Wanna hear something crazy? I have lived in the South almost all of my life, and I have never spent a weekend in Nashville.

I’ve driven through many times, but I have never experienced Music City in all it’s glory. To be totally honest, I wasn’t sure if it would be a favorite for me. I like my trendy restaurants, modern boutiques, and quirky coffee shops. Country music isn’t really my bag, and I’m definitely not a stereotypical Southern girl. Would I even want to spend a weekend in Nashville?! I was in for a surprise.

When Loews Vanderbilt offered to host me for a weekend, I was ecstatic to finally have a chance to see what Nashville actually had to offer. Not only would I get to experience a new city, but my stay at Loews Atlanta was nothing short of luxurious. I’m north of Atlanta, which is only a four hour drive away. (Luckily, I also had a snazzy little Mazda CX-3 that I borrowed for the trip, too!)

I loaded up and headed up to Nashville, Tennessee for the weekend.

I actually forgot about the time difference and arrived at The Loews a little before check in. No worries, though. They were super accommodating and got me right up to my room on the ninth floor. I asked for a King room, because without kids all over me- you can bet I am sleeping like a starfish while on vacation. The room was gorgeous, modern and clean with a “country” flair. There were little details all over the room that made me truly feel like I was in… Music City. I overlooked downtown through my large windows that allowed me to have a bright room.

As always, Loews customer service is impeccable and they are even available 24/7 by text (which was really helpful when I locked myself out of my room). I loved my room so much, it was all I could do not to just camp out there all weekend. Alas, I actually did want to see (and eat) some things, so I ventured out. (In a separate post, I will share all the fun things I saw and discovered.) Did I mention there is complimentary car service to anywhere in a three mile radius?!

Before I left, though- I made sure to hit up the coffee shop in-house. Flavor by Loews Hotels is a new branded food & beverage program showcasing Nashville’s best local artisans without ever having to leave the hotel! They partner with Frothy Monkey Coffee (@frothymonkey), Yazoo Brewing Company (@yazoobrew) and Pennington Distilling Company (@penningtondistillingco) to bring a true taste of Nashville to their guests as part of #FlavorNashville. Cool, right?!

Loews Vanderbilt is right next to, duh, Vanderbilt University- and is very easy to navigate to. I found the location to be ideal for all of the things on my list that I wanted to do. I tend to avoid the ultra touristy things, and go for the best food spots and local shopping. For those goals, I couldn’t have been in a better spot. The overall vibe of the hotel was very “Nashville”, with good music playing everywhere and a country/modern vibe in all the decor. No detail went unnoticed. It was absolutely lovely and I can’t wait to go back.

Verdict? I am in LOVE with Nashville. The people, the sights, the sounds, ALL OF IT. I can’t wait to tell you more about the rest of my weekend. Stay tuned!

Thank you to Loews Vanderbilt for an amazing complimentary stay. Thank you also to Mazda for providing me with a CX-3 for the road trip.