What it's like staying at Dream Nashville, Music City's downtown lifestyle hotel
A small part of me expected my first check-in as a World of Hyatt Globalist member to go a little something like this: A red carpet rolls out from the Uber straight to the lobby. I get notified of a suite upgrade. Then suddenly, Shania Twain and Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian kick a door down, saying, "Let's go, girls," and whisk me off to my palatial spread upstairs.
So, that fantasy didn't go entirely as envisioned at a recent stay at Dream Nashville. Still, there was plenty to be elated about on this first spin using Globalist status at a Hyatt-affiliated hotel.
You can find out more about Dream Nashville below.
What is Dream Nashville?
If you've had a so-so experience at a Dream Hotel in recent years, don't let that deter you from booking a stay at Dream Nashville.
I had an OK time after staying at two of the Hyatt-absorbed Dream Hotel Group properties — Dream Midtown and The Time New York — in New York City in recent months. Both properties were fine and comfortable enough, but they also felt like they could use a little TLC from the decor and operations standpoint (especially after Hyatt made such a fuss over how the Dream Hotel Group acquisition greatly expanded its footprint in the city).
But that's the Big Apple — it's an entirely different ballgame in Music City. Dream Nashville is a mix of historic renovation and modernity: Developers incorporated a former hotel building dating to the 1800s and the facade of a 19th-century brothel and bar into the Dream.
Expect a lot of wood, jewel tones and high ceilings (or atriums) throughout the property. The decor is chic and well-maintained four years into the hotel's debut in one of the country's top tourist destinations. The staff is friendly and more than ready to help point you to the right spot for dinner or dancing.
How to book a stay at Dream Nashville
I booked an entry-level King Bronze guest room directly through Hyatt's website for $309 per night. These are billed as 235-square-foot rooms with higher ceilings and "art deco-inspired" furnishings.
I lucked out, however, using my newfound Globalist status for the first time, and I was upgraded to a 1 King Studio Suite Gold. (Globalists are eligible for standard suite upgrades at check-in.)
I checked the prices once I saw that I'd been upgraded, and these corner studio suites were going for about $450 the night of my stay. Given my Globalist status, I also got a free breakfast.
The location
The hotel is a few lengthy blocks north of the honky-tonk haven of Lower Broadway and around the corner from Printers Alley, another popular spot for Nashville revelry. Even so, Dream Nashville manages to be a relatively quiet, cozy respite amid all the bacchanalia taking place outside.
There are downtown Nashville hotels a bit closer to the action of Broadway or the Gulch if that's what you crave; I found the ever-so-slightly removed location to be more of a bonus than a detraction, though. After all, I needed my beauty sleep before a three-day conference.
The rooms
My 1 King Studio Suite Gold was an excellent introduction to traveling as a Hyatt Globalist member. The corner location offered a nice perch from which I could see 4th Avenue and Church Street. While you could still hear some traffic from the street below, it was still easy to fall asleep thanks to blackout curtains.
The room included a cozy seating area with a velvet couch, two chairs, a Nespresso machine and a coffee table. The bedroom on the other side of a divider featured a king-size bed, a workstation and a refrigerator (stocked with the two free bottles of water that come from being a Discoverist or higher).
Adjustable reading lamps were attached to either side of the headboard, and there was a flat-screen TV in both the bedroom and seating area. The 14-foot ceilings made the suite feel larger than it was.
The bathroom impressed me the most with its large walk-in shower, dual vanity and Karl Lagerfeld amenities.
Black and white subway tiles alongside two bronze-brushed mirrors gave the space an elevated aesthetic, and it had a separate water closet. I'm not exaggerating when I say the bathroom was not much smaller than my entry-level guest room at the Dream Midtown earlier this summer.
There were other nice touches to go with the room, like spicy popcorn from Kernels Nashville Popcorn and Bourbon Nib Brittle from local confectioner Olive and Sinclair. Ample storage included mainstays like a luggage rack, safe and iron.
The room's high-end, shabby chic design element also made me wish I had more time to kick back and enjoy the space instead of just passing through for one night. It certainly seemed like the kind of space where you could reflect on an achy, breaky heart and pen the lyrics to the next country music masterpiece.
The food scene
Stateside Kitchen is the hub of Dream Nashville's dining scene. The glass atrium-crowned restaurant off the lobby is a sleek space meant to be a nod to French brasseries. It serves up a Southern-influenced menu.
Grilled artichokes with a creole remoulade ($16) were a fresh and hearty way to kick off my late supper. I followed that with chicken paillard served alongside a frisee arugula salad, heirloom tomatoes and honey mustard vinaigrette ($22). I rounded this out with a picante margarita ($14) off the cocktail menu.
The dinner and cocktail were pretty tasty for a hotel restaurant. However, the service was removed enough that I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to dine here if I weren't staying in the hotel — a ding on lifestyle hotels built to attract a local audience to their bars and restaurants.
Admittedly, this was a Tuesday night fairly close to last call, but the quiet dining room contrasted the packed bars and restaurants steps away from the hotel. To Stateside's credit, it did appear a little busier the following day when I checked out.
Parlour Bar next to Stateside Kitchen was a livelier scene, though. It was a great spot for a nightcap behind the velvet curtains separating libations from the check-in area.
The luxe space offers a mix of rich leather chairs and velvet couches for intimate, candlelit conversations over cocktails. Or, if you're like me, you can sit at a curved bar where the bartender commands a center stage of conversation, engaging guests from various geographic backgrounds (hailing from New York, Louisiana, Boston, the U.K. and India the night of my visit).
The next morning, I snagged breakfast at Natura Nashville, a cafe just to the left of the check-in desk. Guests of Dream Nashville can grab a free coffee or tea here during their stay, and because I am a Globalist, I also had my breakfast included.
I decided on avocado toast with a poached egg on top, which would normally cost $12. It wasn't the most thrilling thing to look at, but it was tasty with a hint of heat and lime — just enough to fuel up before attending a conference later in the day.
Why Dream Nashville might not be for you
I enjoyed my stay at Dream Nashville, but there are some points to consider before booking a stay here:
- While I found the colorful decor and furniture to be a strong suit, those searching for a more minimalist vibe should probably look elsewhere.
- The hotel does operate in somewhat of a downtown purgatory: It's not right in the action of Lower Broadway, but it's also next to Printers Alley ... meaning there is still some rowdiness to be had on the weekends. Those particularly sensitive to noise should book a hotel in a different neighborhood.
- Service is perfectly friendly and hospitable, but it isn't over the top. There are other hotels in the vicinity if that's what you're looking for.
Accessibility
Dream Nashville features many accessible public spaces, including the lobby, Natura Nashville, Parlour Bar and Stateside Kitchen on the ground level. Doorways provide at least a 32-inch clear width, and there are visual and audible fire alarms.
There are accessible guest rooms featuring roll-in showers and portable communication kits with visual alarms and notification devices.
Alternatives
- Four Seasons Nashville: Nashville's newest ultra-luxury hotel also happens to be a stone's throw from Lower Broadway — not a bad option for those willing to pony up to mix honky-tonk and high thread count. Rates start at $770 per night.
- W Nashville: The Nashville outpost of W is seen as a rebirth and Southern flagship for the brand that was once the epitome of cool but lost its way a bit over the last few years. Rates start at $258 per night or 74,500 Marriott Bonvoy points.
- Grand Hyatt Nashville: World of Hyatt devotees will find this convention hotel has more flair than most; it includes a rooftop pool, a restaurant by celebrity chef Sean Brock and the increasingly rare-to-see hotel lounge. Rates start at $392 per night or 29,000 World of Hyatt points.
- Thompson Nashville: World of Hyatt devotees looking for a different kind of lifestyle hotel are in luck, as Thompson Nashville is in the Gulch — a downtown-adjacent neighborhood with trendy shopping and eateries. Rates start at $510 per night or 29,000 World of Hyatt points.
Checking out
The biggest downside (in terms of brand awareness) is that Dream Nashville shines significantly brighter than other Dream properties I've stayed at. It's a major win for the Music City outpost of the smaller chain. Hopefully, it shows the owners of its older sibling properties how to maintain a hotel even after several years of wear and tear in a popular tourist destination.
In the meantime, Nashville's hotel orbit — and Hyatt's Dream brand — certainly has something to be proud of.
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