Looking to take a trip with your dog this spring? Nashville, Tennessee, is a great pet-friendly vacation destination. Nicknamed Music City, Nashville has plenty to see, do and eat for furry friends and their human companions.
“Nashville’s abundance of restaurants with patios, parks located throughout the city, and public outdoor spaces help make it a dog-friendly destination,” says Heather Middleton, vice president of public relations for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation. “In line with the welcoming nature of Music City, many hotels are pet friendly, some even offering loaner pet-beds, water bowls, and mats for your furry companion.”
By Mandy Whitley Photography
Here’s what Nashville has to offer pet parents and their dogs who visit.
Dog-Friendly Hotels
Nashville is home to many pet-friendly hotels. From one of the city’s oldest and most luxurious hotels to some budget-friendly options, there are many options where you can comfortably stay with your pooch when you’re in Nashville.
Luxury Accommodations
Hermitage Hotel
Opened in 1910 and centrally located in downtown Nashville, the historic Hermitage Hotel welcomes guests and their furry companions with old world glamour. The grand lobby features Beaux-Arts style architecture, stained-glass windows on the ceiling and marble pillars.
Southern charm extends to the luxurious guest rooms that come complete with plush bathrooms, custom cashmere and cotton mattresses. And those amenities extend to furry friends too.
As part of its Pampered Paws Programs, the hotel offers a pet welcome letter at check in, an in-room pet dining menu and nightly turndown service that includes a turndown mat, treats, spring water and rolled towels. The hotel also offers loaner leashes and collars, an on-call pet massage therapist and optional pet walking services.
Additional in-room amenities include specialty pet bedding, an organic welcome treat, bottled spring water, water and food bowls and a specialized pack of organic pet food. The Hermitage charges a pet fee of $75 per pet per stay. There are no pet weight or size restrictions, says Christopher Salyer, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. Rates, on average, start around $600 per night at the Hermitage Hotel.
Hutton Hotel
Located in Nashville’s lively Midtown neighborhood, the Hutton Hotel is a luxurious and sleek environment for both humans (Gwyneth Paltrow has stayed here) and pets.
The ultra-modern, renovated rooms at the Hutton Hotel feature rainfall showerheads, chic glass sinks and mostly cool, gray tones throughout the room.
Dog guests can look forward to enjoying the Hutton Paws-itively Perfect program, which includes Hutton Hotel water and food bowls, welcome treats from PrideBites, a Hutton pet bandana, and a leash and toy from Bubba Rose. Guests can even order healthy, organic snacks off the in-room Furry Friend room service menu.
There are no weight or size restrictions on pets. The hotel charges a one-time cleaning fee of $75 for stays that are seven days or less. Guests will be on floors that are designed as pet-friendly. Advance notice is required to book pet-friendly rooms. Rates at the Hutton start at around $250 per night.
Kimpton Aertson Hotel
Located in Midtown Nashville on legendary Music Row, Kimpton Aertson Hotel provides guests and their furry friends with a hip place to rest their heads.
By Lisa Diederich Photography
Opened in 2017, expect modern details in the rooms including concrete ceilings, leather-stitched headboards and art from local Hatch Show Print, a working letter press that’s been in business since 1879. Pets also are welcome at the hotel’s nightly wine reception.
All pets are invited to stay and there is no additional charge. In-room amenities include plush pet beds, food and water bowls and mats. Guests can also look forward to courtesy waste bags, door hangers altering others to your dog’s presence and a concierge-provided list of dog-friendly spots around town. Rates at the Kimpton Aertson Hotel start at around $350 per night.
Budget-Friendly Hotels
Near the airport, the renovated Hotel Preston has a more contemporary look. The hotel is home to its own art collection and keeps Music City’s vibe alive in the lobby with guitars hung up on the walls.
This hotel offers furry friends a pet bed, bowls, toy, tasty treat, a pet-friendly room service menu, and a list of local pet resources. The hotel also has a dog park, that’s just past the pool area, according to its signature amenities page.
Rates are around $139 per night during the spring. The hotel charges a pet fee of $45 per pet per stay, says Shannon Overholser, the media relations manager for Provenance Hotels, the Preston’s parent company.
Housed in a former bank, the Hotel Indigo Nashville Downtown has many historical touches throughout. Expect to see some original travertine floors and U.S. Post drops in the hallways. The lobby lounge on the ground floor hosts musicians seven days per week. And the 161-room hotel also welcomes up to two dogs per room. Guests will be charged a one-time nonrefundable fee of $75. The weight limit is 65 pounds combined, according to Hotel Indigo’s website. Rates are usually around $150 per night.
Dog-Friendly Restaurants
By Mandy Whitley Photography
From old Southern classics to a hip coffee shop, here are some of Nashville’s top dog-friendly restaurants.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que
Edley’s Bar-B-Que is a Nashville institution that allows dogs on its heated patio at the 12th South location on 12th Avenue. You’ll spot many dogs, whether in person or through Edley’s Instagram feed.
The award-winning food at this local chain is carefully prepared fresh. All the BBQ here is smoked low and slow using local White Oak wood. Edley’s proclaims that the restaurant is a tribute to all things Southern. Anticipate menu items including fried okra (when in season), BBQ Nachos, catfish tacos and banana pudding.
Frothy Monkey
The 12th South neighborhood is also home to coffee shop Frothy Monkey, another local chain. The staff may bring your dog a fresh bowl of water, says Frothy Monkey co-owner and creative director Jennifer Sheets, and may even snuggle with them on their outdoor patio. Expect to see and maybe even chat with other dog owners, too. Customers can look forward to locally roasted coffee, fresh breads, pastries, loaded biscuits and gravy and bagel sandwiches.
M.L. Rose Craft Beer & Burgers
Many dog owners praise the Sylvan Park location of M.L. Rose Craft Beer & Burgers as being very dog friendly. Expect a welcoming staff and fresh water bowls on this bar’s expansive patio.
Enjoy more than 90 craft beers and all-natural beef burgers. Dig into hearty offerings, like the specialty waffle fries, and a variety of creative burgers, like the Angry Dragon topped with avocado, a sunny side up egg and Sriracha.
Please note that only some M.L. Rose locations allow dogs. The Sylvan Park spot on Charlotte Avenue is one of them.
The Southern Steak & Oyster Bar
One of downtown Nashville’s most celebrated restaurants, The Southern Steak & Oyster Bar welcomes dogs on its outdoor patio, according to the Nashville Downtown Partnership. It’s one of the few downtown restaurants that do allow pups on the premises.
From the Southern, you can order classics like the Southern fried egg sandwich, a hot chicken salad, braised beef brisket, smoked pork chops and barbeque ribs.
Dog-Friendly Attractions
When it comes time to explore Music City, many of Nashville’s top attractions welcome dogs. From two of the city’s most famous streets to one of its most iconic parks, here are some of the city’s most dog-friendly places.
Music Row
Nashville has two famed streets that would be perfect for a stroll with your pooch. Just south of downtown, Music Row in Nashville is where many record labels are located in charming houses instead of big office buildings. Anticipate seeing radio stations, recording studios, guitar statues and even the Rhinestone Wedding Chapel in this colorful and historic spot. One of the most notable attractions? RCA Studio B—where Elvis Presley recorded more than 200 songs!
Broadway
Broadway is home to many of Nashville’s honky-tonk bars like Tootsie’s, Robert’s Western World and Layla’s. From end-to-end, you’ll walk by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the legendary Ryman Auditorium and finish at the city’s Cumberland River.
By Mandy Whitley Photography
Expect to hear singers belting out live country music hits whenever you visit. Broadway gets lively at night and would probably be best for a daytime walk.
Centennial Park
Perhaps Nashville’s most iconic park, Centennial Park allows dogs. You can check out the 132-acre park’s most famed attraction, a replica of The Parthenon in Greece.
Centennial Park is also home to a dog park that’s open from dawn until 8 p.m. The fenced-in dog park has separate areas for large and small dogs. Owners need to pick up after their dogs. Dogs must be wearing current rabies vaccination tags.
White’s Mercantile
One of Nashville’s hottest neighborhoods—12th South—is home to one of Nashville’s most dog-friendly boutiques, White’s Mercantile. Like many places in Nashville, this shop has ties to the music industry.
This boutique is owned by country legend’s Hank Williams Jr.’s daughter, Holly Williams. Holly owns a puppy named Oliver along with her modern-day shop. Expect to find an array pet collars, accessories and treats at this “general store for the modern-day tastemaker” as you browse through the goods with your dog by your side.
With so many things to do, you’re sure to have a blast with your pup by your side in the Music City. If wanderlust is something you and your pup both have, be sure to check out these other family spring break vacation destinations as well:
- Pet-Friendly Vacations for Spring Break: Orlando, Florida
- The Best Places to Vacation with Your Dog: Austin, Texas
- 7 Dog-Friendly Cities to Take Your Pup in the United States
By: Teresa K. Traverse
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