The décor of the Grand Hyatt Nashville pays tribute to the legendary Louisville & Nashville Railroad that once ran through downtown. Just don’t expect a model train or vintage caboose. There is, however, an abstract art piece behind the front desk, which gives a nod to old railroad switches. There’s also a hotel library designed to be reminiscent of a luxury boxcar, as well as stained and polished wooden railroad ties creatively arranged to provide extra seating in the lobby.
“The idea behind all of this is we’re being referential to those things without being obvious,” says Joe Bucher, director of strategic design for Southwest Value Partners, which owns the hotel and is developing Nashville Yards on Broadway. “It doesn’t smack you in the face. We didn’t hang a train on the wall. All of this is very subtle and beautiful and elegant and references the thing that came here before.”