10 New Venues in Nashville for Summer 2021 Meetings and Events

The Gallatin Hotel, the former church-turned-hotel, opened May 14, joining sister hotels The Russell and 506 Lofts. The former 1925 Eastside Church of Christ is located in the East Nashville neighborhood—dubbed “Nashville’s Coolest Neighborhood” by Vogue. The hotel sits on 1.23 acres and gives back a portion of its proceeds through its Rooms for Rooms program to homeless ministries. The boutique hotel features 25 vibrant guest rooms with bright color-blocking in hues of reds, yellows and purples highlighted on the walls, ceilings and floors. The Deluxe King room has 390 square feet and overlooks the garden, is doused in red-color blocking and features a wet bar, local art and a dual sink vanity. The Gallatin Hotel is close to Nissan Stadium and just a 10-minute drive from Broadway’s restaurant and bar scene. Guests can enjoy Fat Bottom Brewery, the newest taproom, via the hotel's beautiful courtyard. For private events, the 11,250-square-foot Emerson Hall is suitable for corporate functions and intimate gatherings. It features crisp, white walls and bow-truss ceilings and can host 150 guests for seated dinners and as many as 300 for cocktails.

A social club that rivals the world’s Soho Houses in the most fabulous zip codes has opened in Chattanooga, Tenn. On May 6, Common House Chattanooga debuted a new membership-driven social club in the 1929 former YMCA building. It features seven hotel rooms; co-working, meeting and conference spaces; and a restaurant and bar, fitness center, outdoor pool and rooftop terrace. Additionally, there are four private event spaces, including Ruby Hall (pictured here)—known for its “rare ambiance” and loads of natural light—which is ideal for parties as small as 20 or receptions for as many as 250. The Pennybacker Room can host as many as 80 guests for receptions or 60 for seated dinners, while The Garden can host 200 for seated gatherings or as many as 250 for receptions. Guests can expect unique touches with this venue, including in-house catering, sommelier-curated wines, a professional waitstaff and audiovisual equipment. The company's other social clubs include one in Charlottesville, Va., which opened in 2017, and Richmond, Va., which opened in 2020.

The highly anticipated, 64-room Kinley Chattanooga Southside, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, opened March 4 in Chattanooga, Tenn.'s arts and entertainment district. The luxury boutique hotel is a quick walk to the Tennessee Aquarium and Rock City, as well as highly acclaimed local restaurants such as Alleia, Stir and Meeting Place. The guest rooms feature custom MurMaid mattresses, LCD TVs and Kohler rainfall showerheads in the bathrooms. Guests can enjoy coffee by day and cocktails at night at the Exchange in the lobby. The speakeasy, Company, is available for full buyouts and can accommodate as many as 39 revelers for intimate gatherings. The hotel’s guests can also experience Common House Chattanooga, just blocks from the hotel. The ‘co-work + play’ package allows guests to utilize the social club’s offerings, including the four co-working and event spaces, pool, gym and restaurants.

The Elliston Place Soda Shop reopened May 11 after a year and a half of extensive renovations. Opening its refreshed space next door to the popular former three-decade-old location, the slick new 5,000-square-foot space can now accommodate 150 diners, while the old space could only hold 57. There is now space for live music, outdoor dining and a full-service bar. Bright-red seating is upgraded with 21st-century necessities, including electric outlets and USB ports. The colorful red stools at the 1947 soda fountain were brought back to their former glory, and the restored jukebox can play old-school favorites. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, milkshakes, malts, ice cream and pies.

The historic Union Station Hotel is now rebranded as The Union Station Nashville Yards, Autograph Collection after Southwest Value Partners purchased it for $56 million last summer. The Nashville Yards developer unveiled enhancements to the 120-year-old property last month, restoring "this landmark to its former grandeur." Some improvements included cleaning the limestone facade, repairing the original slate roof and restoration, landscaping upgrades and restoring the awe-inspiring four-story lobby, bringing the colors back to their original hues. In addition, each of the 125 guest rooms has walk-in showers installed for a spa-like guest experience. There are seven rooms for meetings and events, spanning 15,306 square feet. The 900-square-foot Green Room can host 75 theater style or 60 for receptions. The 1,718-square-foot Dixie Flyer space can accommodate 35 for intimate conferences or 200 for receptions. The Loft is ideal for smaller gatherings, with 255 square feet of space; it can hold 12 guests for meetings, whereas the hotel’s newly spruced-up 5,340-square-foot grand lobby can host 450 for elaborate receptions. Later this summer, a reimagined lobby bar and a new restaurant concept located in the hotel’s Broadway entrance are planned. The final $1 billion Nashville Yards project will be an ultimate destination with mixed-use buildings, two office towers, a 1.3-acre park ideal for team gatherings, entertainment venues, retailers and restaurants.

Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa Tex-mex Bar & Cantina, a four-level, 17,400-square-foot bar and restaurant, opened last month. There are three levels of live music at the venue, which highlights a Tex-Mex menu of tacos and tequila and was formed out of a partnership between two-time Grammy Award-winning singer Miranda Lambert and TC Restaurant Group. Lambert is the first female artist to open a restaurant on Broadway in Nashville, and the goal was to create a restaurant to “reflect Lambert’s unapologetic and boldly feminine spirit.” The decor has splashes of pink, vintage and antique items—Lambert even personally sourced some of the pieces herself. A rhinestone saddle, a 35-foot mural of the singer and other memorabilia were specially created for the restaurant. The second and third floors can hold as many as 250 guests for receptions, and full buyouts for 700 can be accommodated. There is also a rooftop that overlooks lower Broadway.

Located in Gethsemane, Ky., Log Still Distillery is just two hours from Music City and is a 300-acre bourbon lover's dream. Owned by Nashville businessman J.W. "Wally" Dant, the Log Still Distillery campus features a 20,000-square-foot distillery. The 4,000-square-foot tasting room—which opened May 18 as part of a $36 million investment—serves appetizers, beer and Monk’s Road or Rattle & Snap by the glass. The next phase is Dant Crossing, an ideal bourbon country destination suitable for corporate gatherings with plenty of team-building activities for guests, such as fishing on a 12-acre lake, a slew of hiking trails, a functioning train depot and plans for a full-service farm-to-table restaurant. Two lodging options are now open, including the fully renovated Homestead Bed & Breakfast and The Popular Cottage that mixes earth tones and bourbon-inspired elements throughout the rental. In addition, a 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater is planned. Also, a 25,000-square-foot event space, The Legacy, will have a 350-seat area called The Chapel and Banquet Hall, which is suitable for gatherings of as many as 350 guests.

The four-story, 128-room Hyatt House Nashville Airport opened Feb. 25 and is the third hotel in the area for the brand that caters to extended-stay business travelers. The hotel is situated near Nashville International Airport and Century Park’s corporate center. It is just 10 miles from attractions such as Music City Center Nashville, Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry. There are 60 apartment-style suites with a full kitchen and separate living areas, a 24-hour fitness center with workout equipment featuring LCD touchscreens, and The H Bar that highlights a selection of wine, beer, cocktails and a Sip + Snack menu. A grab-n-go H Market is open 24 hours, providing guests with snacks and groceries. A 660-square-foot flexible meeting room can accommodate 36 people for classroom-style conferences and as many as 70 people for receptions.

Riverside Revival Nashville is the latest event venue in East Nashville. Though it opened in late fall, this unique space couldn’t host live events until February due to the pandemic. The venue is ideal for concerts, nonprofit and corporate events. The converted church features a midcentury aesthetic with high-end modern touches throughout, including original stained-glass windows. The venue’s built-in stage, lighting and projectors make the space prime for live music events. The rental includes state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities and a sound system. The venue can hold 120 to 140 guests with rounds or as many as 200 for seated dinners with farm-style tables. It can accommodate 360 for receptions, plus the balcony has space for 40 guests.

The Twelve Thirty Club, a restaurant and bar located within the massive 200,000-square-foot Fifth + Broadway mixed-use development, opened its first level April 14. The concept is backed by Phoenix-based restaurateur Sam Fox, a 12-time James Beard Award nominee. The dapper supper club on the third level can host 400 seated guests and features a unique Champagne and wine program and live music, while the fourth level, the rooftop terrace, can host as many as 160 guests. The menu has shareable options such as pork belly dumplings and yellowtail sashimi to start, a variety of salads, entrees such as the 12/30 burger and classic New York Strip, along with a cocktail, wine and beer menu. The multilevel venue will unveil several unique spaces this summer, including Honorary Member, an intimate cocktail lounge for 40 guests.