"Why book?
Nashville’s brightest lights and loudest sounds co-exist with nature’s essence in a hotel that is built on a foundation of sustainability.
Set the scene
If the city of Tulum, Mexico were picked up and put in a hotel lobby in Nashville, it might feel like 1 Hotel Nashville. The space has a laid-back, eco-forward vibe, with live plants around and architectural elements that evoke Tennessee barns without being farmhouse style or kitschy. A long table on the way to the elevators offers a “farm stand” of fresh, if imperfect, fruits for a snack which well-heeled, casually dressed guests (many in natural fibers) appreciate. It is not unusual to see guests with dogs in tow.
The backstory
Started in 2015, the 1 Hotel chain is focused on a luxury eco-friendly experience. The hotels are rooted in biophilic design, connecting the building to nature. In Nashville that means live greenery along its outdoor façade and indoors, and a large art installation features every invasive plant in Tennessee, plus living plants in every guest room.
The rooms
The hotel’s sustainable, paperless mission is evident in the guest rooms. Instead of a pad of paper, you’ll find a chalkboard. Instead of plastic water bottles, grab a reusable bottle and use the in-room filtered water tap. Don’t want any interruptions? Place the Do Not Disturb rock in the hallway. But being sustainable doesn’t mean lack of luxury. Each room has live plants (watered by staff), plush bedding (organic cotton fibers, of course), and rain showers. The aesthetic is framed by reclaimed wood, exposed beams, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Food and drink
Former “Top Chef” contestant Chris Crary helms 1 Kitchen, the hotel’s signature first-floor restaurant. The sustainability principles throughout the hotel are on display here, with an emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients (the goal is for 75 percent of ingredients to come from within a 200-mile radius). Look for regional produce like pawpaws on the menu. Trout from area purveyors is delivered in a cooler, not in plastic wrap. The kitchen doesn’t even have a printer: orders are communicated digitally. Harriet’s Rooftop is the 21-and-older rooftop bar, surrounded in more greenery. It’s the place to go for a crafted cocktail while looking out on the city skyline. Smoothies and other grab-and-go healthy breakfast, lunch, and snack items are available from the small Neighbors café in the lobby.
The spa
Walking into the Bamford Wellness Spa smells like walking into a meadow in the rain, thanks to the signature natural products used in all the spa treatments. While enveloped in scent you can unplug in a relaxation room which also has a greenery-clad balcony looking out on Nashville city streets, somehow both connecting you from the city and helping you feel far away from it. Treatments run the gamut from massages to facials to Vitamin B12 injections and antioxidant infusions.
The neighborhood/area
SoBro is a dynamic part of downtown, home to the Music City Center convention complex across the street and just blocks from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. This is one of Nashville’s densest urban areas, and it will be particularly crowded when there are events at nearby Bridgestone Arena. The hotel is blocks from the neon of Broadway and its honkytonks, as well as attractions such as the Frist Art Museum and Gibson Garage.
The service
Not only will the staff immediately remember your name, they’ll remember the name of your dog, where you’re traveling from and other details to make you feel like you know one another. Service is polite and friendly and helpful, but not overbearing.
Eco effort
Not happy with Nashville’s options for glass recycling, the hotel installed its own glass crusher to recycle the glass waste it generates. Rooms keys are wooden, in-room carafes are made from old wine bottles, and even the hangers are made from recycled paper. The 1 Less Thing program allows you to leave unwanted clothing to be donated to a local organization. An hourglass in the shower helps you track how long your showers are—and therefore how much water you are using—in an unobtrusive way.
Accessibility
Entrances, guest rooms, restaurants, the lobby, meeting space and the fitness center meet ADA standards.
Anything left to mention?
Check schedules for the Supper That Sustains Us, a family-style dinner series that focuses on the restaurant’s sustainability mission with the opportunity to meet other guests as well as the hotel chefs. Need a ride? Borrow one of the in-house electric Audi e-trons for a few hours or ask to be dropped off where you need to go in one." - Margaret Littman
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