Loews Vanderbilt Hotel Nashvillle

I actually expected more out of this hotel than what I got. For it to be an expensive, supposedly top-rated, hotel it really lacked in amenities. Like an indoor pool, for instance. Or even an outdoor pool. I didn't find the rooms to look any different than any hotel I have ever stayed in before and the "souvenirs" that were distributed out through the hotel and available for purchase were a little pointless. It's mostly meant for the parents of Vanderbilt students and therefore its location next to the college campus is good if that's what you're there for. If you want to go downtown you still have to drive and find downtown parking. The big dining option is the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse which is one of the more priceier restaurants in town.

We stayed at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel and the Opryland Hotel. While the former is well-suited for business travel (and not especially well-suited) for the traveling family, the latter is well-suited for the traveling family (and not especially well-suited) for business travel. Service is great at the Loews hotel, but be constantly prepared with tip money. In contrast, the Opryland hotel features inexcusably long lines for check-in/check-out and even fairly long lines for guest services. It does have a very nice campus, though, that is well-suited for family travel. In addition, while the book prices are very high, the specials are really quite reasonable. The garden conservatory is really quite impressive and the Cascades pool (outdoor) was very nice.

Loews Vanderbilt Hotel
2100 West End Avenue
Nashville TN 37203
(615) 320-1700

Hotel Room Review:
This review is for a stay that took place in the month of January 2010.
It was for a weekend stay, and the rates posted from Loews own website started at $160.00 per night.
The hotel is rated 4 1/2 stars.
We arrived… at the hotels entrance a valet gave us our receipt for the car.
The lobby of the hotel is nice enough with granite and high ceilings, and a hint of class as there is a large white winding staircase (to the left of the check in desk) leading up to a second floor.
But, First impressions and lobbies of stone do not justify a 4 1/2 star rating!
As you will see from the images that I have include in this article, the rooms are more or less standard or equal to most other 2 or 3 star rated hotel chains. In some respects this room was inferior to rooms I have had at other hotel chains and at less than half of Loews published rates.

The Room:
Sized at about 15’x22’, plus the bathroom. It was not in any way special or large.
The walls were wallpapered with several different colors and the furnishings were decent but again nothing special. The TV was a flat screen style. The comforter on the bed was decent but the sheets were very plain. The rugs were ok.
There was a coffee maker in the room that you had to pay extra to use. And there were snacks in a drawer that you had to pay a premium to take/eat. There was WiFi available, also for an extra charge. The bottled water would also cost you extra.
The view was of a parking garage.
The bathroom was slightly above average in style but smelled slightly of mold and had an extremely poor caulking job around the tub. The shower curtain was constantly falling off as the curtain hooks were all bent out of shape and failing. Shampoos and soaps were average. The bathroom door hinge was rusting away, and there was water damage to the inside of the bath door.

Hallways:
Narrow and dirty looking… poor lighting!

So…. Why is this hotel rated at 4 1/2 stars???????
Is it because they charge $26.00 a day to park your car for you?
Maybe the $9.00 martini lemon drops?
Could it be they get 4 1/2 stars for location?
When I called hotwire and expressed my disappointment, the response from the Hotwire was something to the effect of “service that the hotel offered”?
What service is that?
When I booked this room I was expecting that a 4 1/2 star hotel would have some class, or luxury, or something special about it. Maybe a rooftop pool or jacuzzi? Maybe flowers in the room? Possibly special chocolates on the pillow? Anything that would justify this almost perfect rating?
This place didn’t even have a pool. Nor a jacuzzi. Not even a Jacuzzi tub!

Loews Vanderbilt in Nashville might have rooms that offer that little bit of extra luxury, but they probably are on the top three floors of the hotel where you need a special key to enter. And the price is most certainly very, very, very special.
Seriously… I feel like I was legally robbed by this hotel… and Hotwire. Not necessarily just for the cost of staying in an inferior property, but also for the loss of honesty in advertising. Hey, I realize that everything can’t always be perfect. But I expect a 4 1/2 star rated hotel to have more class than this property has had in a long time.
Loews Nashville is not worth staying at. I will not ever again believe a Loews rating or grade. Nor will I ever stay in another Loews property. They are resting on their laurels and charging much higher prices than other nearby hotel properties because of what they may have used to be.
$200.00 a night rack rate is absolute theft!
Seriously Disappointed!

Average price is really expensive . . . But don't despair, you can get great deals . . . I have found the conceirge level for only $99 per night before . . . Always check out their specials page . . . Loew's is also on most of the major discount lodging search engines . . . Rates can vary from $200 to $99 per night depending on the dates you pick, so try to be flexable

Unique Quality: My favorite . . . Loews location is perfect for the person who really wants to stay away from all of the craziness of the Opryland area . . . Close to many historic areas including downtown and the new football stadium . . . Close to the Vanderbilt University area . . . I always prefer to stay in these areas if possible . . . Close to many fine restaurants . . . Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is located in the lower level of the hotel . . . If you want a 'resort' this is it in Nashville . . . Great service with a personal touch