Thompson Nashville

The Hotel

The Thompson Nashville opened in 2016 in the Gulch and immediately established itself as the neighbourhood's social anchor. The rooftop pool on the 11th floor has been photographed more times than any other hotel feature in Nashville — a 60-foot outdoor pool with a Gulch skyline view, surrounded by the kind of crowd that knows why it's there. The Thompson Hotels brand, now operating under Hyatt's portfolio, brings a design sensibility that takes Nashville's Southern character and translates it into urbane contemporary hospitality without losing the warmth in the process.

The 224 rooms are executed with the confident design vocabulary the Thompson brand deploys in its best properties: dark wood, leather, quality linens, and rooms that feel curated rather than configured. The Gulch views from upper-floor rooms take in 12th Avenue South's restaurant row and the Nashville skyline beyond — a context that reminds guests they're in a city that has recently arrived at the decision to take itself seriously.

Il Primo restaurant brings Italian-American to the Thompson's dining programme with a pasta and wood-fired programme that earns its Gulch positioning — this is not hotel food that settles for accessibility. The Band Box bar at ground level handles evening cocktails with a programme rooted in Tennessee spirits and the kind of ambition that distinguishes a bar that understands its city from one that operates within it.

The Thompson Nashville's position in the Gulch places it in the most interesting neighbourhood in Nashville for a visitor who wants to eat and drink well without requiring a car. The concentration of restaurants on 12th Avenue South — Pinewood Social, Josephine, Butchertown Hall — makes the decision to stay in the Gulch rather than downtown a genuine restaurant argument.

Best for Bachelor/Bachelorette

The Thompson Nashville is the bachelor/bachelorette hotel that earns the occasion rather than simply accommodating it. The rooftop pool is the pre-evening gathering point; the Band Box handles cocktails; the Gulch's restaurant row manages dinner; and Broadway is a 10-minute walk for the part of the evening that requires the full Nashville experience. The hotel's design means the group photographs from the pool are actually good, which at this occasion is not a trivial consideration.

Best for Anniversary

For anniversaries where the couple wants Nashville's current energy alongside a hotel with genuine design quality, the Thompson is the Gulch's best answer. Il Primo for dinner, the rooftop pool at sunset, and a Gulch corner suite that makes the case for why Nashville's newest neighbourhood has the city's best hospitality per square foot.

From $289 / night. Check availability directly.