Where to stay with kids in Nashville
 

Hi,
Looking for a recommendations for hotels in Nashville for family with small kids. Want to be near tourist attractions and find a reasonable priced, clean place. Thanks!

We stayed at the Best Western downtown--the location was very convenient for walking to many places (the Tennessee State Museum is great), the room was large, the staff was wonderful, and there was a frig, microwave, and coffeemaker in the room.

No one location is best for everything--we still had to drive to Hermitage, Grand Ole Opry, Parthenon, Belle Meade.

Nashville is in the South, so public transport options will generally suck. Physically it is larger than Chicago.

You're going to need a car so just get the best possible place near SOME attractions.

With small kids, you might place higher priority on things like an indoor pool or a suite than proximity to tourist attractions - as the others said, you'll be driving regardless. If you stay somewhere in Brentwood/Maryland Farms, for example, you're only 20 minutes from the Hall of Fame downtown outside of rush hour, and it's a quieter area that might be better for small kids. As a bonus, it might also be cheaper than staying downtown (though you'll have to budget for downtown parking, which has gotten more expensive since all the magazines have decided we're the It City of the moment!).

I live here, so don't have personal experience with hotels, but have some friends of friends who have done that and it worked well.

Hi,

Thanks so much! We are driving so we will have a car. Just looking for a clean place to stay with a pool and close to the action. :)

"with a pool and close to the action" may not be possible, is what I meant - I could be wrong, but I don't think the downtown hotels have pools. So the suburbs may be a better bet. I'd look in the Brentwood area - it's a straight shot up I-65 to downtown, pretty easy access to Belle Meade via Old Hickory Boulevard, and not bad to the Opryland or Hermitage areas via the interstates, plus easy to get to downtown Franklin in the other direction if that floats your boat.

Check out the Drury Inn in Franklin, Tennessee. It's great and very convenient to Nashville.

You've mentioned location twice - so do NOT stay in another city like Brentwood or Franklin. They are not Nashville. The best hotel that's close to the action and has a pool is the Omni downtown - and it's great! It's also connected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which your children will enjoy.

Hiowever, it is expensive. A less expensive option is the Hampton Inn and Suites in Green Hills. You can get a suite with a kitchen, and it has a pool. It is walking distance from the best shopping area in Tennessee (there's Nordsteom, Tiffany, and many many other stores). Downtown is just a few mikes away.

Have a great trip!

Thanks, everyone! Thank you so much, bakerstreet! So helpful!

Which attractions do you want to be near?

Ah, I didn't realize the new Omni had a pool. Good to know! It *is* in a great location, and if it fits in your budget would be awesome.

Green Hills can be a good option - just so you're aware, the traffic is pretty bad most of the time, and you'd be at least 15-20 minutes from downtown depending on the time of day. The Bluebird is the only big tourist attraction there (and probably isn't on your list with small kids) - it is indeed our best high-end shopping, though, if that's an interest. (If you're interested in more independent local shops, try Hillsboro Village or 12 South.)

icee's question is really the best - what action specifically are you looking to be close to?

Downtown Nashville is where you want to be. If the Omni is too pricey, try Hyatt Place. It's next to two good restaurants, Etch and Southern (but those are upscale restaurants, not for kids). It has an indoor pool.

If you don't stay downtown, try the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt. It's on West End across from Centennial Park, good for kids, with a life-size replica of the Parthenon in Greece. It has an indoor pool. It is a straight shot down West End to downtown attractions. From the hotel to the Country Music Hall of Fame is 2.2 miles.

The Vanderbilt Holiday Inn is also located nearby and has an outdoor pool.

One fun thing the kids will enjoy is simply walking up and down the sidewalks of Lower Broadway, past the hockey arena going toward the river, listening to the live music from the honky tonks on weekend nights. They may enjoy going into the cowboy boot shops.

(The Parthenon is in the park, not the hotel! Sorry if that was misleading.)

Great! Thanks so much! I know we want to do Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. Not sure what else we will do. I checked Omni and it is booked.