Located in Nashville’s South of Broadway (SoBro) neighborhood, Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville introduces a contemporary hospitality experience rooted in the layered history of its locale. The building’s design by architecture firm Hastings evokes the historically ad-hoc development of the neighborhood in a refined and forward-looking material palette.
In its work on the property, design firm Stonehill Taylor made sure that the hotel tells the story of a well-traveled native Nashvillian. The interior speaks to the residential facets of her home, such as the bold painted ceilings which are a nod to Southern porches. Each room tells a different story, and each space offers a collection—rugs, textiles, accessories and materiality—that feels comfortable, welcoming, and true to its Nashville roots, while also possessing a uniqueness that reflects the life of a traveler or adventurer.
“When we began working on the Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville—located just off Broadway—we took to the streets and studied hotels, restaurants and event venues in the vicinity,” said Andrea Perez, senior interior designer, Stonehill Taylor. “Some shared the buzzy, electrifying feel of Broadway’s nightlife, but fewer felt distinctive in Southern style. Drawing from the warmth and charm of Southern hospitality, which Nashvillians are well-known for, we set out to make our hotel guests feel right at home. Architecturally, we dressed the walls and ceilings with bold colors, custom wallpapers and murals. Each space in the hotel is at once playful and sophisticated, curated to resemble rooms in a modern Southern home.”
The property welcomes its guests through a double door entrance to a music lounge with a piano and record player, plush seating and local, mixed media artwork. “Inspired by local residential design, the property features soft and plush fabrics, seating and ample natural light,” she said. “Art and accessories curated to resemble a collection found in a traveler’s home create intrigue and moments of exploration.”
Country music was also an inspiration. “In the fitness area, there is a playful wallcovering inspired by a photograph of Dolly Parton in a workout session,” said Perez. “The ground-floor chandelier, which is a central feature in the space, was inspired by the intricate beaded and sequin stage attire of Nashville’s darlings Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift.”
All of the wallcoverings were carefully curated for the hotel, according to Perez, from custom wallpapers to local artwork, including a mural created by local artist Tess Davies on the ground-floor lobby and elevator vestibule area.
The design inspiration continues in ground-floor restaurant Ella’s on 2nd. “We wanted to play off the hotel’s spirited vibe and also bring in the exterior—a nod to the conservatory or porch space attached to a typical southern home—without the predictable use of plants,” said Tory Knoph, senior interior designer, Stonehill Taylor. “A welcoming feel of raw warmth is conveyed through the use of concrete floors, wood finishes and eclectic tiles. Each material—while not overtly referencing the outdoors—has a connection to the natural world, whether it be a motif, a color or a pattern found in nature.”
Brick masonry detailing on the ground floor pays homage to the historic warehouses that once populated the neighborhood. With its proximity to the Cumberland River, the site and surrounding area were formerly home to Nashville’s shipping and receiving network. The rhythm of the glazed openings along Molloy St. echoes old warehouse docking bays.
A custom-brushed aluminum perforated metal screen conceals above grade parking. Eleven levels of amenity and guestrooms are clad in clear and tinted glazing. The pattern of both the garage screen fins and the tower glazing was derived from the early street grid in the neighborhood, whose layout contains clues to the area’s history.
