Hotels

Nashville caters to tens of thousands of country music fans each year and so has an abundance of inexpensive and moderately priced hotels. Although prices have risen in recent years to match Nashville's rise as a tourist and convention destination, you'll likely find a hotel that's both convenient and fits your budget. If you're used to expensive downtown hotels, you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn that rooms in downtown Nashville are, for the most part, reasonably priced, although that is rapidly changing. With the frenzied construction of swank condo and loft complexes around every corner, downtown is being transformed into a more chic city center with ever-escalating prices for everything from hotel rooms to parking. Beyond downtown, new and moderately priced hotel chains are the norm in all the metropolitan area's major tourist areas, especially near the airport along Elm Hill Pike, and in Music Valley, off Briley Parkway, northeast of downtown. Stay here if you're looking for more affordable simplicity, and if you're not looking for skyline views. However, if you want to be close to the city's best restaurants, trendiest nightspots, and wealthier neighborhoods, by all means book a room in the West End.

Although last-minute discounts aren't out of the question, long gone are the days when you could easily nab a decent hotel room for under $100. Nashville is growing in popularity, and prices reflect that. When big events such as music festivals and conventions bring lots of tourists to the city, rates spike and rooms can be sold out all over town -- even at those otherwise more moderately priced chain properties in outlying areas.

If you do want to splurge, consider a luxury hotel such as the Hermitage, Hutton, or Loews. However, for sheer visual impact, you can't beat the massive Opryland Resort, which is shedding some of its Southern, Bible Belt clichés to appeal to more sophisticated tastes. A night here in a basic room will run you about $250 on average.

The rates quoted in this guide are, for the most part, the published rates, sometimes called "rack rates" in hotel-industry jargon. At expensive business and resort hotels, rack rates are what you are most likely to be quoted if you walk in off the street and ask what a room will cost for that night. However, it's often not necessary to pay this high rate if you plan ahead or ask for a discount. It's often possible to get low corporate rates even if you aren't visiting on business. Many hotel and motel chains now have frequent-guest and other special programs that you can join. These programs often provide savings off the regular rates.

Virtually all hotels now offer nonsmoking rooms (in fact, most properties are going entirely smoke-free), and rooms equipped for guests with disabilities. When making a reservation, be sure to request the type of room you need. While multiline telephones are often the norm, charges for telephone calls vary widely. Some offer free local calls, while others do not. Another welcome trend is the inclusion of standard, in-room amenities such as flatscreen TVs and Wi-Fi. Internet fees range from free access to about $12 per day. Increasingly, hotels have public computers in the their lobbies -- a nice perk if you don't travel with a laptop.

If you'll be traveling with children, always check into policies on children staying for free. Some hotels let children under 12 stay free, while others set the cutoff age at 18. Still others charge you for the kids, but let them eat for free in the hotel's restaurant.

The rates quoted here don't include the Tennessee sales tax (9.25%) and state and city room taxes, which altogether will add 16.25% onto your room bill. Keep this in mind when you're searching for rates, because most quotes will not include these taxes. And if you're driving to Nashville, don't overlook the cost of parking your car, which can cost up to $25 a night at downtown and West End hotels. I have used the following rate definitions for price categories (rates are for double rooms): very expensive, more than $200; expensive, $150 to $200; moderate, $100 to $150; inexpensive, under $100.

Family-Friendly Hotels

Embassy Suites Nashville -- With an indoor pool and a garden atrium, there is plenty to keep the kids distracted here. The two-room suites also provide kitchenettes and lots of space, including a separate bedroom for parents.

Gaylord Opryland Resort -- The kids can wander all over this huge hotel's three tropical atria, exploring waterfalls, hidden gardens, fountains, whatever, and then head for one of the pools. There are also enough restaurants under this one roof (the property encompasses nine under glass) to keep everyone in the family happy.

GuestHouse Inn & Suites Music Valley -- A budget-friendly hotel that is very popular with vacationing families, this clean, comfortable hotel across the street from Opryland is convenient to the interstate and area attractions.

Hyatt Place Opryland -- Teens and tweens can appreciate a place with huge, in-room plasma TVs with plug-and-play capability. This completely refurbished property also offers spacious rooms with beds as well as comfy leather ottomans and pull-out sofas so the family can spread out.

Nashville Airport Marriott -- Lower-level rooms are perfect for families whose kids want to spend time in the large indoor/outdoor pool.

Music Valley & The Airport Area

If you plan to spend any amount of time at either the Gaylord Opryland Resort or the Opry Mills mall, staying in the Music Valley area will be your best bet. It will also be much more convenient if you plan to attend the Grand Ole Opry, where the second of two nightly shows can sometimes extend past midnight. After a night of all that barn-raising music, who wants to drive across town to their hotel?

Boots Made for Walking -- If you're staying at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, comfortable walking shoes are a must. Even if you opt for the valet parking, the distances between drop-off points and your room can be daunting. Each member of the bell staff at Opryland walks an average of 12 miles a day.

Inexpensive -- A number of national and regional chain motels, generic but dependable, can be found in the area, including Alexis Inn and Suites, 600 Ermac Dr. (tel. 615/889-4466) charging $69 to $79 for a double; Best Western Airport Inn, 701 Stewart's Ferry Pike (tel. 615/889-9199), charging $60 to $70 for a double; Comfort Inn, 2516 Music Valley Dr. (tel. 615/889-0086), charging $75 to $90 for a double; and Days Inn, 2460 Music Valley Dr. (tel. 615/889-0090), charging $50 to $90 double (with an outdoor pool and an adjacent miniature-golf course).

Other affordable options include La Quinta Inn Nashville-Briley Parkway, 2345 Atrium Way (tel. 615/885-3000), charging $59 to $69 for a double; Red Roof Inn-Nashville East, 510 Claridge Dr. (tel. 615/872-0735), charging $50 to $60 for a double; Sleep Inn Nashville, 3200 Dickerson Pike (tel. 866-538-0187), with rates starting at $55 per night; and Springhill Suites by Marriott, 1100 Airport Center Dr. (tel. 615/884-6111), charging $72 to $119 for a double.