pink and gray marble, has indoor and outdoor seating for dining and snacks available throughout the day.