My husband and I are planning a romantic getaway for the weekend in Nashville, TN. We've both been there before, but not since we were married 5 years ago. We will arrive early Friday evening and need suggestions for a hotel. (Opryland Hotel, Hermitage downtown, or another?) Friday night will probably be low key with a late dinner only. We need suggestions for activities during the day on Saturday (any must sees or fun places to visit?) Also looking for a little nightlife Saturday night, but remember this is a romantic getaway! We need a good spot for brunch on Sunday as well and maybe some ideas for unique or quaint shopping open on Sunday afternoons. All help is welcome.

Opryland Hotel is a beautiful place to stay but everything is pretty pricey.
The inside gardens are just beautiful. We stayed there as a gift from our kids one year. The room was nice and we had a balcony overlooking the Delta section which is the newest part and offers a boat ride. Even if you did not stay here it would be a great place just to walk around and see.
There is a brand new Hilton Suites in downtown Nashville which I hear is very nice. They have a sports bar on site which is owned by the Titans Eddie George. It is on 4th Ave. and within walking distance of everything downtown.
There is a restaurant on 2nd Ave. called Meres Bulles which advertises a Jazz Sunday Brunch. Opryland Hotel also has a Sunday Brunch. I have not been to either but I know they are around $20-$25 a person. Maybe someone here can tell you whether it is worth the money or not.
Hope this helps.

Jeanie,

I would agree with Cathie that the new Hilton Suites downtown would be an excellent place for your stay. It is right downtown in the middle of everything. Nashville has changed and grown a lot in the last 5 years. The brand new state-of-the-art Country Music Hall of Fame is right across the street from the Hilton. Even if you are not a big country music fan I think you will find this new Hall of Fame interesting. One thing you could do on Saturday during the day is walk from your hotel down to the river and take a river taxi to the Opryland Hotel complex(I think they still run the river taxis on weekends - you could ask at your hotel to make sure). Like Cathie said the hotel is a great place to visit just to see the gardens etc.(the rooms to me are overpriced and small-that is why I would choose the Hilton.) Last year a huge shopping mall called Opry Mills opened up next door to the Opryland Hotel(it is where the theme park used to be). It has some interesting and different stores in it.

As for dinner, depending on what you want to spend, I would highly recommend the Palm restaurant which is actually right next to the Hilton Hotel. The food and atmosphere are first class all the way. It attracts a lot of celebrities. This restaurant is very pricey however - if you want something more moderately priced I would suggest the Merchants restaurant which is two blocks down Broadway from the Hilton.

Hope you have a great visit.

Midtown Cafe is considered one of the most romantic restaurants in town. It's extremely small/quaint, great food. Make sure you request a quiet table when calling for reservations or it can get noisy. Located on 19th Avenue off of West End (near downtown). Might want to check out Sole Mio too for dinner. I agree on brunch at Mere Bulles, that will be nice.

The new Frist museum has some great art displays right now, check out www.fristcenter.org . And I believe there is a Titanic exhibit at the Opryland Hotel too which might be interesting. Ever been to Belle Meade? If not it's worth it to visit Cheekwood or the Belle Meade Mansion if only to gawk at the incredible estates during the drive there!

You can find out all about these (and other) places at www.nashville.citysearch.com

Have fun!

I would recommend staying at the Loew's Vanderbilt Plaza. Although it is a short taxi ride away from the downtown( it is next to Vanderbilt University) it is a beautiful hotel with wonderful service. VP Gore stayed there while awaiting the Nov. election results. Many of the best restaurants in Nashville are in this area of town. Hillsboro Village is also in this area and is a cute area for unusual shopping.
We have eaten at Mere Bulles and The Merchants, and both are quite nice. Our favorite restaurant in Nashville is a traditional old steakhouse called Jimmy Kelly's. Nashville is a good time--and we are not even country music fans.

Just wanted to agree with the above poster regarding Loew's and Jimmy Kelly's! Kind of in a "less touristy", part of town in my opinion. Neat surrounding area with shops/restaurants, etc.