A taste of luxury in Music City: What it’s like staying at the Conrad Nashville

In Nashville, hotels come in every shape and size — and Hilton has an incredible (and growing) presence in Tennessee’s capital city, from the kitschy and quirky Graduate (where one-of-a-kind decor includes a bust of Dolly Parton made from chicken wire) to a towering Embassy Suites with an indoor rooftop pool offering panoramic views.

On the luxury front, Nashville’s hotel scene is on the move. There’s a new Four Seasons shockingly close to bustling Lower Broadway, the storied and grand Hermitage Hotel (and its chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten dining) and the Conrad, conveniently found in a central location near all the action but far enough away that you don’t have to worry about rowdy bachelorette parties interrupting your sleep.

On a recent trip to my old college town (go Bruins!), I checked into the Conrad Nashville to see Hilton’s take on Music City luxury. Here’s what it was like.

What is the Conrad Nashville?

Part of the Hilton Honors program, the Conrad Nashville is a luxury hotel with 234 rooms and suites located in midtown just up the road from the city’s touristy downtown area. Unlike many Nashville hotels, this upscale property doesn’t lean heavily into the country aesthetic that many other properties do, so it feels effortlessly elegant and chic. It’s home to a stunning lobby with a beautiful bar, an upscale restaurant and a more casual offering, a pool, a gym and meeting spaces.

How much does the Conrad Nashville cost — and how to book this hotel

Nashville is one of those cities where hotel rates can fluctuate wildly throughout the year, depending on what’s happening in town. Cash rates tend to fluctuate between $250 and $300 but can skyrocket during events like CMA Fest. During such events, rates can cost as much as $1,000 a night.

Hilton Honors members can book award stays starting at around 81,000 points per night, with most nights going for 90,000.

For folks trying to earn Hilton Honors points or elite night credits, booking directly is likely your best bet. Aim to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Hilton stays or one that possibly offers automatic Hilton Honors elite status for value-added benefits. These include:

• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at eligible Hilton hotels, automatic Gold elite status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status by spending $40,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year.
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at eligible Hilton hotels, automatic Gold elite status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status by spending $40,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year.
• Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at eligible Hilton hotels and automatic Silver elite status (with an upgrade to Gold when you spend $20,000 in a calendar year).
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and automatic Diamond elite status.

The information for the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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The hotel also participates in American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, so those who carry The Platinum Card® from American Express can take advantage of the yearly $200 hotel credit and receive perks like noon check-in (when available), potential room upgrades, daily breakfast for two, 4 p.m. checkout and a $100 food and beverage credit.

Rooms at the Conrad Nashville

During my three-night stay, I was placed in a standard room with a king-size bed and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the West End.

Measuring 410 square feet, the room was spacious and comfortable, with a subtle but luxurious feel. It was furnished with an olive green velvet couch, white granite finishings, a table with two dark blue chairs and various mix-and-match patterned fabrics that tied it all together.

The bed was incredibly comfortable and decked out with Frette linens, while the cushioned headboard had control panels on both sides to turn on and off lights as well as open or close the curtains. Built into the nightstands were charging ports (USB and USB-C) and a standard socket.

At night, during turndown service, the Conrad’s friendly housekeepers laid out water bottles, glasses and two delicious cookies on the nightstand, plus the robe on the bed, which was a thoughtful way to remind me it was there in the first place.

Along the entrance hallway was a large and long closet system with a shopping bag, robes, a safe and other accessories like a shoehorn. On the side was a little bar area with an electric kettle, an espresso machine, china and glassware, plus a pullout minibar with soft drinks, juices, beers and lots of miniature alcohol bottles.

In the white granite-outfitted bathroom, dual sinks placed on a large vanity offered space to spread out. The toilet was hidden away in a small wash closet behind a glass door, and the rainfall shower offered serious water pressure, a nice bench and musky Byredo Mojave Ghost soaps.

Rounding out the comfortable and chic room was a 55-inch TV with streaming capabilities that made it possible for the antagonizing sounds of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” to lull me to sleep.

What I ate and drank at the Conrad Nashville

Right off the lobby of the Conrad Nashville is one of the most beautiful lobby bars I’ve seen in a while, and it doubles as the bar for the hotel’s upscale restaurant, Blue Astar, which is open for breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner. At the restaurant, expect a menu of locally sourced, seasonal offerings that are heavy on seafood.

For breakfast one morning, I had a bloody mary with Tito’s ($17); avocado toast with slow-roasted tomatoes, salsa verde, arugula, radish, sourdough and a perfectly runny poached egg ($22); and a side of breakfast sausage ($7). The avocado was flavorful and filling, but the Southern-style sausage was the best part.

For dinner, I had a handful of delicious dishes off the menu, including a mouthwatering kanpachi crudo made with Aleppo oil, tahini yogurt, Cara Cara orange and herbs ($21) that was rich and packed with flavors. It was an item you might not expect to be served — let alone with such finesse — in Middle Tennesee.

Another standout dish was a filet of Bucksnort trout served on a bed of fermented tomato and Castelvetrano olives and topped with sweet anise.

The second option for dining and drinks is Thistle & Rye, a third-floor venue with a large outdoor area with seating, fire pits and cornhole boards. Here, you can snag craft cocktails, local brews and an eclectic menu of global street food with little hints of Tennessee, like the Nashville hot cod sandwich ($18) and the Japanese sweet potato tots ($14).

Amenities and things to do

Beyond friendly service and a beautiful hotel, here are a few other things you can take advantage of on the property:

• There’s a seasonal rooftop pool that offers cabana rentals and lounge chairs available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The fitness center offers Peloton bikes, treadmills, free weights, other equipment and indoor-outdoor workout spaces.
• There are 11 meeting rooms available for events.
• The hotel offers a Southern take on afternoon tea for $85 per adult and $40 for children every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 3 p.m.
• Saks Fifth Avenue offers personalized styling and shopping at the hotel via appointment only through The Fifth Avenue Club Nashville.

Insider tips for staying at the Conrad Nashville

While there aren’t that many “secrets” for you to know about at this hotel, there are a few things in the hotel and in the area you should enjoy:

• The hotel offers a free shoeshine service, which I took advantage of to polish up my loafers ahead of my wedding the following week.
• Thistle & Rye offers a happy hour Wednesday through Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m., during which you can save a little cash on drinks.
• The nearby Tailgate Brewery Music Row is a great place to stop for a local beer.
• Also nearby, the Dolly Parton-themed White Limozeen rooftop bar at the Graduate Nashville (which Hilton recently acquired) is a must-visit spot for country music fans, bachelorette parties or those who just want to bask in the glory of one of the world’s best songwriters.

Bottom line

Whether you’re a Hilton loyalist or just looking for a beautiful and comfortable place to stay, the Conrad Nashville is a great hotel that’s perfect for tourists, business people and everyone in between. Its location is just far enough away from the boisterous honky-tonks and multilevel bars of Lower Broadway that you can easily get to the party without having to sleep in the middle of it, and its central location makes it an easy jumping-off point to basically anywhere else in the city.

Best of all, a search on Hilton’s flexible booking calendar frequently shows pretty affordable rates, meaning you can bask in luxury without breaking the bank.

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