The Chloe Nashville, a charming 19-room boutique hotel with New Orleans roots, is already popular with locals. Within weeks of opening in Hillsboro Village, the hotel proved to be the perfect place to seek refuge from an ice storm, with its cozy aesthetic, welcoming bars and blazing lobby fireplace.
That’s just the crowd hotelier Robért LeBlanc is hoping to attract. “We’re pretty clear about this,” says Robért. “Our demographic, particularly for food and beverage, is almost entirely local — people in the neighborhood and Nashvillians.” In addition to residents, he imagines the clientele to be visitors seeking a local experience. “They want more of an actual feel of what it’s like to live in Nashville,” he says.
Situated in one of the city’s favorite walkable neighborhoods, the hotel occupies two 1920s Craftsman-style cottages that previously housed Asylum Records and Spirit Music Group. An original, slightly weathered, engraved brass sign in the lobby pays homage to the legendary label where Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits and George Jones have all recorded music.
“It helps tell that story,” says Robért. “But you want to be careful. … You can’t have guests walk in and just dump all this history on them.” Instead, he says, you want the narrative to feel organic. “So that sign has been incredibly fortuitous,” he explains. “Because it allows us to engage in that conversation without overselling the point.”
Robért is the founder and CEO of the New Orleans-based hospitality group LeBlanc + Smith, which opened the first Chloe hotel in its home city in 2020. Nashville is its second location.
Many pre-war elements in The Chloe Nashville have been preserved, including wood floors, original brick details and windows. There are enchanting little nooks, hidden away by luxe velvet draperies, where guests can have dinner, a cup of tea or a cocktail. One such alcove, which looks out on Acklen Avenue, is outfitted with a charcoal-gray banquette, two velvet club chairs, a pair of wooden bistro tables, and of course, lots of throw pillows for relaxing.
Much of the furniture throughout the hotel is vintage. New Orleans designer Sara Ruffin Costello collaborated with local interior designer Alyssa Spyridon to create a warm, comfortable home away from home. As the weather warms up, guests can gather around the pool bar or enjoy a meal on the expansive veranda.
A Taste of Louisiana
In addition to the 50-seat restaurant inside, the private dining room can accommodate 10 guests. Highlighting contemporary Southern cuisine, the menu combines the tastes of New Orleans with Nashville flair — thanks to an array of Tennessee whiskeys and bourbons.
Led by chef Matt Regan, formerly of Sylvain and Emeril’s in New Orleans, offerings also include red snapper court-bouillon with shrimp, pepper-seared oysters, and scallion rice. Another favorite is the roasted duck breast with bacon-braised lentils, grilled cabbage and crème fraîche.
Relax and Unwind
When you enter a guest room, it’s impossible to miss the whimsical, bronze coyote door knocker. The coyote motif, seen throughout the hotel, is a nod to the alligator theme in The Chloe New Orleans — depicting an animal that’s “revered in lore but [that] you never want to find in your backyard,” says Robért.
The décor varies slightly from room to room. Some are outfitted with four-poster beds and window seats. Almost all have soaking tubs in the bathrooms. Nightly rates start around $330, depending on the season.
Art Focused
Contemporary artwork is displayed throughout the hotel, most of it by local artists — including a series of cowboy drawings by Chris Coleman. There are also plans for an artist-in-residence program.
The emphasis on local creatives extends to the staff uniforms, crafted by imogene + willie. The hospitality group has even purchased a midcentury modern building across the street it plans to use for events. The space will be reimagined by local landscape designer Gavin Duke and his team, who also did the landscaping for the hotel.
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