Hanna G
#BYGRACETHROUGHFAITH
Our Itinerary: Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate
Posted on September 13, 2022
First of all, we absolutely love our stays with Omni. Whether it’s in Pennsylvania to Florida, each has such character, amazing staff and service, quality food and wine selections, beautiful pools, stunning views, and comfortable accommodations. This 4-star luxury resort was no different! This Omni Orlando offers a day-spa, multiple restaurants, two world-class golf courses, water parks, water slides, a lazy river and Orlando’s only resort wave pool! You must try!
Surrounded by 36 holes of championship golf (18 of which we got to play!) and 15 acres of recreation ( think: various sparkling and refreshing pools, par-3 golf, tennis, soccer fields, basketball courts, walking and jogging paths, etc) Omni Orlando’s Four Diamond resort is one of the nation’s premier golf, meeting and leisure destinations. There was actually a conference and wedding that went on during our stay!
Located 30 minutes from Orlando International Airport (MCO), 20 minutes from Universal Studios and Sea World, and a shuttle ride away from Disney World parks— Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate is such al nice, secluded destination to retire to after a busy day in Disney!
We flew to Orlando at the end of August to stay at the beautiful 4-Diamond resort for a fun little getaway! We celebrated my mom’s birthday while we were there at the Omni and we all just had a ton of fun.
lol Helpful travel things to note: August is a great time to get that last bit of Summer excitement in with some moderate traveling rates. One thing to look out for when planning a trip this month will always be the potential hurricane weather and rainfall. It does rain just about every day, so just keep that in mind when planning your schedule. 🙂
Shuttle service through the hotel can be scheduled— just arrange those at least 24 hours ahead of time for the airport pick ups/drop offs, and then consult with concierge when scheduling Disney World park shuttles. We were heading to Disney Springs for the evening and could have taken the shuttle service from Omni to Epcot, to then catch another shuttle from there to Disney Springs. We just took an Uber, but several groups of people seemed to be taking advantage of the shuttle service!
Since we squeezed in a lot of fun into a few days, I will be sharing our loose itinerary that you may find helpful when planning your next trip to Omni Orlando Resort.
Day 1:
1:00pm Arrival to MCO & Uber to Omni
2:30pm Lunch at Crocs at the poolside grille
4:00pm Check-In to our suite!
6:00pm casual dinner at the resort during Steelers game— we watched on the big screen!
8:00pm begin to unwind and enjoy in-suite hot tub, robes, and amenities before calling it a night
Day 2:
7:30am Wake up to in-dining delivery.
8:30am A quick visit to the 24-hour gym session
9:30am Iced coffees from the Broadway Deli
9:45am Read at the Adult pool
10:30am Tennis courts (you can rent all equipments)
12:30- 4 enjoy the pool, wave pool and lazy river
5:30pm Head to Disney Springs & the shops!
6:30pm Dinner at Raglan Road (so fun and they have live music and Irish dancing!)
8:00pm Ice cream from Ghirardelli and catch the live music at the outdoor theater on the water. Motown was playing this night!
Day 3:
7:40am Tee time at the golf club — we absolutely loved playing 18 here! Tremendous course; beautifully kept greens and fairways, we were given brand-new Callaway Rogue clubs to play with, the golf pro shop staff was wonderful. They were so informative, gave us tips on play, and were very kind.
Pro tip: schedule a very early tee time as temperatures obviously get a bit warm in Orlando! Grab a bite to eat in the clubhouse after your round!
1:00pm change and head to the pool for lunch
2:00pm hit the lazy river x5
5:00pm Wine tasting in the David’s Club
6:00pm Dinner following are David’s Club
Day 4:
8:30am Check- out and departure. Allow for some traffic when you head to the airport! It might only take 25-30 minutes at the right time.
We loved spending a day at the resort where we could totally utilize all the activities, facilities, and amenities that that resort has to offer. If we came back, I’d love to incorporate a day at Disney in there! Since this was a quick trip and we hadn’t planned for that, we still enjoyed Disney Springs so much one evening!! There is a lot to do there and was such a wonderful time for us.
OMNI Bedford Springs Resort
Posted on July 14, 2021
My fiance and I celebrated our 5th anniversary (1 year anniversary since he proposed) at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort over July 6-8. It was the absolute perfect time to unwind, relax, and take in all the historic beauty that the resort had to offer. I loved all the country’s history being celebrated, especially the week after 4th of July. Our stay allowed us to take a break from the details and take a breath from wedding planning and just enjoy our itinerary at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort! (will be sharing the entire itinerary for our stay as many of you asked!)
By the 19th century, Bedford Springs was really popular and by mid-century the resort became quite appealing to politicians and actually served as “The Summer White House” for President James Buchanan in 1857. The politicians and their families loved the outdoorsy setting along with for the benefits the natural springs provided. In total, 12 U.S. Presidents have visited Omni Bedford Springs. George W. Bush being the most recent.
Upon check-in we were greeted by this striking 39-star United States flag from 1865! WHOA, so in 1865 there were only 36 official states–but the creator of this flag had high hopes that 3 additional states would soon join thus: the extra 3 stars unaligned. This particular flag at Omni Bedford Springs is actually the only known 39-star flag in existence, and its preservation behind glass and proper lighting reflects the great care and consideration that the Omni Bedford takes of this piece of history!
As requested, I will share our 3-day itinerary at omni
Tuesday:
- 12:00pm Arrival and Resort Check-In
- 12:30pm We met with the Director of Marketing for an awesome private tour of the property and to hear a bit of the resort’s rich history! We loved this.
- 1:30pm-4:30p Relax at the Outdoor Pool with Poolside Beverages (pro-tip order something frozen–for us, we loved a few Froses in the heat!
- 5:00pm We got to check out the famous Indoor Pool! This was built in 1907 and the largest indoor pool in the world at the time, considered a full Olympic-size pool. Music was played live off the balconies of this beautifully designed area. It is truly a sight to behold, but also the history of it all is quite charming! This water is from the mineral springs. It is said to be healing.
- 7:00pm Dinner for two @ the Frontier Tavern (this is a First Come, First Served style that offers delicious dining options from breakfast, lunch and dinner menus! I had a Filet Mignon Frite, accompanied with broccoli, tomatoes, and french fries while Tony enjoyed a special Truffle Mushroom Pasta. Appetizer pro tip: Charcuterie Board!!)
- After Dinner The staff had so kindly dropped off a S’mores Kit to our room earlier that day for us to use outside of the Tavern at the fire pit. Such a cute idea. We loved it, and s’mores are highly underrated.
Wednesday:
- 7:30/8am Start Your Day with a delicious and nutritious breakfast available through In-Room Dining ( convenient option if you’d like to enjoy sipping coffee on your rocking chair on the balcony! Amazing) at the Frontier Tavern or at the resort’s newest outlet Evitt House Coffee. We ate outside this morning and would highly recommend the Avocado Pesto Toast, Yogurt Parfait, along with a few cups of coffee 🙂
- 8-9am Explore the Trails along the Allegheny Mountains (We received a map in our room of all the mineral springs on hiking trails to explore! It is so peaceful and restorative)
- 10:00am Checked into the pool for our Cabana Rental we would enjoy later that afternoon 🙂
- 10:30am Tennis Court Reservations, we were able to pick up our equipment at Tally Ho Sport Shop. If you have tennis racquets and balls- pack them, otherwise you can rent these things for rental fees.
- 11:45am Check-In to Springs Eternal Spa for Appointment and Bedford Bath Experience. You simply cannot visit Bedford Springs without experiencing their heavenly world-class spring bath experience, it is healing. During renovations, they found that the front desk actually sits above one of the springs! All of the water in the baths come from this. Can’t say enough great things regarding our spa experience! There is a whole special routine in the Springs Eternal Spa baths before you’re ready for your spa appointment! There is amazing coconut and lemon waters served in the beautiful lounge area overlooking the gardens along with dried fruit and Cucumber Melon green tea. It was the perfect setting to be total Zen in our robes!
- 12:45pm Deep Tissue Massage Appointments for us! We were able to fill out our spa waivers prior to our arrival for the massage and Springs Eternal Spa. This will allow you to just relax when you get there.
- 2:30pm Relax at the Outdoor Pool in our special Cabana. The cabanas come as full-day rentals, you have a shaded comfortable set of loungers, a mini-fridge equipped with water bottles, chips, fruit, and menus available to order lunch poolside! It unfortunately rained not too long upon our arrival but we still loved spending some time at the pool and were totally relaxed from our spa treatments!
- 4:00pm We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring some of the trails on property, and right behind the resort, enjoyed the Chef’s Garden which was home of plenty of poblano, habanero, banana, and jalapeno peppers; rhubarb, sweet corn, and many more vegetables! There was a silver-lining to the thunder storms closing the pool though! Upon returning to the room, we found that the resort had left us a special charcuterie board in our room full of amazingly delicious seasoned cheeses, honey and fruit– and it perfectly paired with our rocking chairs on the covered balcony and a bottle of rose wine! (One of my favorite brands: Hampton Water) It was such a fun and relaxing late afternoon to catch up on some work before dinner!
- 7:00pm Dinner Reservations at the glamorous, The Crystal Room (This is a swanky, reservation-only restaurant off the lobby that has an array of fine dining! I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, and my fiance enjoyed his filet! This was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious and our friend Dave, whom we met the day prior, made certain that our reservation was at an intimate table in the back of the restaurant inside a beautiful pink room with crystal chandeliers and historic black and white photos of folks at Bedford Springs. It was such a treat! Following dinner, we made a pit stop at Evitt for some Lavender Honey gelato to enjoy on the rocking chairs right outside of the lobby.
Talk about a picture-perfect day. Every moment was fabulous and we just felt so grateful to take it all in!
Thursday
- 7:30am Start our day with a delicious and nutritious breakfast at the Frontier Tavern. I had the best oatmeal of my life! Tony loved his eggs and toast. Their bread they make there is second to none. We took our coffees to go as we headed towards the Pro Shop to check-in for our Tee Time!
- 8:50am Check-In to the Pro Shop for Tee Time at 9:00am on the Old Course, our rental clubs were all ready for us in our cart and we were able to enjoy 9-holes before any rain. Fun Fact: Old Course at Omni Bedford Springs Resort is one of the country’s first golf courses!
Dating back to 1895, their restored historic and high-caliber course overlooks the picturesque Allegheny Mountains and Cumberland Valley. It spans the work of three golf architecture masters– Spencer Oldham, A.W. Tillinghast and Donald Ross.
Bedford Springs Old Course has undergone a total renovation, overseen by architect Ron Forse, restoring it to its original course layout. Immaculate conditions was our review! A round of golf on these historicaly significant tees is a must-play for golf enthusiasts of all levels while visiting the lovely Omni Bedford Springs Resort.
Tee times as well as spa appointments book up SUPER quickly, we even heard that folks schedule these events before even securing a room just to ensure they will be able to have their spa appointments during their stay far in advance.
I almost forgot to touch upon our accommodations! So clean, comfortable, spacious, and charming! I believe we stayed in Swiss Cottage Suite! From the lobby, we took the elevator up 1 floor, and made our way through 2 buildings on our way to our suite. It was stunning, came equipped with walking sticks/canes, robes, a mini fridge, comfortable king-size bed, full-length mirror, plenty of seating and drawers, space, and an armour for the tv and all electronics. It was naturally lit from all the big beautiful windows, and the balcony was accessible through the door. The room was clean, and cleaned and picked up daily. We always returned to a special treat for us whether it was a sparkling Pellegrino bottle, charcuterie board, or s’mores kit! We loved that detail and personal touch from the staff!
The thought behind each bathroom is to give the guest a little piece of the Spring Eternal Spa so it has the total feel of the tile, dim-able chandeliers, and marble! It’s absolutely gorgeously elegant! The bath products are NEST! Need I say more? LUXE. There was even a little powder mirror and desk/chair for me to sit on to apply make up for dinner! Little white shutters open and close out to the balcony. It provided such a warm and luxurious feel, also accessed by a double-doored opening.
We just had the best experience at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, and would 10/10 encourage and recommend any friend of ours to go and see for themselves! Feel free to check out my Instagram highlighting our trip with video at @Hmgriff11 and for more photos and videos of our stay.
*This was a sponsored partnership with Omni Bedford Springs Resort.
Amara Resort: Sedona
Posted on December 17, 2019
Sedona Before Christmas
December Travel: Last week, we stayed at Amara Resort & Spa in the beautiful Sedona, Arizona. Sedona’s majestic red rock backdrop everywhere you turn just leaves me in awe of its beauty. I had visited the area once before years ago, and it’s even more breathtaking than I remembered. It’s absolutely one of my favorite places in the US.
Travel Tips: Getting to Sedona isn’t difficult. I usually find quite a few options for inexpensive flight options to the PHX airport (Phoenix, AZ) and then we rented a car to drive north (under two hours) to Sedona, AZ. The whole mountainous drive is gorgeous and it feels more like 25 minutes! For reference, we stayed for two nights, three days in Sedona. We then drove back to Phoenix after check-out to enjoy an afternoon and evening there before the next morning’s flight home!
Stay: We were so grateful to be hosted by the urban chic, Amara Resort & Spa, situated along the banks of Oak Canyon Creek and surrounded with red rock beauty. I was so excited to be visiting before Christmas time; I just knew it would feel extra cozy with the holiday decor and Edison lights. We were in the heart of Sedona and a 5-10 min drive from everywhere we wanted to go! Uptown Sedona, made up of little cafes, restaurants and shops, felt like a Hallmark Christmas movie with all the holiday cheer and festive feels!
Property Amenities + Special Touches: Upon arrival, we truly felt so warmly welcomed by both valet and concierge. The valet had our vehicle out in seconds each time we walked out front. Check-in was so smooth, and the kindest woman working at the front-desk made sure we knew all that we needed to on the events taking place on the property, how to get to our hikes, and what we may be interested in during our stay.
A few of my favorite resort details:
Heated Infinity Pool & Hot Tub With a View (Acceptable to walk to in robes 🙂 )
Complimentary Yoga in the Studio: Daily 7:45a & 8:30a
Illy Coffee Bar in Lobby: 5:30a-9a
Daily Wine Hour in Living Room: 5p-6p (white & red and SO perfect)
Spa Services Available Upon Request, Gym Access, Comfy Robes & Yoga Mat in Room
Adorable Post Card-Writing Corner: Amara takes care of postage
Top-Rated Saltrock Kitchen Southwestern Restaurant off Lobby: Also had seating on the gorgeous and heated patio overlooking the red rocks, with water falls + lawn seating)
Comfortable, Spacious Suites with Balcony Seating: Clean, up-dated, mini-bar, turn-down service, the shower products smelled amazing!! Need to find out the brand they use!
Saltrock Southwestern Kitchen: Tasty and Fresh Southwest Inspired Flavors, quickest, and superb service. Our dinner server was awesome and so friendly!
Itinerary Suggestions:
SaltRock Kitchen: at resort brunch/lunch/dinner/drinks
Sedonuts: the name- it’s a must! coffee, donuts
Creekside Coffee & Bakery: breakfast sandwiches/avo toast
Creekside American Bistro: Breakfast
THE HUDSON: Lunch/cocktail/burgers/pasta
MARIPOSA: Epic View, sunset drinks, dinner
Devil’s Bridge Hikes 1.8 miles-3 miles
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping: great art, shopping, and jewelry
Airport Mesa: Solid scenic lookout in our opinion
Bell Rock Hike: Easy hike
Helicopter Ride: Various time options, we used Sedona Air Tours
Pink Jeep Tour: They also have Grand Canyon
ATV Tour: $299 four hours around the ruins
Golf: Hilton Sedona Bell Rock Course
Tennis: Enchantment
Javelina Leap: Vineyard and Bistro
DA RANCH: Newer winery, beautiful, good wine
Page Springs: Winery (could be crowded in peak season)
Day 1:
Exhausted after an early six-hour flight from JFK followed by 2-hour drive from PHX, we checked in and kind of planned out what we’d be doing the next day with the front desk’s map help! We then explored the property and enjoyed the lawn’s views along with the heated pool! It was time for wine hour conveniently so we just got to relax and get settled in Amara’s cozier than cozy couch area of the lobby!
I did my research ahead of time when it came to restaurants and sights! Between consulting with some of my AZ friends and TripAdvisor, I decided we’d just stay at Amara and enjoy a dinner at the SaltRock our first night. We had an amazing dinner! From their hand-crafted cocktails ( I had a seasonally-spiced margarita) to the chips and queso and steak mini taco appetizers! We loved every bite. I think we shared a chilean sea bass entree that was also noteworthy! It was early to bed after a long travel day!
Day 2:
Due to the convenience of the location and the delicious-sounding menu, we decided to grab breakfast back at SaltRock. We surprisingly caught the sunrise behind the rocks, enjoy a delicious farm -to-table style big breakfast, and grab a coffee in the lobby before we were off to our first hike: Airport Mesa! I was told this was the best view of Sedona and it was all of a 5-minute drive from the resort. Parking can be tight there, but there are lots of options to park on your drive up the hill. Once you’re there, you can venture around the 3-mile trail or just take in the sights from Airport Mesa! Absolutely gorg.
Initially, we had planned to hike Devil’s Bridge, but since it had snowed the week prior, we also had some concerns with slipping and decided to just forego the risky trail and revise ze plan over some very large pieces of toasted zucchini bread and iced oat milk lattes uptown in Pink Cafe.
We somehow managed to sign up for a helicopter ride whilst strolling around the Christmas town haha, so ventured over to Bell Rock to hike until our ride time.
If you only have about an hour and want a beautiful and easy trail- Bell Rock Hike is your best bet! Friendly to hikers of all ages, we truly enjoyed this one. Every few minutes I would find myself just turning around looking out, saying “WOW!” I do that a lot in Sedona. Every painted sky (and mountain) is a canvas of God’s Grace! (One of my very favorite songs: “So Will I” by Hillsong United)
It was time to check-in near the runway which was at the top of Airport Road (not ironic lol) for our helicopter ride! It was both Tony and I’s first helicopter experience and it was fantastic. We were reminded that Walt Disney had a house in Sedona for a very long time, and he even created Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom modeled after this very place. We flew through canyons and valleys; the pilot pointed out Cathedral Rock, Snoopy Rock, and more. The rate was decent too, and it was under 20 minutes so it didn’t take up too much our time that we wanted to explore. I believe the company we used was Sedona Air Tours. This company also does Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon as well. If we were in town longer I definitely would’ve loved to adventure to either of those spots by car but we just didn’t want to spend the entire trip en route!
Thanks to my AZ friend, Carissa, we made reservations about a week in advance at the fan-favorite: Mariposa, which is a latin-inspired grille. Folks enjoy the epic views from Mariposa for afternoon cocktails, as well as probably their most popular time: sunset. The surrounding rocks LIGHT UP before the sun begins to set AND there was a full moon brightly lighting up the sky as we sat outside in wonder. The entire property was stunning and there were a few other groups beside us who had the same idea. We then were taken to our table which was right next to their floor-to-ceiling glass windows, still gazing out at the incredible scene. At Mariposa, you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu. In addition to Mariposa, Chef Lisa Dahl also owns Butterfly Burger and Dahl & Diluca, offering the freshest cuisine whether it be Latin, Italian, or American! Even if it’s just for cocktails, go around sunset to Mariposa–no regrets!
Everyone said Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village was a must, and they weren’t wrong. Authentically fashioned after a traditional Mexican village, Tlaquepaque, meaning the “best of … Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village is that very special place. Most stores closed at 6, however, we were able to catch a few jewelry stores (with pieces crafted from Africa and Spain, OMG I found the cutest bracelets!) to wander around, and the Christmas decor and lights were just so merry! This village was so magical, I loved it.
Day 3:
Since we had to make the trek back to Scottsdale, we packed up and headed back over to Tlaquepaque to see it during the day, grab a coffee from the famous Cake Couture Coffee & Desserts, and a bite to eat at the warmest, Pump House Station (Urban Eatery and Market). Their portobella benedicts- UH-mazing. The Christmas decorations were ON POINT, and I appreciated every detail. Before hitting the road, we strolled around seeing the Christmas trees with chai lattes and some treats from the bakery!
Needless to say, we had the best time. We look forward to returning again soon, Sedona. Thank you for your partnership, Amara Resort & Spa. Hosted by Amara Resort & Spa.
Perfect Weekend Getaways
Posted on May 17, 2019
Nashville Pedestrian Bridge into the city!
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the perfect place for any country music lover. From the Grand Ole Opry to The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, you’ll be singing country songs all day long.
The above photo I snapped on the street corner, inside are the crowds that waited in line to enjoy the country music atmosphere and hype of Dierks Bentley’s Bar. A lot of country stars have their own bars they’ve opened and are quite popular with the visitors.
For country-music fans, singers and songwriters from all over the world, Nashville is the ultimate destination. But Nashville isn’t just country music, it is a lively city, breaking out with new businesses, a dynamic food and cocktail scene, and bright lights!
Nashville is full of unique boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants, like Bluebird Cafe where you can sit and enjoy live music from rising stars. For a run by heading over to the full-size replica of the Greek Parthenon. You can go jogging on the beautiful paths in this cherry blossom-filled park right across the street from Vanderbilt University. Roam the streets and enjoy the sweet southern hospitality the city has to offer. Everyone is sincerely so kind and helpful! Not one day went by that someone didn’t offer directions when seeing us struggle with our google maps on a street corner. If you’re lucky you might even run into Taylor Swift. Or Reese Witherspoon. Or Luke Bryan. Or Kristen Cavallari. Such a neat town.
The Hermitage Hotel
We stayed at The Hermitage Hotel! Outstanding service, food and accommodations. The Hermitage Hotel is located right in the heart of the Music City, and has been a landmark for more than a century.
Decorated in with a blend of Beaux-Arts and Renaissance features, its phenomenal architecture stands out among the historic buildings on the East Coast. My FAVORITE breakfasts and dinner also came from the restaurant located underneath the lobby of this hotel: Capitol Grille & Oak Bar — This restaurant is a MUST. If you are celebrating anything GO HERE. It’s menu was incredible and our plates were phenomenal. We shared a few bottles of wine (Cakebread Cellars, my favorite) and let me just say, THE GRITS!!!! Never have I ever raved about grits in my life. These were out of this world. I dream about those. Each morning we just walked right downstairs for our exceptional breakfast/brunch- with a side of grits of course.
The Hermitage’s longtime status as a local magnet has even inspired the timeless slogan, “Meet me at the Hermitage.” You honestly won’t regret booking a night or two, or three or four here (We stayed Tuesday through Saturday morning)—each room was designed for maximum luxury and comfort. They were filming a few movie scenes a couple of the days we stayed there. Fun fact: Apparently the 1910 award-winning men’s bathroom off the lobby. Once you enter the Hermitage Hotel, turn to the right and go down the stairs to the ever-so swanky Capital Grill and Oak Bar.
The Men’s Room is right off the hallway. The lush bathroom is walled in gleaming lime-green-and-black leaded glass tiles, has lime-green fixtures, terrazzo flooring, and features a two-seat shoeshine station. If you can’t find it, just ask! They now allow women to see it as well. I found this all to be pretty interesting and humorous.
There is also a JW Marriott and Westin. The Westin boasts the city’s tallest rooftop bar popular L27 rooftop bar with a pool lounge, tasty drinks, and a stunning view of the skyline.
JW Marriott
FORBES: One thing is certain when you make plans to visit the newly opened JW Marriott Nashville you won’t need directions. All 33 floors of this $285 million dollar addition to Music City’s luxury hotel scene rise in glorious, glass-encased curvaceous splendor over the city. The commanding views define this property and its compelling elliptical shape (designed by renowned architecture firm Arquitectonica) has transformed the downtown skyline. Even legendary Chef Michael Mina, whose restaurant Bourbon Steak dominates the hotel’s 33rd floor, is pretty excited about his Nashville debut.
If you’re like me, you love The Marriott International W brand and guess what, W Hotel in the Gulch plans fall 2020 opening! So if you’re planning a Bachelorette Party, Birthday, weekend trip, Etc. Keep this in mind, it’s sure to be amazing. It’s one in a barrage of new hotels in the works in response to booming tourism. About 120 hotels are being built in the greater Nashville Metro area, including the 33-story, 533-room JW Marriott. The W will include two restaurants by Chef Andrew Carmellini of NoHo Hospitality Group: The Dutch Nashville and an Italian chophouse.The lobby will feature the W’s “Living Room” style, with a full bar, DJ booth and local artwork. A 9,700-square-foot “WET Deck” pool area will have luxury cabanas, a yoga area, grill and bar. A rooftop bar with a fireplace will be surrounded by landscaping.
“Based upon our own experience with developing upscale hotels in other US markets, offering hotel guests unique and exciting amenities beyond those typically found in similar hotels greatly enhances their stay and truly sets the brand apart from our competitors,” said David Carlins, president of Magellan Development Group, which will oversee construction. “The amenities and services planned for W Nashville will most certainly accomplish this while setting a new standard of excellence in Nashville’s hospitality market.”
There are about 50 W Hotels around the world, and there will be 75 by 2020, according to Marriott.
To Do:
There are SO many boroughs and neighborhoods you can explore for a different feel and experience. I asked a few close friends who are from Nashville and this is their *must-see* list:
Downtown Nashville
This is a pretty large tourist spot now, but if you go all the way there, you need to go!
The Gulch
The Gulch is quite popular. This area I found to be so cute and trendy! I had to make a few walks from our hotel down there to go see in person Uncommon James (a jewelry boutique owned by Kristen Cavallari, anyone else watch E!’s show Very Cavallari… or more importantly her start on MTV’s Laguna Beach in high school?) I also had to go see Kittenish (the adorable mother of 3 and wife to Eric Decker, Jesse James Decker’s clothing boutique)
We had reservations at Sambuca which is American food, live music, and offers a rooftop bar. We had a bottle of FAB rosé there.. and the live music played all my favorite 90’s songs! Can’t forget to stop at the wall with the “wings” for a quick pic. Milk & Honey also looked amazing- I didn’t have time to stop in but the menu looked pretty cool. Biscuit Love is right around the corner and SAME thing. Looked GREAT.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
No visit to Nashville is complete without a trip to Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. To get the most out of your visit, be sure to book a group tour, which includes a recording session and line dancing at the world-famous Wildhorse Saloon. At Wildhorse Saloon, they have line dancing and there are some great restaurants there, too. The walking bridge downtown is super cute and you can see all of downtown Nashville and the Nissan Stadium from there. Bridgestone Arena is downtown, where the Nashville Predators NHL team plays. It is a super fun atmosphere so if they have a game, you should try and go! ALSO stop for praline samples on Broadway. SO GOOD. We ventured back to the Gulch that night to a sushi restaurant on M Street called Virago! M Street is so cool because it’s one destination and 6 restaurants all owned by the same person! M Street Entertainment offers an eclectic portfolio that includes Virago, Moto Cucina + Enoteca, Kayne Prime, Whiskey Kitchen, Saint Añejo and Tavern. It’s an awesome atmostphere all around with twinkle hanging lights and exposed brick. So whatever you’re in the mood for, chances are- they probably have it. I’d describe it as a chic scene!
Each restaurant is distinct in both its cuisine and atmosphere, with the M Street Signature Style firmly branded in each concept. This signature is synonymous with exceptional quality, consistency, hospitality and innovation.
Arrington Vineyards
Grande Ole Opry
Nashville Tour
Downtown Franklin
12 South
Pinewood Social in downtown Nashville
Arnolds in downtown Nashville
Hair Salons
Leiper’s Fork
Churches
About
Posted on May 15, 2019
I’m Hanna! I’m a business owner and professionally published model. As a former division I athlete, I continued a career into sports as I worked in Media Relations, Video Production and Game Operations for two NBA Teams: Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers, and then as a Social Media and Account Manager for a sports branding company involved with artwork and branding for NCAA, NFL, and NBA, and now own my own design business. I met my cuban bf while on a shoot down in Miami at a gym he owned (so funny!) We both have a heart for travel, service, fitness, food, people, faith, new cultures, laughter, wine (more me than him), The Office, and so forth! My other love is my rescue, Simba, a pitbull mix who just happens to be the most loving pup! Most of the time I’m most likely exploring new cities, somewhere outdoors #doingthings, cooking up fun, healthy recipes, and creating media and fitness videos to help inspire others to get up, get out, and simply move! A few of our favorite recent trips consisted of spontaneous birthday weekend trip to Paris, a week roaming around Rome, the crystal blue, dreamy waters of Bimini and recently, Exuma, and a few salsa dances in Havana! I also wrote a fun guide for my time in Nashville.
I’m just here in attempt to spread light from the content I create. Through my blog, my vision was to offer my help with cities I’ve traveled to, lifestyle items and ideas that I have worked with so that I can share my input and personal understanding of them. The platform I’ve created has given me the chance to hopefully only speak life.
I partner with brands that I feel share a similar outlook on life as I do, value integrity, and are overall just clean and healthy.
My worldview came into focus when my focus shifted to Him, Jesus. God changes our point of view when we understand just how blurry our vision really is without Him. “My hope is that my vision would move further away from my own thoughts, opinions and interpretations- and closer to the way God sees things.” I love these words from Elisabeth Hasselback in a book I recently read because it’s always a prayer of surrender that by the power of the Holy Spirit, “I line up my point of view behind the lens of the gospel in order to see myself, others, and all that is happening as God wants me to see it.”
Romans 12:2 | Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Hanna G 