Where to Stay in Nashville? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay

Wondering where to stay in Nashville? The city is spread out, and Lower Broadway plays until late. See my five best areas and hotels in three price ranges.

The Nashville skyline and the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge over the Cumberland River at daybreak

Nashville is live music from mid-morning until late into the night, neon signs on Lower Broadway and a skyline rising above the Cumberland River. The city calls itself Music City, and you’ll feel it as soon as you walk down Broadway, where there’s a band playing in one bar after another.

Nashville is also a spread-out city, and the neighbourhoods are further apart than the map makes them look. Where you stay decides both how well you sleep and how much time you spend in a car. Here are my five recommendations for where to stay in Nashville, with hotels in three price ranges.

The Best Areas in Nashville

  • Downtown - best area for first-time visitors and live music on Lower Broadway
  • The Gulch - best area for restaurants, bars and walking distance to Downtown
  • Midtown - best area for better-value hotels near Music Row and Vanderbilt
  • East Nashville - best area for places to eat, bars and a more relaxed atmosphere
  • Music Valley - best area for the Grand Ole Opry and families with a car

Below, I’ll take you through the five areas one by one, with hotels in three price ranges. Three things are worth knowing in advance. The first is your arrival. There’s no train from the airport, and the city has no metro. At Nashville International Airport (BNA), buses, taxis and ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft all leave from the Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of Terminal Garage 2, and the airport quotes a flat taxi fare of $30 to Downtown plus $2 for each additional passenger. The second is the distances. The neighbourhoods are spread out, and the WeGo bus routes I mention in this guide all run to and from WeGo Central in Downtown, so between the neighbourhoods, Uber, Lyft, a taxi or your own car is the easiest option. The third is the extra costs. At the hotels in Downtown, The Gulch and Midtown, parking is usually valet parking with a nightly charge, and some places add a daily resort fee on top, so read the terms before you book.

1. Downtown - best area for first-time visitors and live music on Lower Broadway 🎸

  • 📍 Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying in the centre. Lower Broadway, Ryman Auditorium and the Country Music Hall of Fame are within a few hundred metres of each other.
  • 🚶 Transport: On foot around Downtown and SoBro. WeGo’s buses run from WeGo Central at the northern end of Downtown.
  • ✈️ Time from the airport: According to WeGo, Route 18 takes around 20 minutes to WeGo Central on the express services and 35 to 45 minutes on the local ones. The fare is $2 each way for adults.
  • 💰 Price range: Among the most expensive areas in the city, and prices vary a lot from day to day.
  • 👮 Safety: There are lots of people on the streets until late. In the evening, Lower Broadway is full of partygoers, so keep an eye on your belongings, and take a taxi or an Uber home if you’re going a long way at night.

Downtown is my first choice for a first trip to Nashville. This is where you’ll find Lower Broadway and its honky-tonks, which are bars with live music, and most of them are between First and Fifth Avenue. The music starts at around 10 am and carries on until 3 am every day, according to Visit Music City’s guide to Honky Tonk Highway, and many of the venues don’t charge an entry fee.

Broadway in Downtown Nashville with older and modern buildings

That’s exactly what makes the area fun, and it’s also what you need to think about before you book. If you stay on Broadway itself or in the streets right next to it, you’ll hear the music and the crowds until late into the night. If you’re a light sleeper, I’d choose a hotel a couple of streets away, ask for a room on a high floor and bring earplugs.

See hotels in Downtown here.

South of Broadway is SoBro, the neighbourhood around the Music City Center convention centre and Bridgestone Arena. Here, you’ll find the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum around 300 metres from Lower Broadway, and Ryman Auditorium is just north of Broadway. Down by the Cumberland River, the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge crosses to the east bank by Nissan Stadium, and from the bridge, you get a view of the skyline.

You can walk between Downtown, SoBro and The Gulch: from Lower Broadway, it’s just under 1 km to The Gulch as the crow flies. From the airport, WeGo’s Route 18 runs to WeGo Central, which is around 700 metres north of Lower Broadway. You board at the purple WeGo sign in the airport’s Ground Transportation Center.

The price is the big drawback. The hotels here are usually among the most expensive in the city, and prices vary a lot from day to day depending on demand. If your dates are flexible, compare several of them before you book, because the same room can cost considerably more one week than the next.

Places to Stay in Downtown

The Hermitage Hotel - classic five-star hotel a little way from the noise

The Hermitage Hotel is my suggestion if you want your trip to include one hotel you’ll remember. It’s on 6th Avenue North, around 500 metres from Lower Broadway and just under 300 metres from WeGo Central, where the bus from the airport stops. The rooms measure around 45 m², and the junior suites 58 m².

The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a gym, and the rooms are soundproofed. That puts you within walking distance of the music but a little way away from it. Parking is by valet and costs extra. One guest arrived to find the lobby closed to hotel guests because of a wedding.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Wow, what a beautiful hotel and amazing service and atmosphere.”

See photos and book The Hermitage Hotel here.

Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Downtown Convention Center - mid-range hotel with a pool in SoBro

Hilton Garden Inn is on Korean Veterans Boulevard in SoBro, around 200 metres from the Country Music Hall of Fame and just over 500 metres from Lower Broadway. The standard rooms measure 29 to 31 m² and the corner rooms 39 m², and there’s a restaurant, a bar, a gym and an outdoor pool that’s open in season.

It suits you if you want to be able to walk everywhere without staying in the middle of the party. It isn’t completely quiet, though: one guest calls the location peaceful, while another was kept awake by noise from the street, so ask for a room on a high floor. Breakfast isn’t included, and one guest thinks both breakfast and parking are too expensive.

Here’s what one guest says on Booking.com: “The location was great, the rooms had all we needed.”

See photos and book Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Downtown Convention Center here.

Kasa Capitol Hill Downtown Nashville - apartments with a kitchen and self check-in

Kasa Capitol Hill is the cheapest of my three suggestions in Downtown, and you should know that it’s an apartment hotel with no staffed reception. You check yourself in, and all contact with the staff is digital. It’s on 7th Avenue North, around 500 metres from Lower Broadway and just under 400 metres from WeGo Central.

What you do get is space. The smallest unit is a 52 m² studio, and there are apartments with one, two and three bedrooms, all with a kitchen and a washing machine. That makes it an obvious choice for families and groups of friends. There’s no pool, restaurant or gym, parking has to be reserved in advance, and a few guests mention stains on the furniture.

One guest sums it up on Booking.com: “The apartment was fantastic. Much larger and more spacious than we anticipated.”

See photos and book Kasa Capitol Hill Downtown Nashville here.

2. The Gulch - best area for restaurants, bars and walking distance to Downtown 🍸

  • 📍 Distance from the centre: Just under 1 km south-west of Lower Broadway as the crow flies. My estimate is a 15-minute walk.
  • 🚶 Transport: On foot to SoBro and Downtown. Uber, Lyft or a taxi to the rest of the city.
  • ✈️ Time from the airport: A taxi, Uber or Lyft straight to your hotel is easiest. WeGo’s Route 18 only runs to WeGo Central in Downtown, around 1.5 km from here.
  • 💰 Price range: High. There are no real budget hotels here, and the cheapest option is mid-range.
  • 👮 Safety: Quieter at night than Lower Broadway. After a late evening in Downtown, I’d take a taxi or an Uber home rather than walk.

The Gulch is just south-west of Downtown and is a compact neighbourhood with high-rises, hotels, restaurants and bars within a few streets. I’d choose it if you want to be able to walk to Lower Broadway in the evening but would rather sleep somewhere the music doesn’t play until 3 am.

Walkway in The Gulch in Nashville in the evening

The neighbourhood is small and easy to get around on foot, and it’s known for its murals, shops, music venues and breweries. So you can easily spend a whole evening here without heading into Downtown.

The distances are manageable. From the middle of The Gulch, it’s around 500 metres to SoBro and just over 800 metres to the Country Music Hall of Fame, and it’s just under 1 km to Lower Broadway as the crow flies. My estimate is a 15-minute walk to Broadway.

See hotels in The Gulch here.

You pay for the location. Almost all the hotels here are at the expensive end, parking is usually valet parking with a nightly charge, and there are no real budget hotels. If you want to pay less and still stay close by, Midtown is the obvious place to look.

The railway runs close by, and guests at one of the neighbourhood’s hotels mention train horns at night. Ask for a room away from the tracks if you’re a light sleeper. If you’re coming from the airport, a taxi, Uber or Lyft is the easiest option, because the bus only runs to WeGo Central at the northern end of Downtown, and it’s around 1.5 km from there to The Gulch.

All three suggestions below are within a couple of hundred metres of each other. None of them has a pool, so if that’s high on your list, look in SoBro or Midtown instead.

Places to Stay in The Gulch

Thompson Nashville - boutique hotel with a rooftop bar in the middle of The Gulch

Thompson Nashville is on 11th Avenue South in the middle of the neighbourhood, just over 1 km from Lower Broadway. The rooms start at 29 m², the largest suites measure 71 m², and the hotel has a restaurant, a rooftop bar and a gym.

It’s my suggestion for a couple who want to stay within walking distance of the restaurants in The Gulch and have a bar in the building. The rooftop bar is popular, and one guest describes it as overcrowded and very noisy, while another mentions a little noise in the room. Parking is by valet and costs extra.

One guest says on Booking.com: “It was my partner’s birthday and the team at the Thompson couldn’t have been more welcoming!”

See photos and book Thompson Nashville here.

Canopy by Hilton Nashville Downtown The Gulch - chain hotel with large rooms

Canopy by Hilton is on Division Street at the southern end of The Gulch, just over 1 km from Lower Broadway. The standard rooms measure 33 m² and the larger categories just under 50 m², and there’s a restaurant, a bar and a gym.

I’d choose it if you want a modern chain hotel with plenty of space in the room, usually at a lower price than the Thompson. One guest mentions that the hotel has a free shuttle for short trips, so you don’t need to stay in the middle of the hustle and bustle on Broadway. Ask about it when you check in. Valet parking costs extra, and one guest calls it a little too expensive.

Short and sweet from one guest on Booking.com: “Best hotel we stayed in on our trip.”

See photos and book Canopy by Hilton Nashville Downtown The Gulch here.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown The Gulch - studios with a kitchen at the lowest price in the neighbourhood

Homewood Suites is on Overton Street right next to the Canopy and is the cheapest of my three suggestions in The Gulch. All the rooms are studios of 41 to 45 m² with a fridge, a microwave and a dishwasher, and the largest have two queen-size beds and a sofa bed, with room for six.

The space and the kitchen make it a good choice for a family or for a longer stay. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a gym, and parking is by valet and costs extra. One guest was disappointed with the breakfast and would have liked healthier options, and another thinks the sofa bed could be more comfortable.

One guest says of the room on Booking.com: “The room was very spacious and looked lovely and modern.”

See photos and book Homewood Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown The Gulch here.

3. Midtown - best area for better-value hotels near Music Row and Vanderbilt 🎓

  • 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 2 km from Lower Broadway to Music Row as the crow flies, and just under 3 km to the western part of Midtown.
  • 🚌 Transport: WeGo’s Route 3 West End runs along West End Avenue to WeGo Central in Downtown. Otherwise Uber, Lyft or a taxi.
  • ✈️ Time from the airport: A taxi, Uber or Lyft straight to your hotel is easiest. By bus, it’s Route 18 to WeGo Central and Route 3 from there.
  • 💰 Price range: Mid-range. Often lower than in Downtown and The Gulch for the same standard, apart from a couple of luxury hotels.
  • 👮 Safety: A quiet neighbourhood around the university. Take a taxi or an Uber home from Downtown in the evening rather than making the long walk.

Midtown is the area west of Downtown around Vanderbilt University, and in this guide, I’m counting Music Row and West End as part of it. It’s my pick if you want more hotel for your money and don’t need to stay within walking distance of Lower Broadway. For the same standard, you’ll often pay less here than in Downtown and The Gulch, especially when demand in the centre is high.

The replica of the Parthenon in Centennial Park in Nashville

Music Row is the heart of the city’s music industry. This is where you’ll find Historic RCA Studio B, where Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton, among others, have recorded. The studio tours are run by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, so check the museum’s website to see how to book.

Furthest west is Centennial Park with The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the temple in Athens that also serves as the city’s art museum. The park is a good place to start the day before you head into town.

See hotels in Midtown here.

The downside is the distance. From Music Row, it’s around 2 km to Lower Broadway as the crow flies, and from the western part of Midtown just under 3 km, so expect a drive when you’re heading out in the evening. WeGo’s Route 3 West End runs along West End Avenue to WeGo Central, but after a late night on Broadway, Uber, Lyft or a taxi is the realistic way home.

Midtown has its own restaurants and bars, so you don’t need to go to Downtown every evening. The hotels are a mix of chain hotels by the university and a couple of big luxury hotels on West End Avenue. Parking usually costs extra here too, and it’s often valet parking.

Places to Stay in Midtown

Conrad Nashville - five-star hotel with an outdoor pool on West End Avenue

Conrad Nashville is on West End Avenue at the eastern end of Midtown, around 1.5 km from Lower Broadway and just over 1 km from The Gulch. The rooms measure 38 to 39 m², some have a balcony, and the suites start at 78 m². The hotel has an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a bar and a gym.

Choose it if you want the highest hotel standard in the area and the shortest trip into Downtown. It’s by far the most expensive of my three suggestions in Midtown, and parking costs extra. You can walk to Broadway from here, but my estimate is 20 to 25 minutes each way, so most people will go by car in the evening.

One guest praises the decor on Booking.com: “Very modern and stylish, beds were very comfy.”

See photos and book Conrad Nashville here.

Motif Nashville’s Hotel on Music Row - suites with a kitchen and a rooftop pool

Motif is on Music Square West in the middle of Music Row, around 200 metres from Historic RCA Studio B and just under 2 km from Lower Broadway. Here, you stay in suites, and most of them have a kitchen and a washing machine. The smallest are 36 m² studios, and the largest have three bedrooms and room for six.

It’s my suggestion for families and groups of friends who want space and the option of making their own breakfast. There’s an outdoor pool on the roof, as well as a gym and a games room, but no restaurant or bar in the building. One guest mentions that the pool wasn’t heated, and parking is by valet and costs extra.

One guest describes their suite on Booking.com: “Rooms were immaculate with fully equipped kitchen and washer driers.”

See photos and book Motif Nashville’s Hotel on Music Row here.

Hayes Street Hotel - simple hotel between Vanderbilt and Downtown

Hayes Street Hotel is between Vanderbilt University and Downtown, around 2 km from Lower Broadway and just under 1 km from the university. The rooms measure 30 to 33 m², and there’s a one-bedroom suite of 51 m².

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions in Midtown and a sensible choice when your hotel mainly needs to be a clean place to sleep. There’s a gym but no pool or restaurant, and parking is by valet and costs extra. Two guests are unhappy with the breakfast, which one of them calls very basic, and a third writes that you need to take an Uber to most places.

One guest makes a comparison on Booking.com: “Better than some 4-star hotels that I’ve stayed in.”

See photos and book Hayes Street Hotel here.

4. East Nashville - best area for places to eat, bars and a more relaxed atmosphere ☕

  • 📍 Distance from the centre: On the other side of the Cumberland River. Five Points is just over 3 km north-east of Lower Broadway as the crow flies.
  • 🚕 Transport: Uber, Lyft, a taxi or your own car. WeGo’s Route 56 Gallatin Pike stops at Five Points on its way to WeGo Central.
  • ✈️ Time from the airport: A taxi, Uber or Lyft straight to your hotel. There’s no direct bus, so with WeGo, you’ll need to change at WeGo Central in Downtown.
  • 💰 Price range: Mid-range. Small hotels rather than big chains, and the price gap between them is smaller than in Downtown.
  • 👮 Safety: A quiet residential area around Five Points. In the evening, I’d take a taxi or an Uber if you’re going further than a couple of streets, and always to and from Downtown.

East Nashville is on the other side of the Cumberland River, and it’s the area I’d choose if places to eat and bars matter more to you than honky-tonks. The area is known for its restaurants, dive bars, cocktail bars, live music and vintage shops.

Its natural centre is the Five Points neighbourhood. You’ll be staying in a residential area with small hotels instead of hotel towers, and the atmosphere is more relaxed than on Broadway.

See hotels in East Nashville here.

The price of the peace and quiet is transport. From Five Points, it’s just over 3 km to Lower Broadway as the crow flies, and both the river and the highway lie in between, so it isn’t a walk I’d do in the evening. The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge links Downtown with the east bank by Nissan Stadium, but from there, it’s still just over 2.5 km to Five Points.

So plan on Uber, Lyft or a taxi to and from Downtown, and include that cost in your budget if you want to go to Broadway every day. WeGo’s Route 56 Gallatin Pike stops at Five Points on its way to WeGo Central, but late in the evening, a car is the easiest option. If you’ve hired a car, on the other hand, East Nashville is a place where parking at the hotel is often cheaper than in Downtown or included in the price altogether.

The choice of hotels is small. There are no big luxury hotels here, and my three suggestions are closer to each other in price than in the other areas. Two of them are a couple of hundred metres apart a little west of Five Points, and the third is down by the river, closer to Downtown.

Places to Stay in East Nashville

The Russell - boutique hotel in a converted church

The Russell is housed in a converted church on Russell Street, around 700 metres from Five Points and just over 1.5 km from Nissan Stadium. The rooms range from the 19 m² Classic King to the 27 m² Deluxe King, and the 45 m² Tower Suite has room for six.

It’s the most expensive and best-rated of my three suggestions in East Nashville and my choice for a couple who want to stay somewhere with character. You should know that there’s no staffed reception: you’re emailed a code and let yourself in. The hotel has no restaurant, bar, pool or gym, but it does have a shared lounge, and parking is free. One guest thought the bed was too soft.

One guest points out on Booking.com: “The location and style of the hotel were excellent.”

See photos and book The Russell here.

Drift Nashville - design hotel with a pool by the river

Drift Nashville is on the east bank of the Cumberland River, around 650 metres from Nissan Stadium and 1.5 km from Lower Broadway. It’s just under 2 km to Five Points. The standard rooms measure just under 30 m², and the hotel has a restaurant, a bar, a café, a gym and an outdoor pool that’s open in season.

Here, you get a pool and a short distance to both Downtown and East Nashville. You’re staying between the two rather than in either of them, though, so expect a drive or a longer walk to both. The hotel is on Interstate Drive close to the highway, and one guest could hear the traffic at night. Parking costs extra.

One guest explains on Booking.com: “Nice that it was a little outside the madness so you can relax and chill when needed.”

See photos and book Drift Nashville here.

Waymore’s Hotel Nashville - relaxed hotel with a rooftop bar on Main Street

Waymore’s is on Main Street, just over 200 metres from The Russell and around 750 metres from Five Points. The rooms measure 23 to 27 m², some have views of the skyline, and a two-bedroom suite with a kitchenette has room for four. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a rooftop bar.

It’s usually the cheapest of my three suggestions in East Nashville, and it suits you if you want a lively hotel close to Five Points. There’s no pool or gym. Parking is covered by a resort fee that’s added to the nightly rate, so factor it in when you compare prices. One guest found the rooms dark and cramped.

Here’s how one guest describes the hotel on Booking.com: “The hotel and rooms were comfortable and well thought out.”

See photos and book Waymore’s Hotel Nashville here.

5. Music Valley - best area for the Grand Ole Opry and families with a car 🎤

  • 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 16 km east of Downtown, according to Visit Music City.
  • 🚗 Transport: Your own car, Uber, Lyft or a taxi. WeGo’s Route 34 Opry Mills runs between the Opry Mills shopping centre and WeGo Central in Downtown.
  • ✈️ Time from the airport: Just over 11 km north of the airport, according to Visit Music City. There’s no direct bus, so take a taxi, Uber or Lyft.
  • 💰 Price range: Low to mid-range at the chain hotels, high at the resort.
  • 👮 Safety: A quiet area that’s built for cars. Take care when you cross the big roads on foot, and take a taxi or an Uber home from Downtown in the evening.

Music Valley is the area around the Grand Ole Opry, and it’s a good distance from the rest of the city. Visit Music City says it’s ten miles east of Downtown and seven miles north of the airport, in other words around 16 km and just over 11 km. According to the same page, this is where you’ll find the Grand Ole Opry, the Opry Mills shopping centre and Gaylord Opryland Resort with its SoundWaves water park.

Waterfall and tropical garden at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Music Valley in Nashville

It’s important to get this straight before you book: the Grand Ole Opry House isn’t in Downtown. The address is 600 Opry Mills Drive, and Ryman Auditorium, which is in Downtown, itself says that the Opry House is 20 minutes away. So check your ticket to see which venue your show is at.

See hotels in Music Valley here.

I’d stay here in two cases: if the Grand Ole Opry is the main purpose of your trip, or if you’re travelling with children and want a resort with pools as your base. If you’ve hired a car, Music Valley is also where free hotel parking is most common among the five areas, apart from at the resort.

If you want to spend your evenings on Lower Broadway, on the other hand, Music Valley is the wrong place. Every trip into Downtown and back again is a drive, and WeGo’s Route 34 only links Opry Mills with WeGo Central. There’s no direct bus from the airport, but according to the airport, the flat taxi fare to Downtown also applies to Gaylord Opryland Resort.

The hotels are in two clusters. The resort and the Grand Ole Opry House are at the southern end by Opry Mills, while the chain hotels are 1 to 2 km further north. You can walk between them, and a guest at one of the chain hotels took around 20 minutes to walk to the Opry.

Places to Stay in Music Valley

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center - huge resort with atriums, pools and a water park

Gaylord Opryland Resort is on Opryland Drive, around half a kilometre from the Grand Ole Opry House. The rooms measure 33 m², and many overlook the resort’s indoor atriums. There are indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, a gym and several restaurants.

It’s the choice for families and for anyone who wants everything under one roof and the Opry within walking distance. Factor in the extra costs: there’s a daily resort fee, parking costs extra, and admission to the SoundWaves water park isn’t included in the room rate but requires a separate ticket. One guest thinks the parking is expensive.

One guest mentions the views on Booking.com: “Room was great with great views of the gardens and waterfall.”

See photos and book Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center here.

Holiday Inn Express Nashville-Opryland - chain hotel with an indoor pool and free parking

Holiday Inn Express is on McGavock Pike, around 1 km from Gaylord Opryland Resort and just under 1.5 km from the Grand Ole Opry House. The standard rooms measure 27 m², and there are suites of 37 m² and a one-bedroom suite of 65 m² with room for six.

It’s the best-rated of my three suggestions in Music Valley and my pick for families with a car. Breakfast is included, parking is free, and there’s an indoor pool and a gym, but no restaurant or bar. It’s harder without a car: one guest writes that getting around is a hassle, and another mentions noise from the air conditioning and the fridge at night.

One guest sums up their stay on Booking.com: “Ticked all the right boxes: comfy beds, clean, quiet, really good breakfast.”

See photos and book Holiday Inn Express Nashville-Opryland here.

Best Western Suites near Opryland - budget-friendly hotel with breakfast and free parking

Best Western Suites near Opryland is my budget suggestion in Music Valley. It’s on Music City Circle at the northern end of the area, just under 2 km from the Grand Ole Opry House, and has rooms with a king-size bed or two double beds, as well as suites with a hot tub.

Breakfast is included, parking is free, and there’s a gym and an outdoor pool in season. The hotel has a paid shuttle to Downtown and the Grand Ole Opry, so ask at reception if you don’t have a car. The decor isn’t new: guests mention poor lighting and a dated look, and one missed having a coffee machine in the room.

One guest writes about their stay on Booking.com: “The room was clean and comfortable, the staff were very friendly and helpful, and the location was perfect.”

See photos and book Best Western Suites near Opryland here.

Where should you avoid staying in Nashville?

I wouldn’t stay on Lower Broadway itself or in the streets right next to it unless you’ve come to party and don’t care about a night’s sleep. The music plays until 3 am every day, and you’ll get more peace and quiet a couple of streets away in SoBro or in The Gulch and still be within walking distance.

I wouldn’t choose a cheap hotel by the airport or out along the highways either, just because the price looks good. Nashville is spread out, and what you save on the room, you’ll quickly spend on Uber or taxis into town and back again. Music Valley is only the right choice if the Grand Ole Opry or the resort is the reason you’re staying there.

If I had to choose one area for a first trip, it’d be Downtown, preferably a couple of streets from Broadway. The Gulch is the choice if you want restaurants and bars on your doorstep and still want to be able to walk to the music. Midtown gives you the most hotel for your money, and East Nashville is for you if you care more about places to eat than about honky-tonks. Music Valley is for Opry-goers and families with a car.

In all five areas, factor in transport and the extra costs when you compare prices: parking, resort fees and the Uber or taxi rides that the location makes necessary. A cheaper hotel in Midtown or Music Valley can quickly end up costing as much as one in Downtown if you’re going back and forth every evening.

Many travellers combine Nashville with other cities on the same trip. If you’re heading south to the home of jazz, I’ve written a similar guide to where to stay in New Orleans. If your trip takes you north, you can read about the best areas in Chicago, and if it starts or ends on the east coast, you’ll find my suggestions for where to stay in New York.

Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇

• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers

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