Nashville’s historic Union Station Hotel, which opened as a 19th century railroad station in the heart of what would become Music City, has been named a 2013 Fodor’s 100 Hotel Award winner, designating it as one of the world’s most outstanding hotels. This third-annual awards program from Fodor’s Travel showcases 100 leading hotels worldwide that offer a best-in-class experience across eight categories that reflect 2013 travel trends and include the Creative Conversions category where Union Station Hotel, a member of the Autograph Collection, joins 12 other properties for creative adaptive reuse that brings new life to historic buildings.
The former railroad station stands as a grand dame hotel with 125 guest rooms, some of which were the former offices of railroad executives, as well as a soaring lobby, the Prime 108 restaurant and lounge, a fitness center and 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
“We are thrilled to join this elite collection of hotels from around the world, as hand selected by the trusted travel experts at Fodor’s,” said Ray Waters, regional director of Turnberry Associates, the management company for Union Station Hotel. “More than 100 years after opening as a bustling railroad station, Union Station Hotel today stands as an equally vibrant landmark that embraces its rich history and the special place it has earned on Nashville’s cultural stage.”
Winners of the 2013 Fodor’s 100 Hotel Awards were chosen from more than 4,000 Fodor’s Choice properties as nominated by 500 local contributors worldwide with finalists selected by Fodor’s senior editorial team. The 100 winners appear throughout eight categories that underscore today’s most compelling travel trends and include: Creative Conversions, Enduring Classics, Home Suite Homes, Culinary Gems, Exotic Hideaways, Local Characters, Sleek City Addresses, and Blissful Beach Retreats.
Opened as a grand railroad station in 1900, Union Station Hotel was a pivotal hub for America’s economy and culture before it was transformed into a boutique hotel in 1986. The building’s castle-like exterior and Romanesque interiors have endured beautifully over the past century and original design features have been meticulously preserved including limestone fireplaces and oak and walnut paneling, as well as a 65-foot, barrel-vaulted ceiling featuring original Luminous Prism stained glass, gold-leaf medallions and 20 gold-accented bas-relief angel of commerce figurines depicting 19th century products that moved through the station.
