Hospitality Design - January/February 2015 - 95

1. In Hilton Nashville's
soaring lobby, a 30-foot
wall on the elevator shaft
was inspired by sheet
music.

4. Guestrooms at the
Gulch's 404 Hotel and
Kitchen feature a mix
of vintage and custom
furniture.

2. A rendering of Virgin
Hotels Nashville, which
will be crowned with a
rooftop deck and pool.

5. Original brick and a
restored beam ceiling
juxtapose with copper
accents in Chauhan Ale
& Masala House.

3. A floating wooden
staircase inside Sheraton
Nashville Downtown's
atrium lobby.

3
Masala House features original brick, heart
pine flooring, and a restored beam ceiling.
This rusticity contrasts with an abundance
of candles, copper, wallpaper with a flecked
velvet feel, and circular steel vessels filled
with spices inset into booth tables. A wall
running the length of the restaurant portrays
a 60-foot display of classic Hindi movies.
The Gulch has also become an attractive
location for hotels to call home, including the
404 Hotel and Kitchen, a five-room property
filled with local artwork and custom
furniture designed by local firm DA|AD.
Vision Hospitality Group's Fairfield Inn &
Suites Nashville Downtown at the Gulch,
complete with rooftop bar and outdoor patio
and fireplace, is another newcomer.
This is the same neighborhood where
Commune Hotels + Resorts will unveil
the 224-key Thompson Nashville in 2016,
in partnership with the Gulch's master

developer, MarketStreet Enterprises, as
well as AJ Capital Partners and the Berger
Company. "Nashville is a booming city by
various economic standards, including
employment, construction, and the influx of
young professionals flocking to its cultural
scene," says Niki Leondakis, Commune
Hotels + Resorts' CEO. "The energy and
atmosphere that's developing in the Gulch
convinced us that Thompson Hotels is a
perfect fit." Spearheading the design is New
York-based Parts and Labor Design. While
details are still under wraps, firm co-owner
Andrew Cohen says: "The design will
celebrate that uniquely Nashville, creative
Southern spirit with an experience that is
both nostalgic and fashion forward."

On the Boards

Another decidedly contemporary addition to
the city is the forthcoming arrival of Project

4

Beacon, a reimagined membership club from
Manhattan Ventures International, which
developed the Tantalo Hotel in Panama City.
It's the brainchild of Vanderbilt University
alumnus Adam Rosenberg, who has been
impressed by his college town's rapid rise.
"After the success of Panama, we wanted
to take a look at emerging U.S. markets,
and we saw that the traditional private club
model wasn't resonating in the way it had in
the past," he says. With brand development
helmed by New York-based AvroKO,
Project Beacon will launch community
programming this year. The club itself will
open in 2016 and encompass a restaurant,
coffee shop, bar, and lounge with pop-up
retail and exhibition concepts on the publicfacing ground floor. An intimate 50-room
hotel above will be another highlight.
"One of the ways we were able to draw
attention in Panama was by developing
relationships with local artists, with each
room featuring their work," Rosenberg
explains. "We want to bring in Nashville's
creative community, too."
Also recently announced: Virgin Hotels
Nashville, expected to open in the fall of
2016 with architecture by Atlanta's BLUR
Workshop and interiors by New York-based
Mark Zeff. Located at One Music Row,
planned amenities include a rooftop pool
and live entertainment venue, as well as 240
rooms and suites, 15 residential units, and,
fittingly, a fully integrated recording studio.

5

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