Modern style mingles with Southern hospitality at Nashville’s newest boutique hotel

Atomic age style meets ‘Mad Men’ manners at the Fairlane Hotel, one of several new boutique hotels located just a few blocks north of honky-tonk filled Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee. This modern-retro hotel has 81 rooms, including 12 suites and a swanky, 4000-square-foot penthouse decked out in true 1970s style that is available for private events as well as guests.

The modernist, 12-story building, built in 1972, was originally the Nashville headquarters of Fidelity Federal Savings and Loan, and most recently a Regions Bank; many of the architectural details of its mid-century style, like terrazzo flooring, brass details and wood paneling, have been preserved and enhanced. The room furnishings likewise have a 1960s and ‘70s flair, with a soothing (and period appropriate) green-and-brown color scheme.

Three different dining experiences are available at the Fairlane: Mile End Delicatessen, a Montreal-style deli with everything from poutine to homemade hot dogs; Ellington’s Mid Way Bar and Grill, an all-American eatery opening in May that pours local beer and cocktails, with an expansive outdoor terrace, and Union Teller Coffee Counter. As an additional libation option, there’s a daily “Fairlane at Five” happy hour celebration in the lobby. At 5pm, a retro bar cart loaded up with everything from cocktails to Coca Cola circulates to create a festive mood.

Manager Ben Webster says he hopes these amenities make The Fairlane a destination for everyone, whether you’re a Nashville resident or a hotel guest.  “It was intrinsically important to create a space that is desirable to locals and travelers,” says Webster, adding that his goal is that the hotel embody “Nashville’s contagious energy and creative spirit.”

Rates start from US$259 (€211). The Fairlane is accepting reservations and guests now, with an official grand opening party – complete with the unsealing of a time capsule discovered during the renovations – in April.