No matter how times, music, and people’s travel styles change, Nashville will always be “Music City” and a hub of Americana. The Grand Ol’ Opry, which turned 100 in 2026, is still the site of one of the world’s longest-running radio broadcasts, while the Ryman Auditorium, a.k.a. “the Mother Church of Country Music” (and site of the Grand Ol’ Opry from 1943 to 1974) sits at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North. They are around the corner from South Broadway, where honkytonks and small live music venues are still going strong. The venerable Country Music Hall of Fame is still captivating while the National Museum of African American Music (or NMAAM, opened on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday in 2021) pushes the boundaries of the museum experience and connects the lines of American music’s family tree.
Some locals (and music promoters) may now refer to Nashville as “the new Las Vegas.” Along with the neon, there is plenty of theming within top-tier hotels, music venues, and homey restaurants to support that. However, Cambria Hotels has succeeded in creating two hotels that embody Nashville’s history and culture while artfully steering clear of excess kitsch. The intentional way The Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown and The Cambria Hotel Nashville Midtown are designed personifies their respective locations in the city.
A stone’s throw from the aforementioned attractions and trendy shopping enclave The Gulch, the Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown is a microcosm of Nashville. The smallest details make it feel like an upscale house party or an oasis within the SoBro neighborhood hub, depending on the time of day and your state of mind.
With interior design by ForrestPerkins and architecture by Holly & Smith Architects, it combines elements of the city’s history by integrating its industrial past with its status as a magnet for aspiring artists and live music aficionados. An old-school “Victrola” record player and a classic country record can be found in every guest room, and the first thing guests see on arrival in the fifth-floor lobby is a country album-lined credenza. Live music is served up in the True Music Room & Bar every afternoon on a stage just past a shelf adorned with cowboy boots and facing a lamp with a life-sized horse base.
These conversation-starting elements, as well as the outdoor pool patio (which doubles as a handy, life-sized map of downtown highlights), and 6,004 square feet of flexible meeting/event spaces named after guitars (I.e., Gibson and Rickenbacker), make it a sure-fire hit for meetings, executive retreats, team-building sessions, bleisure pursuits, and family gatherings. Modern guestrooms and full-service amenities are also designed to support group events and are filled with fun touches but never at the expense of comfort. While the set-up is an event-planner’s dream, the hotel has its own on-property event planner, complimentary WIFI throughout the property, and a banquet menu.
Executive chef Alfredo Rojo Perez offers hearty, solid menus of updated Southern comfort food such as his version of Nashville Hot Chicken, Cajun Pasta, and hand-breaded fried pickles. The bar program, meanwhile, is an inspired place for an impromptu networking session or happy hour hangout with friends prior to honkytonk hopping in SoBro. It features a selection of local craft beers and cocktails, many built around Tennessee whiskeys, bourbons, and fresh-squeezed seasonal juices.
Cambria Hotel Nashville Midtown is designed for quieter and more intimate leisure and business stays. The centerpiece of the hotel is its rooftop terrace adjoining its RUX restaurant that is plug-and-play for welcome receptions, networking dinners, and group dining experiences, or a perfect place to unwind and enjoy the first night’s meal after arriving in Nashville. It is tailor-made for smaller gatherings of up to 150 people with 1,150 to 1,517 square feet of space depending on how the outdoor areas on the top floor are worked in.
Thanks to the vision of the hotel’s owners/co-founders Dan and Paul Patel and the execution of executive chef Carter Manning, RUX’s menu deliciously intermingles classic Southern recipes with Indian and South Asian influences to pay tribute to their love for the city and their mother, Ruxmani Patel. Highlights include the Heritage Board (a twist on a charcuterie board, with hot honey-glazed ham, pimento mousse, pickled okra, peach preserves, sorghum butter, and cornbread blini), Cornbread & Hot Honey, Country Ham sliders, and Sweet Potato Croquettes. In addition to its take on hot chicken sliders, Shrimp and Grits and the Rux Burger make an impression, as does the epic Salted Caramel Banana Pudding.
Like their Cambria Downtown counterparts, the Midtown bartenders get crafty with Tennessee brown spirits (“Bumbleberry Whiskey Sour,” with Four Roses Bourbon, honey and thyme syrup, lemon juice and dehydrated lemon; “Smoke Over Midtown,” a spirit-forward combination of Rittenhouse rye whiskey and amaro, simple syrup, and bitters, served under a dome of real smoke with a flamed rosemary sprig). However, they approach white spirits-based cocktails with the flair that also defines the food menu. Among the deservedly popular white spirits selections, “Grapefruit Lotus” (Hendricks Gin, grapefruit juice, fermented chili honey, sparkling water, and bruised mint), “Rosé Garden” (Tito’s Vodka, strawberry reduction, lemon juice, Champagne, a lemon twist and fresh thyme), and the Mumbai Mule (Tito’s Vodka, spiced ginger syrup, Apologue Saffron Liqueur, ginger beer and lime juice).
Thanks to Nicola De Pellegrini, founder of Venice, Italy-based Anidride Design, the lobby is also a feast for the eyes. The walls at the entry point and elevators are covered with tile murals by a local artist that bring all of the symbols of Tennessee and Nashville together, from the state’s emblem to the city’s musical, spirits production, and cultural legacy. The front desk is shaped like the state of Tennessee, and a metal pipe sculpture on the ceiling evokes a piano. There is also a compact gift shop with locally-made T-shirts, souvenirs, and canned craft beverages on one end of the ground floor and its recently launched Church & State Coffee & Provisions grab-and-go area, often manned by staffers who love their jobs and interacting with visitors.
Cambria Midtown’s 159 guest rooms are available in standard king, two queen beds, or suite configurations and appointed with a more muted color palette than its sister property and creature comforts that include Italian-made furnishings, premium bedding, and spa-inspired bathrooms with tiled standalone walk-in showers and Cambria’s exclusive LED bathroom mirrors with built-in Bluetooth speakers allowing guests to stream music—including tunes one may have just downloaded at the Country Music Hall of Fame or NMAAM. Business travelers will appreciate the generously laptop-friendly workspace, ergonomic desk chair, and separate seating areas in some rooms.
While downtown and The Gulch are a short rideshare or 25-minute walk from the hotel, Cambria Midtown is also close to Vanderbilt University’s college town corridors and historic Music Row. A few minutes from the front door on foot, there are restaurants with a loyal local following, including The Midtown Cafe and The Row. While the former is known for both its superb barbecue and live music stage, the latter is a family-owned bungalow adorned with bright art canvases, exceptional and original breakfasts, and a large swath of the menu dedicated to Julia Child’s southern favorites.
Travelers dedicated to eating and shopping like a local should clear some time to ride-share or drive out to 12 South. Fashion highlights include Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James, bespoke men’s and women’s denim from Imogene + Willie, and an outstanding branch of New Orleans-based high-end fashion discounter UAL, staffed by cheerful folks who love fashion and are up on current trends. Excellent eateries with good food and great people-watching include Locust, Burger Up, Edley’s Bar-B-Que, and Frothy Monkey.