Hotels near Music City Center

Music City Center is at 201 Rep. John Lewis Way South, Nashville, TN 37203, in the part of downtown the center's own pages call SoBro. Older maps and tickets may show the street as 5th Avenue South, and the center uses both names, so Rep. John Lewis Way (5th Avenue) will usually match either. It is a 2.1 million square foot building, and the center says it is close to hotels, fine dining, honky tonks and attractions such as Bridgestone Arena, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Ryman Auditorium, the National Museum of African American Music and Nissan Stadium.

From Nashville International Airport (BNA), the simplest public option is WeGo Public Transit Route 18, which runs between the airport and the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central downtown. You board at the BNA Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of the Terminal 2 Garage, following the purple WeGo stop sign. WeGo says express trips take about 20 minutes and local trips take 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic, and that luggage is allowed. WeGo Central is about 0.6 mile from the convention center by an OpenStreetMap walking route, so you will likely continue by rideshare or on foot.

The WeGo Star commuter train ends at Riverfront Station, at 108 1st Avenue South at the foot of Broadway, about 0.4 mile from the center by OpenStreetMap routing. WeGo says Star trains run on weekday mornings and afternoons, so the Star works for a commuting day trip but not for an evening show. WeGo buses meet each train at Riverfront Station.

For rideshare and taxis, the center's accessibility page says vehicle cutouts run along Rep. John Lewis Way (5th Avenue) and 6th Avenue for safe pickup and drop off next to the doors with automatic openers. Streets and building access may be restricted during certain events, so look at the event's attendee guide for the day's arrangement. If you drive, the garage is at 701 Demonbreun Street. See the parking section below.

The center's accessibility page says automated doors are on the building's entrances along Rep. John Lewis Way (5th Avenue), 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue, and that building access may be restricted during certain events. The Fresh Pick Market + Café is at the northwest corner of the building, at 8th Avenue and Demonbreun Street. Al Taglio, the center's pizzeria, is on Level 1 at the corner of Rep. John Lewis Way and Korean Veterans Boulevard. Tour groups meet at the entrance across the street from the garage, near 6th Avenue and Demonbreun Street.

The building has four main levels. Level 1 holds meeting rooms 101 to 103 and others, a 19,000 square foot terrace, and the Al Taglio restaurant. Level 1M holds the Davidson Ballroom, which is 18,000 square feet, and two board rooms. Level 2 has more meeting rooms, and the Business Center is in the lobby on Level 2. Level 3 holds the exhibit halls, and Level 3M has the show manager offices. Level 4 holds the Karl F. Dean Grand Ballroom at 57,500 square feet, which divides into Ballrooms A, B and C, with green rooms and a stage corridor. Elevators serve all four levels.

The exhibit space is 353,143 square feet, and the floor plan lists four halls on Level 3. Hall A is 86,143 square feet, Hall B is 87,000, Hall C is 87,000 and Hall D is 93,000. The floor is pre scored on a 10 foot by 10 foot grid, and the center counts 1,726 booths of that size. The center says the halls can be set up in up to five sections. In all the building has 60 meeting rooms covering 90,000 square feet, three board rooms and two terraces, one on Level 1 and a 7,000 square foot one on Level 3.

Show staff and contractors enter by a separate door. The planning guide says all event personnel, service contractors and temporary help must use the entrance labeled Contractor Entrance on the south side of the building at 700 Korean Veterans Boulevard. The center's delivery address is 700 Korean Veterans Boulevard as well. Move in through the main entrance areas is not allowed without approval from the event manager.

WeGo's train service is the Star commuter line, which does not run in the evening, so getting back late means bus, rideshare or a walk. We could not read an evening last bus time for this area on a WeGo timetable, so no times are given here. Open the WeGo trip planner or the Transit app for your own start and end points, and check the date you travel. Route 18 is the airport route, and WeGo points riders to its schedule page for departure times.

The WeGo Star commuter train is not a late option. WeGo describes it as running on weekday mornings and afternoons, so a night event will always need another way back.

Rideshare is the practical choice at night. The center lists vehicle cutouts along Rep. John Lewis Way (5th Avenue) and 6th Avenue for pickup and drop off. For events with shuttles, the planning guide lists pickup and drop off locations on Rep. John Lewis Way, 6th Avenue, Demonbreun Street and Korean Veterans Boulevard, but shuttles are arranged through the event manager and appear in your attendee guide.

Many people simply walk. Hotels shown below are within a few tenths of a mile, and the center says it is close to restaurants, honky tonks and music venues. Bridgestone Arena is about 0.1 mile from the nearest edge of the building by OpenStreetMap route, and the Ryman Auditorium is about 0.3 mile. The garage has roving security around the clock, according to the center.

The center's own garage is at 701 Demonbreun Street. The center calls it the largest covered parking garage in downtown Nashville. It has three levels and 1,800 spaces and is open daily to the public and to Music City Center guests, with 24 hour roving security. Primary access, labeled P3, is at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Demonbreun Street, and auxiliary access, labeled P1 and P2, is along 6th Avenue.

Payment is automated. The garage accepts debit and credit cards on exit. There is no trailer parking, and the garage does not allow in and out on the same ticket. Special event rates may apply, and they are posted when you enter the garage. Rates are not quoted here because they change by event. The center says it is not currently accepting applications for monthly parkers.

Electric vehicle charging stations are on each level of the garage, and the standard parking rate applies to the spaces. The center's pages disagree on how many stations there are, so check the chargers' map on the day if you need one. The center counts 29 accessible spaces, located next to the elevators on each of the three levels and available first come, first served. For events, valet parking can be requested for the third level with advance notice, according to the planning guide.

Parking tips for a busy day: the center describes the 7th Avenue and Demonbreun entrance (P3) as the primary access, with P1 and P2 on 6th Avenue as the auxiliary entrances, so if one is slow you can try the other. If you are heading to the center for a tour, the tour page says the garage entry points are labeled P1 and P2 and the meeting point is across the street. If your hotel is within a few tenths of a mile, walking can beat queuing for the garage at the start and end of the day.

The center's own hotel page lists every hotel with its address and a distance in miles, which makes it easy to pick a side. The building is bounded by Rep. John Lewis Way, 8th Avenue, Demonbreun Street and Korean Veterans Boulevard, and the hotels fall into four groups.

Along Demonbreun Street, the 1 Hotel Nashville at 710 Demonbreun Street and Embassy Suites Nashville Downtown at 708 Demonbreun Street are each listed at 0.1 mile. The Cambria Hotel Nashville at 118 8th Avenue South is 0.2 mile, and the JW Marriott Nashville at 201 8th Avenue South is 0.4 mile. This side suits you if you want to be near the Fresh Pick Market and the western edge of the building.

Along Rep. John Lewis Way South, south of Korean Veterans Boulevard, the Margaritaville Hotel Nashville (425), the Residence Inn (410), the AC Hotel and SpringHill Suites (both 410), Hyatt House (535) and the Home2 Suites and Tru (both 500) are listed between 0.2 and 0.4 mile. This side runs along the south edge of the building, at the corner where Al Taglio sits.

Toward downtown and Broadway, along 4th Avenue South and Korean Veterans Boulevard, are the Hampton Inn & Suites at 310 4th Avenue South (0.1 mile), the Hilton Nashville Downtown at 121 4th Avenue South (0.2 mile), The Joseph Nashville at 401 Korean Veterans Boulevard (0.3 mile) and Drury Plaza Hotel at 300 Korean Veterans Boulevard (0.4 mile). This side is closest to Broadway and the Ryman. Farther out, in the Gulch, the Canopy by Hilton at 920 Division Street is 0.7 mile and the Fairfield Inn & Suites at 901 Division Street is 0.8 mile.

Prices vary a great deal with the event calendar, so none are quoted here. The chain hotels below come from the center's official hotel list, with the distances the center shows, so you can compare the same dates on each.

Hampton Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown at 310 4th Avenue South is listed at 0.1 mile. Holiday Inn Express Nashville Downtown Conf Ctr at 920 Broadway is 0.4 mile, and Holiday Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown Broadway at 415 4th Avenue South is also 0.4 mile. Tru Nashville Downtown Convention Center and Home2 Suites Nashville Downtown Convention Center share 500 Rep. John Lewis Way South, listed at 0.4 and 0.3 mile. Fairfield Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown/The Gulch at 901 Division Street is 0.8 mile away, which suits people who are happy to walk a little farther or take a short ride.

Compare the same dates across all of them, especially when a large event such as the National League of Cities City Summit is on the calendar. If you need several rooms for a team, hotels can be booked with a company invoice, and a custom quote is available for group dates.

The center's official hotel page gives distances in miles for every hotel it lists. These are the ones within about 0.3 mile.

The Omni Nashville Hotel at 250 Rep. John Lewis Way South is listed at 0.0 mile, and Omni's own site describes it as steps from Music City Center. 1 Hotel Nashville (710 Demonbreun Street), Embassy Suites Nashville Downtown (708 Demonbreun Street) and Hampton Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown (310 4th Avenue South) are 0.1 mile. At 0.2 mile are the Cambria Hotel Nashville (118 8th Avenue South), Hilton Nashville Downtown (121 4th Avenue South), Margaritaville Hotel Nashville (425 Rep. John Lewis Way South) and the Residence Inn Nashville Downtown/Convention Center (410 Rep. John Lewis Way South).

At 0.3 mile are the AC Hotel Nashville Downtown and SpringHill Suites (both 410 Rep. John Lewis Way South), Home2 Suites (500 Rep. John Lewis Way South), Hyatt House Nashville/Downtown (535 Rep. John Lewis Way South), Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown (301 3rd Avenue South), Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville (210 Molloy Street), Holston House Nashville (118 7th Avenue North), The Joseph Nashville (401 Korean Veterans Boulevard), The Westin Nashville (807 Clark Place) and the Four Seasons Hotel Nashville (100 Demonbreun Street).

Another dozen hotels are listed at 0.4 to 0.5 mile, including the JW Marriott, Renaissance Nashville Hotel, Moxy Nashville Downtown, Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Downtown/Convention Center and Caption by Hyatt in the Gulch.

The center highlights four hotels on its hotel page: the Omni Nashville Hotel, The Westin Nashville, The Joseph Nashville and the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. They are a good starting point because they cover different parts of the building.

For a hotel next door, the Omni Nashville Hotel at 250 Rep. John Lewis Way South is listed at 0.0 mile. The Four Seasons Hotel Nashville at 100 Demonbreun Street is 0.3 mile, and the JW Marriott Nashville at 201 8th Avenue South is 0.4 mile. The Westin Nashville at 807 Clark Place is 0.3 mile. The Joseph Nashville at 401 Korean Veterans Boulevard is 0.3 mile, and the Renaissance Nashville Hotel at 611 Commerce Street is 0.4 mile.

If you want to be near Broadway and the Ryman, the Hilton Nashville Downtown at 121 4th Avenue South is 0.2 mile, and The Hermitage Hotel at 231 6th Avenue North is listed at 0.7 mile. If you plan to spend the whole day inside the building, the closest options are the Omni, the 1 Hotel and Embassy Suites on Demonbreun Street and the Hampton Inn & Suites on 4th Avenue.

If you need to reserve several rooms for colleagues, ask for a custom quote and a company invoice.

Inside the building you have two choices. Al Taglio, a Roman style pizzeria on Level 1 at 321 Rep. John Lewis Way South, serves breakfast wraps, pizzas, pastas, soups, salads and sandwiches, with Frothy Monkey coffee and a full bar. It is open Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a terrace that has a fire pit. Fresh Pick Market + Café at 707 Demonbreun Street is open daily, Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It sells made to order breakfast, lunch and dinner, grab and go snacks, local beers and travel necessities.

For evenings, the center points to Visit Music City's dining, nightlife and shopping pages. Walking distances from the nearest edge of the building, by OpenStreetMap routing, are about 0.1 mile to Bridgestone Arena, 0.3 mile to the Ryman Auditorium and 0.3 mile to the Frist Art Museum. Nissan Stadium is about 1.4 miles by walking route, which is more of a rideshare trip. The center lists honky tonks among the nearby draws, and Visit Music City's nightlife page has the current list.

If a game or a concert at Bridgestone Arena shares the night with your event, expect crowds on the nearby streets and slower rideshare pickups. The center warns that street access may be restricted during certain city events.

Both on site outlets close in the afternoon or early evening, Al Taglio at 3:30 p.m. or earlier and Fresh Pick Market + Café by 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturday and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, so plan dinner off site.

Exhibitors should read the planning guide on the center's site. The center has 32 loading docks and three drive in ramps. Hall floors are rated for 350 pounds per square foot, and the dock weight capacity is 320 pounds per square foot. Hall D has an elephant door in the northwest corner that is 22 feet 6 inches wide and 32 feet 6 inches high, and freight doors are 16 feet wide and 16 feet high. Rigging is available with 6,000 pounds per rig point on 30 foot centers in the halls. Commercial and production trucks may be left overnight, but personally operated vehicles may not be parked overnight. Drones, hoverboards, skateboards and balloons are not allowed inside.

Contractors and show staff use the Contractor Entrance at 700 Korean Veterans Boulevard. The Business Center in the Level 2 lobby takes packages at the main address. Coat and luggage check can be arranged for events through the event manager, which helps if you check out of your hotel before the final session.

Visitors should wear comfortable shoes. The building is large, and the center's tour page says a facility tour takes between 45 minutes and an hour and involves a lot of walking. Water bottle refilling stations are located throughout the building. Manual wheelchairs are available on a first come, first served basis with advance notice, and a photo ID is required. All public restrooms are accessible, and family restrooms and nursing mothers rooms are located throughout.

If your event has a big evening component, check the attendee guide for shuttle information and expect the closest hotels to fill first. For a team, hotels can be booked with a company invoice, and a custom quote is available.