Marriott opens W Nashville in the Music City

W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott International, has opened the W Nashville in the Music City’s Gulch neighborhood. The 14-story mirrored tower was designed from the outside in, with six street-level entrances.

“The W experience has always been centered on a local, social scene but W Nashville takes it to the next level,” said Tom Jarrold, global brand leader, W Hotels Worldwide. “Today’s global traveler is not content staying at a hotel with superficial neighborhood references and locals are not embracing of hotels that ignore the social fabric of the community. W Nashville is different as it weaves itself into the Gulch seamlessly and authentically through the brand’s distinct lens.”

The concept, programming and design direction of W Nashville was led by David Tessier and Anna Gomez of Hospitality Gaming Advisors along with local partner Mark Bloom, and developed by 12th Ave Realty Holding Co. The public spaces and guestrooms were created by the Rockwell Group with historical, rugged local materials like iron, steel, wood, leather and polished and raw concrete. HKS Architecture emphasized indoor-outdoor flows in developing the shape of the property, which includes more than 26,000 square feet of outdoor space.

“Authenticity was at the heart of this project,” said David Tessier, president, Hospitality Gaming Advisors. “Every decision and choice we made on design, materials, finishes, art and our collaborators took this into consideration. As a result, the hotel has a very tactile quality and at every turn there is something visually provocative. All of our amenities and offerings have a unique character and identity. We feel our guests will be engaged and inquisitive discovering places that evoke diverse emotions.” 

Guestrooms

The W Nashville has 286 rooms and 60 suites, including two Extreme Wow (Presidential) Suites. The room design blends industrial polish with warm tones as well as a mix of raw materials including leather and exposed concrete. Furniture is inspired by vintage stereo equipment and includes stud detailing like that found on a roadie case, while the TVs are surrounded with speaker cloth. 

The brand’s signature Mix Bar is a focal point, illuminated in a gold, mirrored cage to encourage in-room entertaining. All Wow and Extreme Wow Suites have balconies, and the Extreme Wow Suites also have a music booth, dining area, lounge and a pantry kitchen.

Every guestroom at W Nashville has an original commissioned artwork by Brooklyn-based studio Faile. The Pop Art-inspired piece celebrates the city’s music industry.

Public Spaces

The hotel is the debut of the Welcome Den, a new W Hotels concept. Accessible only by a room key, the den is a space where guests can relax or work while ordering drinks. 

Other public areas include The Spanish Steps, 42 flights of concrete stairs interlaced with warm wood seating platforms that act as a meeting place and amphitheater (a nod to the meeting spot in Rome) with a live music stage below. The 10,000 square foot Wet Deck pool area features a 2,000-square-foot, L-shaped pool with private cabanas as well as views of the neighborhood. A yoga lawn leads to FIT, W Nashville’s fitness center.

In addition to the Wet Deck bar, the hotel has six other drinking and dining venues. The W Nashville also has more than 24,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

Artwork at the property includes original prints, photographs and other works including a 96-inch Jim Dine double heart canvas ‘Atlantic Love Letter.’ An outdoor mural by Kelsey Montague includes a suitcase guests can sit on. The hotel also has a series of original prints by rock ‘n’ roll photographer Jim Marshall.