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The Country Chic Thompson Nashville 

Until last year, when I was whisked away for a surprise bachelor party, I hadn’t been to Nashville since I was a kid. Funny enough, this is my 3rd time visiting in 6 months. I love the energy of the city, and when our dates aligned, it provided a great opportunity to finally stay at a Thompson property, upgrade to a suite, and have a lovely Valentine’s Day with my wife.

Long story short. I’d come back in a heartbeat.

Stay Details

• When: Feb 2022
• Where: Nashville, Tennessee ( The Gulch )
• Room: 431 – Thompson Suite
• Rate: 25k World of Hyatt Points
  • Applied Globalist Suite upgrade certificate
• Status: Globalist
  • Free Parking on award night
  • Free Breakfast ( $60 credit )
• Promotions:
  • Stay 2022 ( earn 2022 points after every 2 eligible stays )

Thompson Location

The Thompson is located in the Gulch, roughly 20 minutes from the Honky Tonk craziness of broadway in an area filled with young professionals and a more live-able urban vibe. Think nice shops, restaurants, apartment complexes, etc.

Booking

There are multiple ways that you could book the property, but I’d focus on two: using points and American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts ( since Platinum cardholders get a $200 FHR credit ).

Booking with Points:

I booked online using points 25k Hyatt points since the Thompson is a Category 6 hotel. I then reached out via the Hyatt app and upgraded to a standard suite via chat.  I’m Globalist and receive 4 Suite Upgrades, good for up to 7 nights a piece, each status year.

• As a Globalist I get free parking – that was $46 a day
• Thompson’s have no pet fees and we have a dog
• I also get breakfast which was worth $60

You can see below that the hotel was quite expensive for our stay, you can see rates in the low $300s, but it was Valentine’s Day weekend and Super Bowl Sunday. When you factor in parking and avoiding a pet fee… I thought 25k points was a good deal, and using points meant I could upgrade to a suite vs a category 7 free night certificate which isn’t upgradeable.

Another thing that factored in was qualifying for the current Hyatt promo which earns 2022 points for every 2 qualifying nights. I’d spent the night before in a Hyatt House so this earned me a bonus of 2022 points. This was also my 10th Hyatt stay so I earned a category 4 certificate from it as well. Hyatt rewards its members with Brand Explorer awards – every 5 different brands you stay in, you get a free category 1 to 4 certificate. Keep in mind that the hotel will need to be pricing in at standard or off peak for it to be able to be used.

American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts

This would be the other way I would think of staying at the Thompson Nashville especially if rates were closer to $300. Amex Platinum cardholders are given an annual $200 hotel credit when paying in advance on FHR and Hotel Collection properties. FHR is most advantageous since it requires only a single night booking vs The Hotel Collection bookings which require two nights. You’d not only get that $200 statement credit, but you’d also get a property credit, and breakfast credit. When the hotel was pricing near $500…it isn’t worth it. If I were to go back, and quickly choose any of the 3 to stay at again if rates were close to $200-300.

I’ve been fortunate to stay in all three Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts properties in Nashville in the past 6 months. They’re all quite different – if you’re looking for a chic hotel near Broadway – the Joseph will fit the bill. Old School heritage and luxury? The Hermitage. Trendy vibes but away from the business of Broadway? The Thompson would be great and primely positioned in the Gulch.

• The Joseph
• The Hermitage
• The Thompson

 

 

Check-In

We arrived around 4pm and the hotel the area was super quiet. It was a conundrum to me as to why cash rates were so high, but we pulled up to valet, and quickly checked in. The hotel has a very modern, industrial trendy vibe that feels like other Thompson hotels I’ve visited but never stayed at.

Room 431 – Thompson Suite

Tons of light. But, I will say, the Thompson and Executive Suites are actually more Junior Suites than they are traditional one bedroom suites. While I love the design, the vibe, and the separate seating areas with large tv and mini bar, it’s a glorified Junior Suite. One of the big reasons suites can justify a large increase in price is the ability to have two completely separate living spaces. If one person is up and wants to watch tv, get ready in privacy while guests in the living room, conduct a business zoom while your spouse sleeps…these kind of suites don’t provide that level of privacy. In fact, it reminded me in design of the suite I had at the Hyatt Regency London last fall.

The entrance hall

The view when the suite itself certainly possesses that wow factor. High ceilings and multiple seating areas make this open suite feel a lot bigger than it is.

A reverse view:

The wet bar bar features a fully stocked mini fridge as well as an Illy coffee maker

The bathroom

Stunning. Floor to ceiling subway tiles, large mirrors, black accents, bronzed hardware and a full soaker tub complete with balt salts. The large walk in, dual headed shower seamlessly incorporated a wooden bench, and shower caddy to place bath products.

A reverse angle showing the design aesthetic. I loved the wrought iron look and feel of the vanity and mirrors. There is a lot of personality throughout the entire hotel and attention to detail is clear.

Amenities: It’s rare to see toothbrush kits provided in American hotels, but the Thompson did and I actually ran out of toothpaste so this couldn’t have been better timed. D.S. Durga and Jonathan Adler products were featured for the shower as well as the vanity. As you can see there was an ample supply of towels for two guests.

Dining

There are three dining venues at the Thompson Nashville: LA Jackson on the roof, Marsh House just off the lobby, and Killebrew Coffee. We visited all three.

LA Jackson

This could be a fantastic place to grab a cocktail or snack, watch the sunset, and enjoy a nice Nasvhille summer night. When we visited it was cold and the vibe was dead. We checked it out quickly and decided to go elsewhere.

Marsh House

We used our $60 breakfast credit here and couldn’t have been happier. It was delicious and I’d come back even if I wasn’t staying at the hotel. I would note that it was closed when we checked in at 4pm on Sunday otherwise we may have grabbed dinner here as well.

I could see how the bar could have a good vibe when it’s full of people.

Look at this breakfast…I mean this was quite possibly the best avocado toast I’ve ever had. My wife’s omelette was divine.

And a peek at the breakfast menu:

Killebrew Coffee:

My wife loved the coffee and we almost bought some beans to take home, but instead we grabbed Chai Lattes to go, and found ourselves a bit disappointed. Go for coffee…skip the tea.

Gym

Sticking with the latest trend of including Peloton Bikes in hotel gyms…Thompson hits a homerun. Most any workout you’d want to do could be accomplished in this small, but complete hotel gym.

Overall

I wouldn’t hesitate to come back and stay at the Thompson Nashville especially if I’m able to get a great rate, offset with Amex FHR, or use points. But is it worth $500 or $600 for a cash rate? If you have a pet, that’s a big factor. The Hermitage offers free pet fees and has roughly similar rates. The Kimpton has no pet fee, but it’s over on the Vanderbilt campus. Other properties charge between $75 and $200 for the stay. That’s a big deal.

So is it worth it? Depends on your budget and purpose in Nashville. I imagine the hotel has a strong party vibe in the height of summer, and much of what you’re paying for is direct access to the scene. Could you get something similar at the W next door, or maybe even a sister property the Holston House off Broadway. Maybe? I’d like to compare the Holston House to the Thompson to see if the premium for Thompson vibes is worth it on my next Nashville visit.

But I wouldn’t hesitate to stay at the Thompson again.