The Tennessean Hotel opened its doors in downtown Knoxville on April 1.
The hotel consists of 82 guestrooms and 12 luxury residences on the grounds of the 1982 World’s Fair Park, which sits on the perimeter of the University of Tennessee campus. The University is a partner of the new hotel, and source of more than 40 percent of The Tennessean Hotel’s new staff.
The Tennessean incorporated aspects of the state throughout its design, courtesy of local project designer and architect McCarty Holsaple McCarty. The hotel’s interior reflects the flow of the nearby Tennessee River and Tennessee craftsmen with Hackney Furniture in Sneedville, Tenn., have produced furnishings for each guestroom and common area.
Nicholas G. Cazana, Knoxville native and inn keeper of The Tennessean Hotel, said it was vital that the hotel celebrate his home state. “Knoxville is home for me. It’s always been home. I wanted to capture the air of Southern hospitality and personal luxury and bring it to Knoxville,” Cazana said in a statement. “There has never been anything like this before in East Tennessee. We expect The Tennessean to attract new visitors and boost tourism to our scruffy city while also giving locals a nice place to have dinner and drinks or even take a staycation for the weekend.”
Guests of The Tennessean Hotel will have access to the city’s arts, theater and culinary scene, shop in the boutiques of Market Square, take a cruise on the Tennessee River, visit the Knoxville Zoo and take in several historic sites in the area. Knoxville also offers scenery and outdoor recreational opportunities in the many parks and the Great Smoky Mountains overlooking the city.
The Tennessean is neighbor to Regal Cinema, The Knoxville Museum of Art, The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, 10 local craft breweries and several Blackberry Farm chef-inspired restaurants. Accessible via Interstate Routes 40 and 275, The Tennessean Hotel is 14 miles from McGhee Tyson Airport.