As we needed one more stay to complete the Hyatt Passport (stay at 5 different brands and earn 1 free night), we took advantage of the “Music for Your Ears” rate at the newly opened Holston House, a Hyatt Unbound Collection hotel in Nashville to plan a weekend getaway. Initially, we had booked a cash and points but cancelled it and booked the “Music for Your Ears” rate; it was $150 per night plus taxes and fees and included a $40 food and beverage voucher (which is an awesome deal since the hotel usually goes for $250 + per night).
The Unbound Collection Overview:
In March 2016, Hyatt announced the launch of “The Unbound Collection”. The Unbound Collection is appealing to those who like boutique hotels but also want to capitalize on loyalty programs. Hyatt launched new properties and re-branded some of the existing ones to fit into The Unbound Collection brand:
The properties within The Unbound Collection by Hyatt – which will include historic urban gems, contemporary trend-setters, boutique hotels, resorts, and more – will have their own individual brand identities, free from constraint or convention. At the same time, the brand will provide guests the freedom from worry by giving them the high-quality that comes with the Hyatt brand.
http://newsroom.hyatt.com/030216Hyatt-Launches-New-Brand-The-Unbound-Collection-By-Hyatt
Holston House: The Building and Location
Initially, the Holston House was the James Robertson Hotel before being transformed into an apartment building. After almost not surviving the Great Depression, the hotel’s $30million renovation is riding the wave of growth and transformation in Nashville at this time. This 88 year old building has 191 rooms and stands 12 stories high and will eventually have a rooftop pool and bar (delayed until March 2018).
If you like art deco, you will love this hotel’s design, especially in the lobby and bar/restaurants area. As for the hallways, they represent Nashville’s culture with bright lights and live music murals and the bathroom has a “blue jeans” theme with the wallpaper and flooring tiles.
Compared to other hotels in Nashville, Holston House is conveniently located to the Lower Broadway are while providing some distance to it. We found it very easy to walk most of the downtown area from the hotel.
Our Room: A Deluxe King:
Prior to check-in, we looked at the hotel’s website to see if there were any suites left as we have a few suite upgrade certificates that are expiring but there weren’t any (the hotel only has 6 suites). Upon check-in, the agent commented on our Hyatt Globalist status and confirmed we had been upgraded to a Deluxe King floor; our room was on the 8th floor and faced the neighboring Renaissance Hotel. Tip for a quiet room: As there is construction around the hotel, rooms facing the Renaissance are quieter but also don’t have views.
While the room wasn’t large, the design was very functional for lounging or even working if you need to. There is small couch with a table at the edge of the bed, an open concept wardrobe with a space to put your luggage, an empty mini-fridge, and the shower and toilet are separated into two separate rooms.
As for the bed, it is a firmer bed and has 4 large pillows which we really enjoyed. The pillows were firm enough that I didn’t need to flip mine throughout the night to support my neck.
Our favorite part of the room was the shower; it had the right amount of water pressure and we like the CO Bigelow toiletries provided, especially me since I am prone to migraines and strong scents can trigger them.
As for beverages, they also have a K-cup machine with coffee and tea in each room and 2 small bottle of water to purchase ($5 each). Unfortunately, the hotel is not following the trend of installing filtered water dispensers for guests to use so you may want to bring your own water because the tap water is not very good and we’re always wary of drinking it in old buildings. As for alcoholic beverages, you can buy them at the bar and take them up to your room or order them through room service.
We were also really surprised and impressed by the soundproofing in the hotel. From experience, older buildings tend to be less soundproof but the heavy doors really make a difference here and we barely heard anything from the hallway and the rooms beside and above us.
The Gym:
I was pleasantly surprised with how large and well equipped the gym was.
Restaurant/Bar:
We used our $40 credit as part of the “Music for Your Ears” promo to get a few local craft beers from the bar. You can sit in the bar or in the lobby area where it is quieter and more enjoyable to lounge.
We had breakfast included as Hyatt Globalists and both enjoyed what we chose. I had the avocado toast with poached eggs and Jason has the country breakfast sandwich and while the presentation was appealing, it wasn’t practical as the egg yolk ran down and all over the table. Based on the quality of the food, we’d definitely eat here for lunch or dinner next time.
Parking:
Parking is valet only and about $40 or so. If you would like to self park and save money, there is a lot across the street by the library and we parked from 17:00-11:00 for $14.
Overall:
We really enjoyed our stay and would highly recommend staying here, especially when the rooftop pool and bar opens in March 2018. The hotel feels cozy compared to a larger generic chain hotel and the rooms offer comfort and luxury a few steps away from what Nashville has to offer.
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