8 of the Best Downtown Nashville Hotels for a Great Music City Experience

"When I first came to Nashville, people hardly gave country music any respect. We lived in old cars and dirty hotels, and we ate when we could," Loretta Lynn once said about the pioneer days of the music genre.

The dilligent efforts of those first country music artists - including Lynn, as well as Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash, paved the way for Nashville to transform from a riverboat stop to the bustling metropolis it is today that's become known as Music City, USA: country music capital of the world.

As a result, downtown Nashville has a vast collection of hotels for tourists and business travelers alike. The following is a list of eight of those hotels, all of whom offer quality accommodations at affordable prices while remaining within walking distance of major area attractions; such as the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, Honky Tonk Row, Nashville Convention Center, Bridgestone Arena, Nissan Stadium, and Second Avenue.

Just one block from Nashville's famous Second Avenue is Hyatt Place. This very contemporary hotel is also only a block from the Country Music Hall of Fame and less than a ten minute walk from Music City Center.

Modern rooms come with free WiFi, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges and coffeemakers. Guest rooms also offer pull-out sofas, and designer toiletries in the bathrooms. Suites allow for separate living and sleeping areas.

The hotel offers free hot breakfast. Additional amenities include a coffee and cocktails bar, as well as a 24/7 menu and market. There's also an indoor pool, a fitness center, a business center and meeting facilities.

Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Downtown is set in the heart of downtown Music City. Located just one block from Music City Center, the Hilton is also within walking distance to Music Row, Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena, Ryman Auditorium and the the Country Music Hall of Fame. Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities are also within walking distance of the hotel. The Nashville International Airport is less than 15 minutes away by automobile.

Amenities include: 24-hour fitness center, outdoor pool, fitness room, and a 24-hour business center. Additional hotel features (may require additional fees) include the onsite restaurant and bar Great American Grill, snacks and essentials shopping with the 24-hour Pavilion Pantry®, and conference and banquet rooms.

Right smack in the middle of everything downtown Nashville is the Hampton Inn & Suites on 4th Avenue. Anything you could want to do in downtown Nashville is within walking distance but if walking isn't an option, this hotel is on the Music City Circuit - a free public transportation system for Nashville visitors that covers a downtown only route.

Relatively new to the downtown area, the Hampton Inn & Suites offers stylish, trendy rooms with up-to-date conveniences as well as contemporary services such as free WIFI, a complimentary beverage area, luxurious indoor pool, hot tub, fitness room, and a complimentary hot breakfast.

The award winning Holiday Inn Express Nashville Downtown on Broadway is a great choice for lodging during a Nashville vacation being located in the heart of the action right on Broadway.

Offering 287 guestrooms complete with over 10,000 sq feet of flexible meeting space, the hotel is perfectly situated in downtown Nashville within a stone's throw of Bridgestone Arena, Nashville Convention Center, Music City Center, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Ryman Auditorium, Music Row, Nissan Stadium, and the vibrant downtown live music venues.

Guests will enjoy amenities such as complimentary Wi-Fi access, complimentary Express Start breakfast each morning, and a seasonal outdoor pool. On Friday and Saturday, the Holiday Inn Express offers hors d'oeuvre in the lobby, complete with refreshments in the evening hours featuring live entertainment from one of Nashville's rising musical talents. You never know when they just might be the next big country star!

Just two short blocks from the Tennessee State Capitol building, sits the Sheraton Nashville Downtown; the 12th tallest building in Nashville and a staple of downtown since 1975. This recently-renovated, with contemporary decor, hotel is less than a ten minute walk to the Music City Center, Ryman Auditorium, and the Country Music Hall of Fame as well as centrally located to all the hot spots on lower Broadway and Second Avenue.

Large rooms - some with views of the Capitol, feature contemporary accents, flat-screen TVs and WiFi access. Amenities include free WiFi in the lobby, a business center, meeting space and a 24-hour fitness facilities. There's also a stylish bistro with a cocktail bar and an indoor pool.

If you loved the hit ABC television drama Nashville, you'll like Homewood Suites Nashville Downtown which also served asthe scene for Rayna James' Highway 65 Records offices - the fictitious company logo is even visible in one of the suite windows!

This 4-star Nashville hotel is in the renovated Doctor's Building which housed numerous doctors and dentists from its construction in 1910 until the 1960s. Today its beautiful restoration creates a cozy hotel for visitors with a feel of deep southern history all around.

All suites at Homewood include a full kitchen, hot full breakfast daily, evening social Monday - Thursday, business center and high-speed internet access.

DoubleTree Nashville Downtown is an all-suite downtown hotel less than five minutes from major attractions such Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Music City Center, and Bridgestone Arena.

All suites offer contemporary decor and custom-designed beds, plus pull-out sofas, mini-fridges, 2 flat-screen TVs and WiFi. Some of the Executive suites offer a city view and such suites provide access to the Executive Lounge's free breakfast and evening appetizers. Other all-inclusive amenities include a fitness center, a business center and 17,000 sq ft of flexible meeting space.

Attached to the Country Music Hall of Fame is the upscale hotel known as Omni Nashville.

The sophisticated rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows offer free WIFI and 42-inch flat-screen TVs, as well as 24-hour room service. Upgraded rooms offer city views, while hotel suites include separate living spaces and dining tables.

Amenities include a spa, a fitness center, a rooftop pool and a hot tub, as well as a business center and 80,000 sq ft of event space. Guests can also enjoy a steakhouse and a Southern restaurant, as well as a coffee house and a bar with live music onsite.

I'm sure Nashvillians would agree with me when I say we hope you'll come visit Music City and stay a spell in one of our fine hotels.

Just one last piece of advice... To make the most of your Nashville vacation, I suggest you pick up a copy of Moon Nashville by Margaret Littman. Littman is just a newcomer herself to Nashville but she continues to amaze locals with her knowledge about her adopted city. Moon Nashville reveals the area's best dining, shopping, attractions, live entertainment, and more. Also included are six easy-to-read, detailed color maps of the area. You'll be grateful you did, I promise.